What do Isaac Newton, Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, filmmaker Woody Allen — maybe even comic-producer Larry David — have in common? In addition to being textbook neurotics, there is new research that shows their neuroticism could be connected to their creative genius.
The study was published yesterday in Trends in Cognitive Sciences by psychologists and neuroscientists at King’s College London.
Why the connection? Quite simply, neurotics think too much.
Neuroticism is considered one of the “big five” personality traits by psychologists, along with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness.
Even in peaceful times, neurotics’ brains work in overdrive manufacturing perceived dangers or threats. They run the gamut of self-talk, over-rationalizing and embellishing to explain away their negative thoughts. Neurotics are therefore people who view the world much differently than the other personality types.
According to lead researcher with the study, Dr. Adam Perkins, “High scorers on neuroticism have a highly active imagination, which acts as a built-in threat generator.”
In terms of how the brain functions, the study’s authors contend that “the part of the brain responsible for self-generated thought is highly active in neuroticism, which yields both of the trait’s positives (e.g., creativity) and negatives (e.g., misery).” (Science Daily)
The neurotic brain’s tendency to conjure up problems that don’t exist also provides the tools for creative problem-solving, in other words.
This sheds a new light on the idea that these famous people “suffer(ed) for their art.”
As John Lennon, another neurotic, put it, “Genius is pain.”
Well, at least there’s a reason for neurotic, Negative Nancys to think more positively now … or at minimum, quit worrying and go do something creative.
Read the journal brief here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661315001540
Read a more in-depth L.A. Times article on the study here: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-neurotic-silver-lining-20150826-story.html
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