Ugliness and schizophrenia

Post Reply New Topic

Take a look at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 160029.htm

"This theory suggests schizophrenia is the low-fitness, unattractive version of a sexually selected fitness indicator that evolved through mutual mate choice. In other words, the disease is evolutionarily analogous to a small, dull peacock tail. The article proposes that all human embryos contain genetic instructions for brain systems specialized for a particular form of courtship, perhaps verbal. Because these systems are designed by evolution for courtship, they function as fitness indicators. Many fitness-reducing mutations and environmental hazards can disrupt their development and reduce the attractiveness of courtship. Such disruptions cause great variation in the trait that correlates with underlying fitness. Severe disruptions result in schizophrenia in place of normal courtship behaviors."

Isn't this just awful?

Man...that IS awful. One of my friends has schizoprhenia.

A lifetime of schizophrenia can ravage a person's good looks. Also, what are good looks? I give you The Rolling Stones. Or, for that matter, Abraham Lincoln. Maybe some folks are looking for "pretty face" - which is easily overshadowed by personality.

Famous schizophrenics who were attractive when they were young:

Tom Harrell, musician
http://www.internationaljazzproductions.com/tharrell.html

John Nash (Nobel prize, A Beautiful Mind)
http://www.nndb.com/people/276/000023207/

Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd)
http://www.schizophrenia.com/stories/sbarrett.htm

Joe Meek (record producer)
http://www.nndb.com/people/592/000114250/

Mary Todd Lincoln
http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln21.html

and more -
http://www.schizophrenia.com/famous.htm

I could not find the full article, but I don't find the hypothesis plausible. Indicative of bad genes? Then why do families with higher incidences of mental illness also have a higher number of members who are unusually intelligent, gifted and creative? The article could be speaking purely from an evolutionary standpoint, and in that instance, I would agree that even intelligence and creativity are not always adaptive...

Oh come off it! That sounds like one of those studies which claims chocolate is better than kissing -it's not universally true and that is only assuming comparisons of such things can actually be made.
Cultural influences play a massive part in social-interactions which in turn play an important role in emotional and mental health. If culturally, a society is very superficial, then those deemed ugly will be rejected from a social group which may cause mental health problems - it is not that those individuals which have mental health problems just happen to be ugly. It is more likley to be that a certain number of individuals of whom are unattractive to begin with, develop health problems as a result of isolation.

I mean, just look at John Nash - schizo and hot!

My mother is schizophrenic and at nearly age 50 is still very pretty. She looks much younger than her age. As a teenager she could have been a model.

What a load of rublish. My cousin is he gets by, has a kid. I known a really good looking schizophrenic woman.

'schitzophrenia' doesnt exist, at least in a clinically significant sense. Its an umbrella term thats clumsily applied to a range of different disorders or conditions. (how many 'schitzophrenics' are really misdiagnosed autistics who dont match the stereotypes?)

Any scientific theory that takes the term 'schitzophrenia' as if it was a clearly defined and measurable illness (like diabetes or a viral infection etc) and then attempts to find a common cause is therefore unlikely to be very well concieved.

Again I could not find the article, but I don't think it is saying that there's a correlation between schizophrenia and physical unattractiveness. What I read the summary to be saying that in terms of courtship behaviors, schizophrenia is like a dull peacock tail, i.e. it is at a sexually selective disadvantage compared to unschizophrenic behavior.