Why Geniuses Go Crazy- Just My Theory
Created | Updated Feb 24, 2003
I can well imagine if any of you knew me you may be sniggering at this moment. What in the world would I know of geniuses and what would drive them mad? Nothing, you're quite right in that regard I would imagine. But I have seen the dangling end of the thread, the one that leads to knowledge and insanity.
When I was a young woman, I mostly wanted to know those facts that served my purpose right then and there. How to figure sales tax, how much mozzerella goes on a 15" pizza, what percent of the tips I made I had to claim to the IRS to keep them from being suspicious. Of course as I got older, thankfully I did not stagnate at the pizza place, I gained more need for knowledge. Had I not I wonder if I would have ever sought it.
I came into a position of authority, it made it necessary for me to consider much deeper subjects. Suddenly math seemed very easy when human physcology had to be studied and behavior anticipated in order to run a smooth dinner shift. Witnessing the effects of marketing trends made me curious about various econmoic issues. And before you know it I couldn't stand the be trapped in that restarant anymore. I took quite a big gamble and just quit my job and went back to school.
That settled me down for a while, there was so much to learn I couldn't keep up. And it was all stuff I needed right then and there, if I wanted to make good test grades at any rate. I managed to make the good grades, I graduated, I got a job in the field, and life took off. I got bored very quickly with only what I needed for the then and there. Every new thing I picked up opend up a dozen avenues I did't know existed. I think learning acts as much like a drug on your brain as any other substance. You hear some interesting fact, and suddenly you have a desire to know more, to find the details. But every one you uncover leads to more questions.
I believe the average person is in extreme danger of over dose on this drug called knowledge. If you choose to pursue a direct route then you only expolore one avenue of the many offered to you with each new discovery. Obviously that would not be condusive to a healthy and happy lifesylte if you had neglected all other avenues.
So how do you categorize these things in your brain? If you invision it as a store room, with all the things laying about that spark your curiosity. So you pick one up, examine it, find out all you can about it, and now you know about that thing, but there are a dozen new ones laying on the floor in it's place. If you learn about tornados surely you will get sucked into what causes them, and before you know it you're out in space looking down on the earth. You can imagine the little swirling energy fields dancing around on her surface caused by all this activity you never knew existed.
Suddenly you need to know so many things, about the earth alone, and if you should happen to look around you, you are quite doomed. All those planets, stars, galaxies, blackholes, and spacewarps even. Who knows what all could be out there? Certainly not you, that is all you know. And you feel that first tug toward irrationality.
