Does madness and genius coexist in your family tree?

Question

I'm interested if you have people with mental illness in your family also with highly creative and intelligent members too.

Blues - please tell us more

Mama Mia - so what is the point of you answering this question then?. I have a relative who comitted suicide and one who ended up in Broadmoor and a grandfather who was very talented in business. I am not ashamed.

Broadmoor is an english criminal lunatic asylum seen as you are American.

Answer 1

They coexist together in me,,,

Answer 2

Madness ?

Mental Illness... I think exists in all families even those that seem quite normal and would never admit to it.

I believe that depression is part of the creative experience... I know that during the time of working to complete an idea, preparing the work for a show I am generally upbeat...

After the show is up and then comes down there is usually a period of depression. I think part of that is because of expectations that do not occur.

If one really looks at ones family tree and knows enough about the history one will discover the addictions and illnesses that re-occur.

Answer 3

While your terms "madness" and "genius" are quite broad and quite unscientific, it is likely that by some definition this is true in any family.

Individuals are just that, individuals. So you could have someone with mental illness (which in a FEW known syndroms could be inherited) in the family as well as a genius (nobody knows yet what drives intelligence).

What is more likely is that a single individual could exhibit both high levels of intelligence as well as some forms of social/emotional, even psychological problems. One theory is called "essential communication limit" from Dr. Leta Hollingworth. It is theorized (and some experimentation has been performed to support this theory) that people are intellectually ostracised from their peers when an IQ difference of 30 points or more exists between them. While genius is not a scientific term, one could assume that genius equates with high intelligence, thus high IQ. Since as IQ reaches the highest levels, the number of peers (intelligence) decreases substantially. So a person is left socially and emotionally alone, isolated and often has trouble with authority figures or dealing with the mundane aspects of life. And this can cause social/emotional problems and even depression.

So at the broad level, sure, it is likely that someone broadly categorized as genius exists in the same family tree as someone broadly categorized as "mad" (or mentally ill - also a non-scientific term). But it is also likely that you will see some aspects of both in the same individual, especially an individual with a very high IQ.

Answer 4

Mental illness occurs in most families (and in mine!) in one form or another over the decades! But I am not sure who might be a genius.

Dr.Kay Jamison wrote a book about Creativity and Mental Illness and I have always been fascinated by the number of people in my own family who are very creative (don't know if they are geniuses or not) but certainly struggle with depression and other disorders. I know that one person told me that when they are at their worst in their illness they are not productive in their art and do not have any realization of what is really excellent work or not.

Answer 5

Depression and self sabotage run rampant in my family. As well as extreme talent musically, academically and artistically. Ironically the members of my family that have depression and the need to self sabotage have the greatest talent of all of us.

I wonder if you need to posses both to be a true genius.

Answer 6

We certainly have a lot of mental health issues in our family (bipolar/depression) but genius is debatable!!!! I think there is more opportunity for education and going to uni etc that for my parents and certainly grandparents. There is a link I think between creativity/IQ and mental illness.

Answer 7

More madness than genius in my family. I think we cope with the world better through madness. We do not let things get to us so much.

Answer 8

The Boundary between Genius and Madness is very very narrow, so the answer to your question is yes.

Answer 9

I have a relative who was considered a child prodigy and have had others who were pretty mentally unstable. Whether they co-exist I've no idea. I think I'm somewhere in the middle............

Answer 10

Absolutely. I've always felt like the two CAN go hand in hand, and often do (not always, of course). Me, my father, my mother....definitely. I think being "too intelligent" can be a curse. Average would be nice.

Answer 11

If there is a find line between love & Hate, there is also a fine line between genius and madness.
Do both exist & coexist within my family tree you ask, I don't disclose private family affairs to the public, sorry.