Re: NCR: philosophical talk is back

From: "Dawn DelliSanti" <CREEDGIRLL@AOL.COM>
To: <CREED-DISCUSS@WINDUPLIST.COM>
Date: Fri
31 Aug 2001 10:10:07 EDT

In a message dated 8/31/01 5:50:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
tknapp@TUCKER-USA.COM writes:

I think you're reading too much into the question, Dawn... the general ideas
of "insane" and "genius" are something that most people get the basic gist
of.

I don't believe I have read too much into it. This is supposed to be a
philosophical question, can one really read too much into that? My question
is this, just because most people have a basic "gist" of the ideas, does that
make their ideas correct?

Imo, insane would mean someone who's thoughts are so different from the norm
that the majority of the population can't conceive of the reasoning behind
them, i.e. "I killed my wife because she's a demon from the underworld sent
to destroy mankind". If the person truly believes that, then most people
would agree that he's insane.

I don't think "mentally ill" or "depressed"

are appropriate for the question, since someone could be mentally ill or
depressed without most people even realizing it, while insanity would be
more obvious. (Again, in my opinion).

I was not trying to define insanity with mental illness or depression, I
just thought that that those would be better words to use in place of
insanity. I am not sure if I believe that one who is insane appears to be
more obvious. I believe it really depends on the situation at hand.

A person could have clinical

depression or be obsessive-compulsive without their behavior being so far
from the norm as to be considered insane.

I think I answered this above.

A genius is someone who's thought processes are highly advanced compared to
the majority. (It kind of all goes back to "what is 'normal'?"). On a
standardized IQ test, normal intelligence is considered a score within 20
points of 100. A genius is 160 and above. (A flawed IQ test wouldn't
count, since the odds are good that it wouldn't be a standardized test -
same as taking the SAT's. Controlled setting, moderated, the test being
approved prior to the time of taking it by a board of people who know what
they're doing, etc...)

Do you really think that a standardized test isn't flawed?
To get away from IQ tests, I think a genius would

just be someone who can "think" better than a lot of people. (If that makes
sense... which it probably doesn't... at least I can prove that I'm not a
genius, huh? <g>)

Think better on a whole? Think better in what areas?

To get back to Ewa's question - my opinion is that while it's possible to be
both a genius and insane, genius doesn't necessarily have to lead to
insanity.

Just as ignorance doesn't have to lead to bliss. There are plenty of
people who are considered to be of "average" or below average intelligence
that go insane, just as there are plenty of people who have an above average
intelligence level who are not viewed as insane.

The way I see it, there are a few possible reasons for why it's

sometimes seen that way. First, it could just be that the person's thinking
is so highly advanced, that other people can't even come close to
understanding it, and believe the person to be insane because of that.
Second, the genius could "burn out"... try so hard for so long to figure
something out that the frustration mounts to the point where they give up...
perhaps having a nervous breakdown?

Does a nervous breakdown make them insane? Weren't you the one who said that
one can be depressed or mentally ill and not be insane?

I know of a couple of people who have genius level IQs, and both have had
difficulty in their lives trying to deal with it. I wouldn't go so far as
to say that either of them are anywhere near insane, but both of them have
exhibited what most people would call "deviant behavior".
I guess what I'm trying to get at is that it's so difficult to be highly
intelligent, that if those people can't find a way to release their
thoughts, it's likely to be very frustrating to them.
Ah hell, it's late and I can't get across what I'm trying to say. (Talk
about frustrating...). Hopefully you get the basic idea though.
Tara