http://www.topix.net/tech/2008/02/einste...tic-traits
Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton displayed symptoms of psychiatric disorders that may have been a key to their genius, a Dublin psychiatrist said.
Michael Fitzgerald, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin, said characteristics linked to autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger's syndrome are the same as those associated with creative genius, The Daily Telegraph said.
Fitzgerald, author of the book, "Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents Changed the World," said Enoch Powell and Charles de Gaulle both appear to have had Asperger's syndrome.
Speaking at a meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Academic Psychiatry, Fitzgerald said De Gaulle's Asperger's syndrome was critical to his success. He was aloof, had a massive memory, lacked empathy with other people, and was extremely controlling and dominating.
Isaac Newton was known to work non-stop for days and Einstein worked in a patent office because he was too disruptive to get a university job, the newspaper said.
"Psychiatry tends to focus almost exclusively on the negative side of different forms of mental illness," Fitzgerald said in statement. "I want to show that psychiatric disorders can also have positive dimensions."
*beep* - This is erkolos speaking
It seems impossible to truly find out whether people from earlier in history was or wasn't autistic. So I say let people believe what they want.
Hmmm...psychiatric disorders.......
B"H
What psychiatric disorder? I feel fine!
Right now, I don't feel fine, but it's not autism to blame...
B"H
I hope you feel better. I am not a Nietzche fan, but I enjoy what you write.
Please be well.
People tend to bandwagon on the idea. Making such claims doesn't help us, but instead makes us appear arrogant and elitist.
People tend to bandwagon on the idea. Making such claims doesn't help us, but instead makes us appear arrogant and elitist.
ATM: Logical Paradox, I always enjoy when you post. Let me clear up my point. I was never suggesting that I am better than anyone. To the contrary, I am painfully aware of my limitations. However, I do not feel that I have a "disorder." I am different. I see numbers as colors. I do not have a difficulty imagining mathematical infinity.
However, the "click the color, not the word" game kind'a through me until I figured out that I had to click the color and not the word. So, my strengths and weaknesses balance. No elitism here, gentle readers. All in all, I am on the extreme outlier end of the average spectrum.
All the best,
I read Isaac Newton use to give his lectures whether or not anyone showed up.
People tend to bandwagon on the idea. Making such claims doesn't help us, but instead makes us appear arrogant and elitist.
ATM: Logical Paradox, I always enjoy when you post. Let me clear up my point. I was never suggesting that I am better than anyone. To the contrary, I am painfully aware of my limitations. However, I do not feel that I have a "disorder." I am different. I see numbers as colors. I do not have a difficulty imagining mathematical infinity.
However, the "click the color, not the word" game kind'a through me until I figured out that I had to click the color and not the word. So, my strengths and weaknesses balance. No elitism here, gentle readers. All in all, I am on the extreme outlier end of the average spectrum.
All the best,
Sorry for the misunderstanding, I wasn't commenting on you. What I meant was that aspie often say famous historical people had AS, and that can mislead NTs to think we're arrogant.
It would be very hard to tell if that was what they had anyway.
A combination of passion/obsession mixed with an overpowering intelligence could create a similar mix of traits.
Not to steal their credit, anyway =).
People tend to bandwagon on the idea. Making such claims doesn't help us, but instead makes us appear arrogant and elitist.
ATM: Logical Paradox, I always enjoy when you post. Let me clear up my point. I was never suggesting that I am better than anyone. To the contrary, I am painfully aware of my limitations. However, I do not feel that I have a "disorder." I am different. I see numbers as colors. I do not have a difficulty imagining mathematical infinity.
However, the "click the color, not the word" game kind'a through me until I figured out that I had to click the color and not the word. So, my strengths and weaknesses balance. No elitism here, gentle readers. All in all, I am on the extreme outlier end of the average spectrum.
All the best,
Sorry for the misunderstanding, I wasn't commenting on you. What I meant was that aspie often say famous historical people had AS, and that can mislead NTs to think we're arrogant.
ATM: You know, Logical Paradox (Is LP OK?). I think that you are saying something that is important to address. Personally, I wonder if I have not struck people in my life as being arrogant without intending it. For instance, on a long-term math assignment as a Sub, I was less than understanding about dyscalculia. Frankly, I did not have the knowledge of it that I should have. I did not understand how to deal with ninth graders who did not have an understanding of Y-X graphs. I was not mean, but I was incapable of proper assessment.
I cringe when I think of the Aspies and fellow members of the Spectrum who may have been among those that I was not equipped to help. I don't ever want to make that mistake again---ever. Whatever gifts we have, it is imperative that we help others, be they on the Spectrum or be the NT. The only way we can do that is through love and understanding. If we practice the tolerance that each of us wants for ourselves, I think that the whole arrogance issue will clear up[/size].
All the best,
I think Newton is interesting and I am reading about him at the moment. Even on AFF I find no men like myself who are not interested having sexual contact with people. Newton is like Pitt the younger, male and single all there life. Its very interesting that even hundreds of years ago men with similar social attitudes to mine were considered odd. The science is interesting too!