Albert Einstein 'found genius through autism'
By Nic Fleming
Many leading figures in the fields of science, politics and the arts
have achieved success because they had autism, a leading psychiatrist
has claimed.
Michael Fitzgerald, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College,
Dublin, argued the characteristics linked to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)
were the same as those associated with creative genius.
(l-r) George Orwell, Albert Einstein and Thomas Jefferson. Prof.
Fitzgerald cited Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, George Orwell, H. G.
Wells and Ludwig Wittgenstein as examples of famous and brilliant
individuals who showed signs of ASDs including Asperger syndrome.
Beethoven, Mozart, Hans Christian Andersen and Immanuel Kant have
also received post mortem diagnoses of Asperger's.
Speaking at a Royal College of Psychiatrists' Academic Psychiatry
conference in London, Prof Fitzgerald said argued the link between ASD's,
creativity and genius were caused by common genetic causes.
"Psychiatric disorders can also have positive dimensions. I'm arguing
the genes for autism/Asperger's, and creativity are essentially the
same. advertisement"We don't know which genes they are yet or how many
there are, but we are talking about multiple genes of small effect.
Every case is unique because people have varying numbers of the genes
involved. "These produce people who are highly focused, don't fit into
the school system, and who often have poor social relationships and eye
contact.
They can be quite paranoid and oppositional, and usually highly moral
and ethical. "They can persist with a topic for 20-30 years without
being distracted by what other people think. And they can produce in one
lifetime the work of three or four other people."
Prof. Fitzgerald said traits such as a need to be dominant and in
control and autistic repetitiveness were critical to the success of
politicians such as Charles de Gaulle, who famously said "I am France",
US president Thomas Jefferson and Enoch Powell. Another example he said
was science fiction writer H G Wells, whom he described as socially
insecure, controlling, lonely, cruel and emotionally immature.
Mozart, H. G. Wells and Immanuel Kant. Prof. Fitzgerald reached his
conclusion after comparing the characteristics of around 1,600 people he
has diagnosed with ASDs and the known biographical details of famous
people.
He said Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein demonstrated how
many with Asperger's traits could work for long periods on topics
without taking note of others' views.Isaac Newton, he said, was known to
work non-stop for three days without recognising day or night, often
forgetting to eat, and Einstein worked in a patent office because he was
too disruptive to get a university job.
Prof. Fitzgerald's book "Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents Changed
the World" was published at the end of last year, Estimates of the
prevalence of ASDs in the general population vary widely from 60-120
cases per 10,000 people.
Amanda Batten, of the National Autistic Society said: "It is
important to avoid stereotypes of people with autism as geniuses or
otherwise, as everyone has individual character traits, strengths and
needs.
"These might include attention to detail and the ability to pursue
something for long periods of time, however apparent ability in some
areas may lead people to underestimate the challenges individuals face
in other parts of their lives." |