'Intellectuals' and Depression - Why? - Page 2

01-31-2005, 05:20 PM

You create on here...

littlemissattitude · 01-31-2005, 07:42 PM

If it is true that there is a greater correlation between being depressed and being creative, I think it might be because people who are depressed might tend to try to create other existences or other worlds in their heads to try to escape the things that are contributing to their depression. Other than that, I don't know.

I do know that I come up with more ideas for fiction and tend to work on them more when I'm depressed, but that I can't work on non-fiction when I'm feeing that way.

02-02-2005, 02:37 AM

Worldruler said (Without intellectual equals, ideas go unexplained. I imagine knowing you're brilliant but no one being able to understand would be incredibly depressing.)

I think there's at least a shred of truth to this. Reminds me of the character in 'Steppenwolfe' by Herman Hesse.

02-02-2005, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDNess

A thread related to this one: Why is it that "creators"
I myself write poetry and am heterosexual, but a lot of my friends consider it an odd thing to do. At a club meeting in school, a friend of mine was leaving early to read some poetry at Starbucks. After he left, some of the people joked that he was going off to get in touch with his "emotional" side.

Well there, two questions. Give me your thoughts.

Insecure people need the approval of others to feel good about themselves and seek this approval by denigrating someone with the courage to be themselves in an unpopular way. I pity those that view themselves through anothers eyes. I admire those who walk their own path without ado - not those who announce to the world their uniqueness - this is merely another form of self approval based on the thoughts of others. The individual who is free to be themself without the slightest regard for public opinion is the person I think we all would like to be.

As for depression etc - I agree with Hodor. The average Joe suffers as much as the famous person, but we'll never know.

06-24-2005, 03:16 AM

I don't think the link is with creativity, I think it is the awareness of intellectuals. As they say, ignorance is bliss, assuming this is true then does it not stand to reason that the less ignorant would be somewhat less blissful? Even to the point of being highly unignorant and entirely blissless?

Does anyone recall the character in Moorcock's Corum who was Arioch's enemy, and looked incredibly sad? I believe he said it was due to the knowledge that his world was overtaken by chaos and destruction. I think some of the people you listed could probably relate to that.