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Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

nautil.us

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Re: Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

#201

Post by SolaceQuantum »

Psychthowaway wrote: post #179
SolaceQuantum wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered not psychopathy, which is not a clinical term but a criminology term, but something like a dissociative disorder or schizoid disorder? Note that the closest thing to psychopathy is antisocial personality disorder, which is more than a lack of empathy and guilt but also a streak of constant aggresssion and an incapability to learn from the consequences of ones own actions. Not having empathy with o…

Have you considered not psychopathy, which is not a clinical term but a criminology term, but something like a dissociative disorder or schizoid disorder? Yes, when I have spoken with therapists they typically use one of two terms: Antisocial Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personality Disorder. However it's pretty clear to me that neither of those fit because they seem to present without the manipulative behavi…

Schizoid people essentially don't feel anneed for social anything and don't feel emotions. They're usually not diagnosed because you can function just fine. Most schizoids I know function alright except they're bothered by the need to fake social norms for others.

Re: Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

#202

Post by sitkack »

taneq wrote: post #167
sitkack wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are tons of geniuses that are perfectly normal. What his article was talking about was eccentric geniuses.

That's a contradiction in terms. Genius is exceptional by definition, if you're a genius you're not normal. Most of the smart people I know struggle with some form of depression or existential issues. The really smart ones are invariably a bit odd.

We have to put these tropes to rest, they are damaging to everyone.

Re: Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

#203

Post by xapata »

sverige wrote: post #111
xapata wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No need to restrict yourself to friends. Feynman, Da Vinci, Alexander the Great, ... there are countless individuals who have done more . I used to (and still occasionally) suffer from staring out into the stars at night and realizing how insignificant I am. We should all be like Zaphod, eh? Just remind yourself that life in an absurd universe is pointless, so there's no need to achieve anything beyond having a nice…

I am reminded that Julius Caesar was very distraught upon reaching the age of 33 years and realizing that Alexander had accomplished everything of his life by that age. And yes, exercise is excellent for nearly every malady. (See Plato for specifics.)

Oh man, totally forgot that one. 33 came and went! I guess it's too late to conquer the world.

Re: Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

#204

Post by sverige »

e40 wrote: post #186
sverige wrote: post #20

Every time I read one of these articles about genius and madness, I become smug for a little while, then I get depressed because I realize that I haven't accomplished anything noteworthy, then I'm mildly reassured because occasionally my wife will spontaneously aver (contrary to all expectation) that I am a genius, then I get distracted and start chasing some ideas, then I get depressed again because, well, shit, I s…

No, I don't vote, and my predictions don't imply endorsement. All politicians suck, even those who aren't (or weren't) politicians. You're good at lying to yourself, too. Bush and Gore weren't the same. Clinton and Trump weren't the same, either. Had Gore won, we'd literally live in a different world. The Middle East might not be as stable as the US, but it would be vastly more stable than it is now. And, looking bac…

I used to be the opposite of apathetic. I was deeply involved in party politics at the local and state level. I met and spoke with governors and senators, representatives and mayors, presidential candidates and district attorneys, activists and money people from both parties. I raised money, I knocked on doors to get out the vote, I waved signs at busy intersections, I sat through countless committee meetings. I even ran for a state office once. (Lost, thankfully.)

All of that experience taught me that there is, in fact, no difference between Bush and Gore. There is a difference between Clinton and Trump, but there is no difference between Clinton and Jeb Bush.

By the way, Trump is different because he comes from outside of that system that has been built up since the late 60s. He doesn't fit any of the existing paradigms the Baby Boomer generation created, which is why establishment Republicans were busy attacking him during the election and obstructing his agenda right now.

Now, tell me again I'm lying to myself. Tell me how many politicians you have personally eaten with, or even spoken to in private, in the last 30 years. Tell me why your experience is superior to mine when it comes to making such a judgment.

Re: Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

#205

Post by sverige »

da02 wrote: post #189
sverige wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One had the loveliest wife you'd ever want to meet, a great match for each other, yet he couldn't stop himself from having serial affairs. He even asked me and others for help 15 years ago, but couldn't stop. He is now a lonely middle-aged guy striving to paper over the self-inflicted pain. (I know this, despite his denials, because I've known him for over 30 years.) One has been completely inactive as far as I can t…

Thanks for putting up with all these questions. You seem to have your own "Big Bang Theory" going on, but with more tears.

Ha ha, I'm embarrassed now by all the attention this thread got! Hopefully everything will go back to normal now that I'm sober and I can make my usual 2- and 3-point comments here and there.

Re: Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

#206

Post by e40 »

sverige wrote: post #204
e40 wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I don't vote, and my predictions don't imply endorsement. All politicians suck, even those who aren't (or weren't) politicians. You're good at lying to yourself, too. Bush and Gore weren't the same. Clinton and Trump weren't the same, either. Had Gore won, we'd literally live in a different world. The Middle East might not be as stable as the US, but it would be vastly more stable than it is now. And, looking bac…

I used to be the opposite of apathetic. I was deeply involved in party politics at the local and state level. I met and spoke with governors and senators, representatives and mayors, presidential candidates and district attorneys, activists and money people from both parties. I raised money, I knocked on doors to get out the vote, I waved signs at busy intersections, I sat through countless committee meetings. I even…

no difference between Bush and Gore

I'll tell you how you are lying to yourself: Gore would never have invaded an entire country because of 9/11. He would have sent in SEAL team 6 to kill Bin Laden.

Re: Both geniuses and madmen pay attention to what others ignore

#207

Post by sverige »

e40 wrote: post #206
sverige wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be the opposite of apathetic. I was deeply involved in party politics at the local and state level. I met and spoke with governors and senators, representatives and mayors, presidential candidates and district attorneys, activists and money people from both parties. I raised money, I knocked on doors to get out the vote, I waved signs at busy intersections, I sat through countless committee meetings. I even…

no difference between Bush and Gore I'll tell you how you are lying to yourself: Gore would never have invaded an entire country because of 9/11. He would have sent in SEAL team 6 to kill Bin Laden.

Rather than answering a direct question, you have replied with a hypothetical action by a hypothetical president who you don't know personally. This is the sort of behavior that drove me away from politics as a useless exercise. Please, get more involved. I think it would suit you.
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