The Thin Line Between Genius and Madness

I’ve often wondered why so many famous artists, actors and writers have such train wrecks for personal lives. Why do such talented people end up succumbing to madness or self-destruction?

It’s been said that the line between genius and madness is a very thin one. Recent psychological studies seem to support this old adage.

Highly creative people often possess what is called Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS). This is the inability to tune out the noise of some everyday work environments.

University of Toronto Professor, Jordan Peterson, points out that:

“Other people’s brains might shut out this same information through a process called ‘latent inhibition’. Through psychological testing, research showed that creative individuals are much more likely to have low levels of latent inhibition. This means that creative individuals remain in contact with the extra information constantly streaming in from the environment.”

This data supports a theory I’ve been mulling over for years. I believe that many creatives suffer from SPS. It’s the very reason they are good at their craft. When a writer is writing, or a painter is painting or a musician is making music; they are within their art. In the act of creating, these artists are channeling that hypersensitivity into their work. The result is the full immersion of energy and talent in creation of something wonderful. The hypersensivity actually gives the artist the inspiration and vision they need to bring life into their work.

But when that creative session ends, so does the ability to channel the hyper-input that is being taken in by their sensory receptors (sight, sound, smell, touch, etc…)

SPS returns in full force once the act of creation ends.

To deal with this condition, the artist must artificially mute their SPS with drugs, alcohol or some other kind of external force that will temper their condition. Over time, the medications and even their art may not be able keep the SPS at bay. In these such cases, you often see the creative falling into madness or succumbing to suicide.

I’m no scientist and it’s just my theory, for what it’s worth.

It’s very ironic and bittersweet to think that the very thing that moves us to create beauty in this world may also be the force that when left unchecked, will drive us to madness or even death.

Crazy, man.