Posted on 09/03/2015 7:28:31 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Many famous neurotics like the film-maker Woody Allen, artist Vincent van Gogh, or scientist Sir Isaac Newton had suffered for their art.
A new study has found what such individuals tend to have in common. Their brain is more sensitive to perceived threats compared to those of other people. Exactly that "panic button" tendency is what makes them not only overactive, but also more creative and imaginative, according to psychologists.
The personality expert Dr Adam Perkins, from King's College London, declared that science is still a long way off from fully explaining neuroticism, however, he added, he hopes that his new theory can help people to better make sense of their own experiences. It shows that even of being highly neurotic might be unpleasant, it also has some creative benefits.
Perkins theory can further new research on the topic, as it provides a straightforward unifying framework to tie together the emotional and creative aspects of neuroticism.
According to psychologists, neuroticism is one of the big personality traits, along with conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness and extraversion. Neuroticism is characterized by negative emotions such as worry, fear, anxiety, envy, frustration and loneliness.
Brain scan studies come to support the idea that neuroticism is associated with creativity, highlighting neural circuits that regulate self-generated thought. The "panic button" in the brain, the amygdala, plays the role of a key emotional centre.
Scientists believe that amygdala can trigger an inappropriate fear response in case that the perceived threats are conjured up in the brain's medial prefrontal cortex. According to Dr. Perkings, neuroticism can be associated with a highly active imagination, and this overactive imagination may act "as a built-in threat generator".
The researcher published his study in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences. His research comes to support the theory that many neurotics may channel their neuroticism into problem solving and creativity. This comes from the particular way these people daydream.
Neurotics that tend to have more negative thoughts would display in the medial prefrontal cortex area in their brain a greater activity. According to scientists, those who have a high level of activity in this particular brain area have their mind wandering to some threat-related thoughts.
For some, the longer they dwell on a problem, the more likely it is they come up with a creative solution, and this is what gives neurotics a potential advantage to their daydreaming.
Dr. Michael Savage disagrees. He says the creativity actually comes from not indulging oneself in obsessive or nonproductive role playing.
Reminds me of a Nietzsche line: semen reabsorbed into the blood is the fuel for creativity. In other words, guys who aren’t gettin’ any tend to channel their frustration into making things.
These neurotics may just be suffering from lack of sex .
Maybe it’s being creative that makes one neurotic, or makes one appear neurotic.
Well, I always thought that George Costanza was the most creative of the Seinfeld gang. His excuses as to why he wasn’t working, returning phone calls, etc. were real gems.
I guess Savage is harming his own creativity then by role playing as a conservative.
I don’t think creativity and neurosis necessarily go hand in hand, but when a neurotic is creative, the products are more annoying than entertaining. Allen’s movies were always very annoying to me. Ditto for van Gogh. He may have been a “brilliant” artist, but his work is not pleasant to look at.
 |
 |
Van Gogh was manic-depressive.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.