3
Mar
2016
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what if psychopathological disturbances and neurological disabilities are adaptive necessary species responses

“Kathy, I like this paper very much. Like the others, it is extraordinarily perceptive and makes astute and insightful use of ideas. You have a sophisticated ability to use ideas as tools. Very nice.” — Dr. X, Research Sociologist.

Ooooh, my ego, my ego does shiver.

In high school I flunked 500 word theme with a 47. Admittedly I simply quit turning things in. Took it again and acquired a C. Got to college and they required a remedial writing course of me. Got to class and they handed me the same freaking book I used to fail and then acquire a C in high school. I got another C.

I was always put in the stupid groups in elementary school. Could not read aloud and memorization of trivial facts didn’t and doesn’t to this day stick. The experimental open concept classroom in the late 1960s was horrifically distracting. My parents sent me to University of Maryland in the summers to get help on language and reading. Then I began working with a PhD student privately. Probably a subject in her research. This is way, way before dyslexia and learning differences entered educational vocabulary.

When I interviewed for position as director of communications, I clearly stated I would not be writing. They hired me anyway.

Now my dissertation is on the subject of writing (for visual artists) and I have to write all the time. I find it immensely enjoyable how life loops back on itself and what caused the most angst developmentally now is a source of delight (delight and enjoyable do not equate to easy).

I still get little underlines on my misuse of words and phonetic dyslexic mistakes like typing few when I mean view, etc. Even professors who are normally language nazi’s don’t count off for my mind bumbles that leak into my texts because they get smitten with my content. And of course many of my english language butcheries prove entertaining.

Neurological processing differences are linked to creativity, as is psychopathology. It appears that these disabilities and dysfunctions within limits are a necessary though not sufficient condition for the development of novel and useful solutions. It is believed that these funky differences allow the individual to at least temporarily set aside conventional solutions and entertain other possibilities. This is true of both eminent scientists and artists.

The world is round not flat. E=MC2.

Is it possible that we see rises in ADHD, autism, bipolar, depression, anxiety disorders, etc in our younger population because conditions are such that we need alternative solutions to current trends. But if we medicate this population so that their thinking and behavior conforms to our current codes of how to be and do, are we not potentially slowing down or even stifling the sources of species adaptive response to changing conditions.

Just thinking.

PS this certainly is not to suggest that my funky language use means I will change the world and I have no compulsion for eminence or illusions of grandeur, but it does makes sense that I am in the arts.

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