The Inspired Madman or Medicated Puppet “If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of Muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman” (Socrates). Since times even as far back as fourth century B.C. people have speculated about the link between creativity and madness. It does seem like the best and the brightest artists, scientists, mathematicians, and musicians are affected by some type of mental illness, and many are affected by more than just one. Although many would argue that creativity is not in anyway influenced by the thralls of mental illness, studies have shown numerous links …show more content…
There are a number of arguments backing this point of view. For example, "other psychiatrists regarded it as...a justification for human suffering"(Lehrer). Simply put, the argument here is that declaring a link between creativity and mental illness is justifying the pain one suffers by glorifying their work. However, one can not understand and praise a work of art if one does not praise the struggles the artist faced to reach such achievement. Others may argue that mental illness is detrimental to society and should not be glorified in anyway. Evolution scientists disagree stating that "...natural selection would have seen them off long ago"(Mental illness can be a source of creativity). Natural selection weeds out undesirable traits over the centuries of human evolution, which means that mental illness does provide a survival advantage. Advantages include the intense focus, the critical thinking, and the unique creativity. It may seem a leap too deem creativity advantageous to society, though without the innovations of crazed minds, society would not be nearly as
As a reader, one can glean that when conducting an argument, written or otherwise, it would be better received if one first identifies the target audience. Upon doing so the argument can be made by using more factual data to back up thoughts and opinion. For an arguer it is best to not use sarcasm and slights against those who disagree, it closes them off to new ideas. By following these argumentative rules, Gennai’s argument for the influx of creativity would have been better utilized within the world of the
In my creative portion, there are images, in which the artist intended to portray the feeling of having schizophrenia, Like Saks, they want the world to understand the truth about their disorder.
Madness: A History, a film by the Films Media Group, is the final installment of a five part series, Kill or Cure: A History of Medical Treatment. It presents a history of the medical science community and it’s relationship with those who suffer from mental illness. The program uses original manuscripts, photos, testimonials, and video footage from medical archives, detailing the historical progression of doctors and scientists’ understanding and treatment of mental illness. The film compares and contrasts the techniques utilized today, with the methods of the past. The film offers an often grim and disturbing recounting of the road we’ve taken from madness to illness.
There are many types of mental illnesses that can affect a person’s ability to function on a level fit for society. Those illnesses affect people differently and to different extremes. Diagnosable mental disorders are changes in thinking, moods, or behaviors that can cause a rise in the risk of death and may cause distress, pain, or disability. More severe mental illnesses include three major illnesses: Schizophrenia, major depression, and manic depression. Schizophrenia is a brain ailment that causes a loss in the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy. Many people who suffer from schizophrenia often hear voices that tell them to do different things. In some cases, the voices tell them to hurt themselves or other people. Other symptoms ma...
“Madness may lurk where creativity lies,” (Adams). Robin Williams, a well-known comedian and actor, is an example supporting the preceding statement. Although not proven, Williams is alleged to be mentally ill with bipolar disorder and depression. His creative role in comedy and the acting world, which has largely impacted society, is often attributed to his rumored mental illness. Over time, psychologists have continually studied the possible link between creativity and mental illness, which could be explained by genetics. Robin Williams, among several other famous creatives, is a living testament to this link. He further proves this highly speculated connection through his creative improvisational style, his symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression, and his addiction to alcohol and drugs.
The practice of serious art, whether it be painting, music or literature, requires originalities of perception. At a level of neurobiology what this usually means is that the nervous system must respond in new ways to old inputs. How can in individual induce these responses that are needed for creativity? If creativity is a behavior, can it be influenced by things that occur in the brain?
Schizophrenia is a disease that plagues many individuals today and though medications can help alleviate the symptoms there is no known cure for the illness. There are a multitude of representations of schizophrenia in the media. This paper will focus on A Beautiful Mind; a film that focuses on John Forbes Nash Jr. Nash was a mentally gifted individual. He attended Princeton and his mathematical work has changed society greatly. In the movie, Russell Crowe played John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. Throughout the movie Crowe did an amazing job depicting the multiple symptoms of schizophrenia. Within this paper I will focus on the positive symptoms, negative symptoms, positive hallucinations, effects of medication, and the time frame of the illness represented in the film.
SCHIZOPHRENIA Schizophrenia, from the Greek word meaning “split mind”, is a mental disorder that causes complete fragmentation in the processes of the mind. Contrary to common belief, schizophrenia does not refer to a person with a split personality or multiple personalities, but rather to a condition which affects the person’s movement, language, and thinking skills. The question of whether schizophrenia is a disease or collection of socially learned actions is still a question in people’ mind. People who are suffering from schizophrenia think and act in their own the world and put themselves in a way that is totally different from the rest of society. In other words, they have lost in touch with the reality. Most schizophrenics accept the fact that they have this disorder and are willing to receive necessary treatment and listen to, if not follow, professional advice. However there are cases where patients have lost insight and do not acknowledge the fact that they suffer from a mental disorder. As a result, these people do not have the treatment normally patients with schizophrenia do. To observers, schizophrenia may seem like a disease or madness because people who have this disorder behave differently to the people that are considered “normal.” It impairs a person from doing work, going to school, taking care of his/herself or having a social relationship with others. Yet, by looking at some of the symptoms, it is sometimes hard to classify schizophrenia as a disease because it enables those inflicted with it to develop new ways of communication intellectually and creatively, as well as enhancing artistic abilities. A disease is usually some kind of sickness that will lead to death or under heavy medication. However, this is not the case. For now, there is no cure but only treatment to help people with schizophrenia to live more productive lives. Generally, schizophrenia carries enormous threats to the society. About one percent of the people in United States develop schizophrenia and the probability of developing this disorder is independent of the patient’s gender, race or culture. Women are as likely to develop schizophrenia as men but women tend to have less severe symptoms with fewer hospitalizations and are generally able to cope better in the community. About ten percent of the people who have schizophrenia commit suicide and many others attempt...
History shows that signs of mental illness and abnormal behavior have been documented as far back as the early Greeks however, it was not viewed the same as it is today. The mentally ill were previously referred to as mad, insane, lunatics, or maniacs. W.B. Maher and B.A. Maher (1985) note how many of the terms use had roots in old English words that meant emotionally deranged, hurt, unhealthy, or diseased. Although early explanations were not accurate, the characteristics of the mentally ill have remained the same and these characteristics are used to diagnose disorders to date. Cultural norms have always been used to assess and define abnormal behavior. Currently, we have a decent understanding of the correlates and influences of mental illness. Although we do not have complete knowledge, psychopathologists have better resources, technology, and overall research skills than those in ancient times.
21.The disposition of some bodies toward the exercise of artistic talent and others toward talent in
Before discussing any more, clarity toward the term “creativity” should be defined. “[Creativity] is extraord...
This paper will discuss the negativity that creative thinking can bring. Creative thinking is encouraging of unethical behavior, and has even been linked with mental illness. Creative thinkers are likely to be excellent liars, dishonest, and damaging. Before the above is discussed; however, there will be a discussion over the creative process and then the popularity of creativity. Why exactly creativity is often promoted and encouraged will be debated.
Creativity is the mental characteristic that allows a person to think outside of the box, which results in innovative or different approaches to a particular task. It requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. It does not arise in a vacuum; it requires a certain degree of both general knowledge and field-specific knowledge. In this something new and value able is created such as an idea, a design, a literary work, a painting or musical composition, a solution, an invention etc.
ABSTRACT: Values provide evidence of spirit in human life. Spirit is a creative mental force for realizing values, a force which shows signs of a superindividual growth and decline, a life of its own. This paper documents the historic rise and decline of several waves of human creativity. I also consider possible factors that would account for the rise and fall: the presence of new material, social encouragement and/or patronage, temperamental egotism on the part of creators, the attraction of pioneering talent, or a collective or superindividual spirit.
Creativity is the essence of technology we have today, without technology we would be without the most basic of equipment in our modern day lives. Could you imagine a life without cars, computers, and even houses? What would the world be like if it were deprived of these necessities? We have progressed to such a degree, that it seems almost unlikely that the human race will produce one more extraordinaire. However, without the thoughtful minds of thousands of inventors, our world would rapidly turn into one of bland repetition. In my opinion creativity is essential, without it, life would be routine and almost pointless after a point in time.