As more than a decade's research is showing, genius and madness are basically best friends. What's interesting is why.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Why Weird People Are Often More Creative
As more than a decade's research is showing, genius and madness are basically best friends. What's interesting is why.
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19 comments:
This is really interesting. I clicked on the link expecting an article on how creative people are weird, but then this was actually the opposite. There is this comedian that I know that said something along this path too; he being Dane Cook. I can see how the people that seem a little off their rocker are the people that can think more outside the box. They don't have the borders of reality that the rest of the world has.
This was a pretty cool article. Very rarely do you see studies conducted in professional form discussing the benefits and drawbacks to being "weird." I consider myself on the inside of this group, and so to me it seems like a no brainer that the quirky people are also the creative ones. However, it is neat to see this being proven in a more scientific manner.
I guess I can agree with the article when I see Music Theater students singing Beyoncé songs in the cafeteria at loud volumes, or when I see Computer Science majors running around on sticks playing a real Quidditch match. However, these " weird" people posses an intellectuality and high-intelligence which makes these individuals innovative or creative.
This is actually kind of funny. It was actually a kind of a self-esteem boost for me. I always thought that my mind just thought in webs but now I know that it's not weird! It just makes me more creative! Sometimes when people talk to me I'll start randomly talking about an entirely non-related subject... It wouldn't even be a tangent because there seems to be no relevance what so ever. But in this noggin over here *knock knock*, it makes perfect sense because when you mention water I'm going to think water, thirsty, long travel, walk, who does that?, wheels are faster, cars are faster, trains don't get into traffic that often, trains and then I'll start talking about taking the train being so much easier than walking. Guys, it's inevitable!
I totally agree! Art is a "recombining" or reimagining of things we experience, as are dreams, so it makes sense that people who are rapidly observing and connecting dots to form imaginations would be creative. It is ironic how these traits are also present in people who are considered mentally ill.
This article definitely helps answer and pose some questions about the mind. First off, that maybe genius and madness have an even finer line than people may think. Artists and other creative people think in quick webs and consequently look crazy to those who don't. Secondly, I'm curious as to how that fine line is actually drawn. Is there something else in the more creative mind that doesn't make all creative people mentally ill? Or are all creative people actually mentally ill? However if that is the case, what makes some more "mentally ill" than others?
I definitely think there is some truth to this. I would definitely agree that there is definitely another type of intellectuality when it comes to being creative. Part of that creative intellectuality is probably coming from most of the odd people in the room. I think it is so cool that even a creative could out smart the smartest person in the room when it comes to being creative.
I think that most people would not be surprised by this connection. Often creative people are not as successful in traditional education systems and that connects to not being able to focus the way others may be able to. It was cool to read the explanation for this, with the description of latent inhibition. I had never thought about the idea that creativity comes from less filtering of ideas in this way, but it makes a lot of sense. Children have tons of creativity, which also tends to diminish as they get older. It would make sense that this is connected to the development of more filtering of their thoughts. This article really makes me further question the way that our system of education works today and the way that we over-medicate children with "attention deficit disorders." I'm not going to say that there is not legitimacy to medicating for various mental disorders, but I think its become clear that today children are being way overmedicated, and I think its bad for creativity. Children's brain should not be altered because they aren't working with the way that we educate. The way that we educate should be altered to allow creativity to flourish.
Based on this article in almost pays off to be "weird" because it gives you a different view on the world, a view not everyone else sees. I have read in the past how more creative people have a harder time in standard education because of the way they think about things they cannot comprehend math as well as the less creative. I personally think the last line of the article "which is why you might want to stay open" is incredibly useful as an artist, you do not want to limit yourself in your creativity. If you stay open you can come up with the most outstanding things.
This article was very interesting, but when you think about it it becomes very obvious why creative people will have qualities that will make them more successful. Without creativity the world would be a very stagnant place. Creative individuals have goals and dreams that change the world and push them to go above and beyond. On the other hand, I can also see how creative people could tend to get lost in their minds and forget details that would make it harder to live in a world that is so focused on being a part of the professional "corporate" world. I am proud to call myself a creative person and I hope I can do something that will change the world in a positive way.
I've been looking for confirmation that my distractibility was a blessing in disguise. Even as I type, it becomes harder with every letter to stay on task. It must be my latent creativity brimming over, and sidetracking me from the objective at hand.
In earnest, I do find myself losing sleep when I'm leaping from the sweet blanket-strewn nest of my bed to write down incoherent snatches to remind myself of something I think is brilliant. Whether any of its fruition can be called "creative" is not for me to say!
4) This article is funny because it’s SO true. For example, I’ve been known to do some strange things with food. I carve faces into my watermelon, I have a wonderful magic trick where it looks like I put a baby carrot in my ear and pull it out of my mouth, and I have attempted to speed-eat an ear of corn by attaching it to a handheld drill. (I have videos.) Prior to attending CMU and being surrounded by other artist, my friends all thought it was really weird when I did these sorts of things and wondered how they even came to my mind. Granted, my CMU-art-friends think it’s rather strange too, but they can somehow better understand my motivation. They, too, lack the filter that limits us to only making logical connections between objects. Like the article said, my creative classmates and I can look at a slice of watermelon, two baby carrots, or an ear of corn and see endless possibilities. If that means we’re weird, so be it. I’d trade my sanity for creativity any day. Thank you, article, for the confidence boost.
I love this article. I find myself constantly fixating on an object and drawing usually the completely opposite conclusion as some of my more logical thinking friends. This article feels amazingly validating for me and the way my mind works. As someone with learning disabilities as well as other disabilities that help inform my work this article helped me better understand why it helps so much. I only wish that this article went more in depth.
I think this is a really interesting look at creativity and totally makes sense. The lack of societal restraints and pressure wont be filtering someones creative mind. Ive seen this in my life before also. When i was growing up I was always that weird kid, and as i got older my friends were too. We were always the people that saw the world from a different perspective. I also think that what they mention about the connection between creativity and mental illness of sorts. Ive seen this in my life also, some of the most creative people ive ever met have had add or adhd or something similar, and because of it they were unable to do as well in a traditional educational environment, but when it came to creating something, they were brilliant.
This article is extremely interesting to me. Because mental illness is often associated with weakness, difficulty communicating, and needing to be put away from society, It find it uplifting to see it in a positive light. I have noticed that a good number of my friends (in addition to myself) who succeed in artistic endeavors are often being treated for anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. It is interesting to know that there may be some logic to this, and not just a "depressed artist" stereotype. I've always been a fan of the weird and slightly insane. I look forward to a future where more people realize the genius of the wacky.
While this is very interesting indeed, I don't know if I agree with this article. I question the order they have for the whole "cause and effect" of the title. My point is, I don't think its "Weird People Are More Creative" but instead I just think that creative people are often weird. Being "more creative" often means you have more thoughts and the people seen as weird just express those thoughts openly.
This article is AWESOME! People who are able to spontaneously release their creativity and make beautiful art have always really impressed me. I would not call these people "weird", but people who can be creative on spot. Weird is one of those really hard words to define because it depends a lot on the context, and everyone has their own definition of the term. These people to me aren't weird. These people are awesome.
I definitely agree. So many people lack creativity because their inhibitions stop them. Because these geniuses lack that filter; their minds are open to all possibilities.
Cognitive inhibition, while making you more creative (and maybe lowering your test scores), comes hand in hand with weirdness- it doesn’t cause weirdness. Weirdness and dumbness are entirely separate things. Another common theory is that creativity stems from the lack of functional fixedness, or the ability to think outside the box. Maybe instead of being weird, Albert Einstein saw the cigarette on the ground as having many more uses than just trash on the street. Alternately, an umbrella’s pointed tip makes for a respectable weapon. Instead of just having an easier time connecting objects with significant memories, the ability to find alternate uses for everyday items could provide the basis for substantial creative thinking. In turn, people who see objects for their multiple uses are often perceived as weird because it doesn’t follow the “norms” of society. If you saw a person picking up a cigarette butt, would you follow in their footsteps? Having different ways to do things doesn’t make people dumb or insane-just creative.
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