Posted on 06/01/2004 1:16:37 PM PDT by Born Conservative
LONDON (AFP) - Renaissance-era artistic genius Michelangelo might have had Asperger's syndrome, a milder form of autism which causes sufferers to have difficulties with social interaction, according to experts on the condition.
A by-product of Asperger's -- also known as high-functioning autism -- can be a special talent in a particular area such as art, music or mathematics.
The research by a British and Irish expert in autism, published in British publication the Journal of Medical Biography, argues that Michelangelo met a number of the criteria for Asperger's.
"Michelangelo was aloof and a loner," said Dr Muhammad Arshad, a psychiatrist at the Five Boroughs Partnership in Warrington, northwest England, and Professor Michael Fitzgerald of Trinity College Dublin, in their paper.
"Like the architect John Nash (1752-1835), who also had high-functioning autism, he had few friends," they said, referring to the famed British architect whose imposing Regency buildings and crescents are dotted around London.
The scientists describe Michelangelo as "strange, without affect, and isolated" and "preoccupied with his own private reality", adding that his father and grandfather and one of his brothers all displayed autistic tendencies.
The pair conclude: "Michelangelo's single-minded work routine, unusual lifestyle, limited interests, poor social and communication skills, and various issues of life control appear to be features of high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome."
Ah so now we have turned genius into a pathological condition. Wonder what they wil have to say about Beethoven. Mediocrity if fast becoming the standard for sound mental health.
Rain Man was a portrayal of a person with classic autism, not Asperger's. A "Rain Man" would not be presently attending college and supporting himself like my brother does. Actually high intelligence is a hallmark of Asperger's Syndrome.
My brother does have Asperger's (as do several family members), and he will have something else this December: a college degree.
Asperger's ping
"Michelangelo was aloof and a loner,"
And here I thought it was because he was gay...............
I guess The Inquisition was not responsible, either...........
The world is a much richer place because of these people.
So "others" thought Michelangelo or Nash to be "aloof", "loners" or "strange"? Who were these "others"? Does anyone remember them? Does anyone know their names? Did those well-adjusted, judgemental "others" contribute to the arts one half as well as Michelangelo, or Nash?
These journalists and psychologists who pass judgment on Michelangelo, Nash, and other individuals like them - did they ever do anything so wonderful as these "flawed" men? Did any of these expert labelers of humanity ever create so beautiful as Nash's works, or Michelangelo's David?
I would wager that the problem belongs not to Michelangelo, or to Nash, but rather to the "others" who judged them to be strange. Those "others" may have suffered from that common and sometimes fatal syndrome known as "jealosy".
How often are the "strange" people, who have much to offer in their gifts, shunned because their perceived social ineptness?
Perhaps Asperger's syndrome is not a marker of a defect - rather, in all of it's strangeness and social non-conformity, it may be the marker of potential greatness...
Well, since he had talent, let's use him to raise awareness.
Many geniuses tend to show such tendencies; Asperger's Syndrome runs in my family.For those individuals the higher the IQ, the more the condition manifests.
It would have saved my family a lot of time and trouble if we had known what was "wrong" with my brother and cousin and others. As far as I'm concerned, it's not a "pathological condition" but a subtle difference in brain chemistry.
As for mediocrity (or run-of-the-mill intelligence), perhaps that is in some ways requisite to happiness, or at least to contentment. That's not to say I think complacency is a good thing, though.
It may well be that their was nothing "wrong" with your brother at all, as you say.
Whatever roots psychology may have had in science has long since been left behind. It has become a religion.
You put it better than I did -- thanks.
I tend to believe that a lot of what we call "sociability" and the "popular" crowd are actually attempts at either covering up strong insecurities with schmoozing or trying to climb the social ladder.
And yes those types are very put off by the nonconformists.
Also known as Programmers Disease.
In some ways your statement is valid. But I can tell you that from over 35 years of exposure to my brother and cousin that they do have a condition of sorts. Eulalia, compulsive handwashing, and facial tics were childhood traits that meant they were teased unmercifully.
My cousin cannot even hold a job; his parents years ago put him in an apartment. He can live alone but he receives disability payments to pay for food and utilities -- and the model airplanes he builds. Plus he must be protected from predatory types as he cannot understand such motivations and is easily manipulated.
I wasn't infereing that Raymond Babbett had Asperger's rather than classic autism, nor was I implying that he painted the Sistine Chapel...as I said, it was a joke.
While I value teamwork, I think teachers and HR-types put too much emphasis on how people get along, rather than getting things done right and living a principled life. And they are too quick to be alarmed by people that don't schmooze easily.
-- Joe
They did that one a long time ago...he's on the list of Famous Artists with Bipolar Disorder
I am sure that my brother has Asperger's syndrome, though he has never been diagnosed. The school district sent a team of representatives to our home to inform my parents that my brother had the highest IQ that they had ever seen in the school district and apologize for having bored him to death. Everyone thought that he was just weird and blamed it on my mother's parenting. A psychologist once warned him to never marry, telling him that he was not capable of bonding with another person. My brother is the most rational man that you would ever encounter, completely devoid emotional thinking. The only emotion that he exhibits seems to be anger.
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