Genius or Madness?
"Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide" (Dryden). There often seems to be a link between creativity and mental illness. Many great poets, playwrights, artists and composers suffered from depression, alcoholism, obsessionality, bipolar or psychotic disorders at some time in their lives. How strong is the link and what might account for it? Are these disorders beneficial to the creative process or a drawback that must be overcome?
Professor Glenn D. Wilson is one of Britain's best-known psychologists. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programmes and has published more than 150 scientific articles and 33 books. He is an expert on individual differences; social and political attitudes; sexual behaviour, deviation and dysfunction; and psychology applied to the performing arts.
(from gresham.ac.uk)
| Genius or Madness? |
| Related Links |
| What Makes a Genius? This is a BBC documentary presented by Marcus du Sautoy, exploring what makes someone a genius. Marcus du Sautoy wants to know if geniuses are just an extreme version of himself - or whether their brains are fundamentally different. |
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| Introduction to Psychology This course is a survey of the scientific study of human nature, including how the mind works, and how the brain supports the mind. |