A different path to genius

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"Traditionally, people with autism were deemed to have low intelligence, significant learning disabilities, and a rigid insistence on sameness.
Yet many original thinkers and driving forces in our culture, including Isaac Newton, Lewis Carroll, Einstein, Marie Curie, Mozart, Picasso, van Gogh and US President Thomas Jefferson are suspected of having symptoms of Asperger's syndrome, the high functioning end of autism spectrum disorder":
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/ ... 252608.htm

Interesting article though I think they missed the point. The title and much of the text implies that genius should be expected to come from neurotypicals.

We know (pretty much) that Newton and Einstein were on the spectrum but I would also be very surprised if it could be proved that any of the early 20th century major contributors towards quantum physics were neurotypical.

I'll concede that neurotypicals may have invented the odd light-bulb or toaster here and there but I can't see them coming up with anything really fundamental like the laws of motion or relativity. If and when the grand unified theory comes together it will be an aspie that comes up with it.

A more interesting article would be one that shows a major fundamental scientific discovery by someone who is diagnosed as neurotypical, or at least whose recorded behaviour strongly suggests they are neurotypical. That would really rock my preconceptions.

However, I doubt that will ever happen.

Isn't "genius" a brain abnormality in itself? Therefore can anyone who's a genius even be considered "neurotypical"?

It's not just Aspies; much of the greatest artistic contributions to our society (in the form of literature, music, etc) come from people with Manic-Depressive Disorder, or depression, or scizophrenia, or any of a host of other "disorders." And for a task such as working in a pharmacy, organizing and sorting all the different medications, wouldn't you want to hire someone with OCD?

It takes all different types to make the world run. Don't fix anyone, because everyone has their own contribution to make.

lets face it. NTs are average, boring, normadish type folks. They talk a lot about virtually nothing and they think even less.
They don't have the focus or the self discipline or the perspective for innovative thinking.

pack psychology by its very rules implies that the stupidest person tends to lead a crowd, and that this is true for ideas.
Its the main cause of groupthink.

Anybody whos seriously different can turn that into an advantage if they use their difference as a motivator to excel. NTs are motivated to belong and thus conform, and thus worship the lowest common denominator- ala beavis and butthead.

Well, gifted people are considered people with "special needs" (to the point of needing special schools, even), and I'm not sure, but I think giftedness is considered as a neurological condition so technically gifted people by definition wouldn't be neurotypicals.

What a load of conceited crap. I really am getting sick and tired of this whole Aspies are so much more intelligent, inventive, evolved, honest, garbage. We do not know that Einstein was ASD and certainly cannot make assumptions about Newton. Those two are always trumped out, what about all the other brilliant inventors and discoverers, before you say that most of them probably had ASD here is list from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_speculated_to_have_been_autistic

As for Einstein if he was Aspergers it led to him wasting that great brain by devoting nearly all of his life to finding the theory of everything, he basically became a bit of a laughing stock of the scientific community, great lot of good Aspergers did him. If one needs ASD to be a genius now that it is so better DX'd you would have thought that they would be popping up everywhere.

My partner works with a bunch of aspergers kids at school (thats how I came to be DX'd) as she says, none of them are above average IQ in fact several are below. The only ASD people I have contact with are through this forum, all of my friends and acquaintances are what you deride as 'NT', maybe you need to spend more time amongst these people then you would realise that there is no group out there called the 'NT's'

If you want to be accepted into everyday society then stop deriding it, and stop making ridiculous assumptions that anything brilliant must have come from someone on the ASD

Sorry but I cant make out whether or not you are being sarcastic?

You arrogant f**k. Why do Aspies see themselves as the f**king Master Race?

Because we have a social disorder and some of us dont quite get it.

BTW I dont think I have ever seen you swear

I don't swear. The cusswords are dotted.

No, no, don't you dare use "I have a social disorder" as an all-purpose excuse. You whelp, don't you dare.

?? If you are saying that I am using ASD as an excuse then I must correct you.. Categorically I do not agree with using ASD as an excuse

I fully agree with you, the comments were ridiculous, have you read what I said about it?

BTW I cant be a 'whelp' in relation to you I am the older one here, whelp infers inferiority by age

Sorry, that flame was meant for Brunny.

No Probs, just got a bit confused because on this one I am most definitely in agreement with your good self. BTW IMO swearing with the bits ** out is still swearing

Unfortunately Brunny is not alone there is a big group on this forum that have the same delusion

I can totally see Marie Curie as being Aspie.