Genius and Madness Part Two

Before I go on to the list, a few more comments. On the list I decided to include only figures that are no longer alive, including those who died quite recently - so it would group the results of research from the 1st and 2nd trends mentioned by Hanna Karakuła. It is probably far from complete and is necessarily subjective. I have never conducted any systematic studies on this topic, although I was strongly interested in it. It is also subjective, as it reflects my interests in particular areas of creativity (most probably music and literature). However, the "subjectivity" of the list does not mean that I was guided by my intuition or my private assumptions about individual characters. I could always refer to the authorities on the basis of whose opinions I "included" a given character on the list. Sometimes I even gave up on diagnoses that seemed preposterous (e.g. accusing Mozart of Tourette's syndrome). A characteristic example is the absence of Hitler or Stalin on this list (among politicians), although it is commonly believed that if anyone at all is suspected of some kind of mental disorder, it is them. So what if, for example, Hitler was given so many contradictory psychiatric "diagnoses" that it is actually difficult to say something certain here. Perhaps only a diagnosis of histrionic, paranoid, or narcissistic personality disorder is worth something. This applies to Stalin to a lesser extent, although in this case we can only speak of some personality disorder with some certainty (it would probably be a paranoid personality disorder). And for personality disorders, I decided not to make a criterion on the basis of which I "include" a given character on the list. It would have bloated her too much; besides, personality disorders are often less pronounced than mental illnesses. Let us take Immanuel Kant, who even went for walks with such pedantic punctuality that the inhabitants of Królewiec could even adjust the clocks at some point in the city based on his "appearance". It might be presumed that he suffered from an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

So I decided to focus only on mental illness (I also eliminated addictions as long as they were not related to some other mental illness). And finally, one more note. I tried to supplement the list as much as possible with anecdotal material in order to eliminate the impression of a "dry" counting-out. There are very few mentally ill among philosophers or politicians (as for the latter, I suspect that perhaps I was insufficiently interested in their biographies). One could speculate on these topics (for example, that in the case of philosophers the ostracism associated with stigmatization was particularly high), but it exceeds the limits of a short introduction. On the other hand, the words of John Nash that served as the motto for the next chapter seem in fact to apply particularly to mathematicians. Of the few mathematicians who played the greatest role in the development of this field of knowledge in modern times, as many as four suffered from some sort of mental disorder (Newton, Gauss, Kantor, and Goedel). I do not know, however, if the romantics would not be the most surprised by the fact that the "glass and eye of the wise" has its source in madness. 

Due to the length of the list, we will divide it into two parts. In the first part, we will include mathematicians, scientists and musicians. 

MATHEMATICS AND STUDENTS 

“I would not dare to say that there is a direct relation between mathematics and madness, but there is no doubt that great mathematicians suffer from maniacal characteristics, delirium and symptoms of schizophrenia.” — John Forbes Nash 

Isaac Newton (1643-1727) - One of the greatest scientists of all time - physicist and mathematician. In this case, diagnosis is difficult. His "ups and downs" of large amplitude can be treated as a manifestation of bipolar disorder, delusions which he had lavished with friends in his letters - about schizophrenia (maybe they were schizoaffective disorders?), His far-reaching "asociality" should be regarded as a manifestation of Asperger's syndrome. 

Carl Gauss (1777-1855) - One of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He was depressed. It was a situational or reactive depression - it occurred after the death of the first wife and child. Gauss practically did not recover from it until the end of his life.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) -  When Darwin returned from his legendary journey to the Galapagos, he became a different man. He rarely left home, often spent days in bed, had difficulty talking even with his loved ones. Recent studies indicate that he suffered from agoraphobia and panic attacks. He may also have suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder and hypochondria while keeping meticulous notes on the old and new symptoms of his illnesses. 

Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906) - Interpreter of the 2nd law of thermodynamics, creator of statistical mechanics, one of the greatest physicists of the 19th century, suffered from bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, it led him to suicide. One can speculate about the "depressive" inspiration for his interpretation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics (with its vision of the world on its way to chaos). The fact is that for him, his contemporaries, traditional-minded physicists, it turned out to be particularly difficult to accept, despite the exemplary correctness of all calculations. The continual attacks on his interpretation of the Second Principle exacerbated his depressive states.

Georg Kantor (1845-1918) - One of the greatest mathematicians in history (creator of set theory and the foundations of modern mathematics in general) suffered from bipolar disorder. Hospitals due to severe depression were interspersed with periods of hectic creative activity, during which he wrote his brilliant works. 

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) - Scientist and inventor. Due to obsessive-compulsive disorder, he had bizarre compulsive habits: he used 18 napkins with each meal, asked for 18 fresh towels every morning, walked around the building three times before entering it, only occupied rooms in hotels whose numbers were divisible by 3 , he curled his toes 100 times each night and was constantly washing his hands. However, he also experienced hallucinations after witnessing his brother being trampled to death by a horse. Therefore, the question of mental disorders other than personality disorders remains open. 

Max Weber (1864-1920) - German sociologist, one of the greatest figures in the history of sociology. After his father died suddenly, he began to experience anxiety, depression, insomnia and a mental breakdown. Since then, he has spent time in sanatoriums several times to treat these ailments.

The great physicist  Albert Einstein (1879-1955) - suspected of Asperger syndrome. The fact that his son fell ill with schizophrenia may provide some confirmation of this thesis. It turned out during the research that some genes predisposing to schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders are common.

Norbert Wiener (1894-1964) - American mathematician, philosopher, creator of cybernetics. He suffered from bipolar disorder.

Kurt Goedel (1906-1978) - One of the greatest mathematicians and logicians in history, he suffered from a condition that we would probably call paranoid syndrome today, perhaps paranoid schizophrenia. Including he was afraid of being poisoned and his wife had to prepare all his meals for him and even try them before he started eating. His delusions were so severe and resistant to change that his wife's serious illness (which resulted in her six-month hospital stay) led him to starve to death.

John Forbes Nash (1928-2015) - The great mathematician honored with the Nobel Prize in economics for his outstanding achievements in game theory (although it was not the only mathematical subject he dealt with) suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He believed, among other things, that there was a communist conspiracy against him. He is the protagonist of a book (and film) devoted to him, entitled "Beautiful Mind".

Vashishtha Narayan Singh (1946-2019) - An outstanding Indian mathematician. He fell into schizophrenia. In addition to his theoretical achievements, he was known for his incredible ability to count in memory. A well-known anecdote says that when computers failed at NASA, he was able to make calculations in memory that turned out to be in line with the calculations made by the computers (when the latter were successfully launched).

“I am the most unhappy and miserable person in this world… my health will never improve, and in such despair, things will only become worse instead of better” 

“I find myself to be the most unhappy and wretched creature in the world. Imagine a man whose health will never be right again, and who in sheer despair continually makes things worse and worse instead of better; imagine a man, I say, whose most brilliant hopes have perished, to whom the felicity of love and friendship have nothing to offer but pain at best, whom enthusiasm (at least of the stimulating variety) for all things beautiful threatens to forsake, and I ask you, is he not a miserable, unhappy being? “My peace is gone, my heart is sore, I shall find it nevermore.” I might as well sing every day now, for upon retiring to bed each night I hope that I may not wake again, and each morning only recalls yesterday’s grief.” 

Franz Schubert 

Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594) - The great Flemish composer and conductor. Towards the end of his life, he began to become increasingly depressed and paranoid, suffering from memory impairment. All of this ended in senile dementia.

Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1566 – 1613) - Italian composer and lute player active in the late Renaissance period. Acquainted after his death, he turned out to be a precursor of late nineteenth-century music in terms of harmony and in terms of expressiveness a precursor of twentieth-century expressionism (!). He suffered from depression (or bipolar disorder). This is evidenced by both his biography (extremely colorful - but it would require more extensive treatment), and the anguished music expressing his emotional states. 

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) - The great composer of the Italian Renaissance, practically the creator of opera as a musical form. Twice in his life he struggled with severe depression: the first time when his wife died, leaving him with two underage children, the second time when the plague ceased all social and (of course) musical life. You might ask: how do we know it? 

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) - An outstanding composer of the Italian Baroque, the first outstanding creator of the concerto grosso form. He suffered from depression. 

George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) - German-English composer, the greatest composer of the Baroque period after Bach, fell into severe depression at the end of his life. It was largely caused by the failures of his opera theater, followed by his deteriorating eyesight and finally blindness. He survived it only thanks to the help of his friends. Most likely he suffered from bipolar disorder or cyclothymia - periods of hectic activity previously alternated with mild depression. He was an alcoholic.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) - One of the greatest geniuses in the history of music. Suspected of cyclothymia or bipolar disorder, which his mother probably also suffered from. His hypomanic relapses were marked by elevated mood, extraordinary energy, inflated self-esteem (though could it be overestimated in his case?), Increased productivity, physical hyperactivity, and maladaptive behavior without considering the possible consequences. His depressions came suddenly, often over the course of a day. Then he became melancholy, lethargic, showed symptoms of exhaustion, and became easily irritated. He might have suffered from insomnia at the time, and he also showed some paranoid features. Towards the end of his life, he drank heavily, in all likelihood becoming an alcoholic.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Considered by many by the greatest composer of all time. Recurring depressions started even before he became progressively deaf. In 1801, he wrote to his friend about two years of depression. The following year, he pleaded with Providence for "even one day of pure joy." In turn, we also have periods in his life in which he composed several compositions simultaneously, in a state of excitement. So we can suspect he has bipolar disorder. Beethoven's difficult character is also known, e.g. his regular outbursts of anger. In addition, he was an alcoholic (his "standard" is one liter of wine a day). Beethoven's music also proves the changeability of moods. In some songs we deal with an extremely gloomy and depressing mood, while others (such as the finale of the 9th symphony) are full of exhilaration beyond any measure. Of course, it would be a simplification to blame everything on "sickness." After all, the period of Romanticism had begun with its characteristic display of emotional states, also in music. Another thing is that it was the work of Beethoven that laid the foundations of this period in music. So we can speculate (although it will be a very bold speculation) that the development of the romantic style in music was influenced by the mental disorders of the genius who laid its foundations. 

Franz Schubert (1797-1928) - One of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. He suffered from cyclothymia (a disorder on the spectrum of bipolar disorder characterized by alternating states of moderate depression and hypomania). With age, the amplitude of fluctuations increased (probably until the development of fully developed bipolar disorder). Friends reported both states of black despair and outbursts of terrible anger (possibly mixed states). Schubert's mental condition was certainly not helped either by alcoholism or syphilis, which the poet contracted in his early youth and whose "therapy" killed him at the age of 31.

Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) - The great Italian opera composer of the bel canta period. In the middle of his life, having secured his material existence, he ceased his creative activity. He suffered from hypochondria and depression (he experienced several depressive episodes during which he completely isolated himself from contact with people). Then he suffered from insomnia and suicidal thoughts appeared. 

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) - Great Italian composer of the bel canta period. Towards the end of his life, he developed symptoms of a mental illness caused by syphilis, although he is also suspected of having bipolar disorder (the first symptoms probably appeared as early as 1828, although they were not recognized). The composer, known for his productivity, was able to work with increasing difficulty. Due to deteriorating health, it was closed at the Ivry plant near Paris in 1846.

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) - The great French composer of the Romantic era. He suffered from depression or bipolar disorder. He left in his autobiographical notes excellent (if you can say so) descriptions of his depressive states. He became addicted to opium. An illustration of his mental states, also after taking opium, is his most famous work - the Fantastic Symphony.

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1847) - Chopin complained of depression several times during his life. It took place for the first time during his stay in Vienna in 1830-31 and was most likely related to his reaction to the November Uprising. He then complained of depression, hopelessness, apathy and insomnia. Later in his life, he went through several more depressive periods, probably related to the deteriorating state of his physical health. To this day, however, speculation continues as to whether mental disorders were the primary cause of his poor physical health and chronic illnesses.

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) - The great German Romantic composer. He suffered from bipolar disorder. Both his parents suffered from depression, his sister committed suicide and his son spent many years in the hospital. During the hypomanic periods he composed the lion's share of the works he wrote (hypomania resulted in outbursts of creative activity in him), during periods of depression he wrote practically nothing. He was an alcoholic. He attempted suicide by throwing himself into the Rhine in December and was practically saved by a miracle. He spent the last years of his life in a psychiatric hospital. He died refusing to eat. This story is interesting inasmuch as some other hospital patients also undertook such a hunger strike.

Bela Bartok (1881-1945) - One of the greatest twentieth-century composers. Always of fragile health, he suffered from depression. 

Anton Webern (1883-1945) - One of the most prominent representatives of the "Second Viennese School", he had a great influence on 20th-century music. He suffered from depression. 

Alban Berg (1885-1935) - One of the classics of 20th century music, representative of the "new Viennese school". He neglected his high school education and failed his high school final exams. This and his unhappy love made him deeply depressed. He tried to commit suicide. 

Wacław Niżyński (1889-1950) - "Dancer of all times", "God of dance". Russian of Polish origin - suffered from schizophrenia. He spent the second half of his life alternately in and outside a psychiatric hospital. 

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) - An outstanding German composer, violist and conductor - representative of the neoclassical direction. He suffered from cyclothymia, with typical symptoms: periods of extreme activity alternated with periods of fatigue and depression. In 1959 he experienced a mental breakdown which was probably also associated with progressive arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure. 

Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989) - One of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. He suffered from recurring depressions (in some cases lasting up to several years) which interrupted his artistic career several times. He was treated with all means available at that time (including electroconvulsive therapy). Unfortunately, to no avail (depressions kept coming back). 

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) - American singer and actor. He suffered from bipolar disorder. 

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) - American composer, pianist and conductor. One of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. He suffered from bipolar disorder. The only mood stabilizer available at the time (lithium carbonate) found it dulling sensitivity and refused to take it. 

Glenn Gould (1932-1982) - Canadian pianist, one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Everything indicates that he suffered from autism spectrum disorder and bipolar disorder. During periods of enthusiasm, he did not sleep for days in a row and suffered from severe depression. He was a drug addict and an eccentric. Including he quit public appearances and recorded in the studio. 

John Ogdon (1937–1989) - An extremely talented English pianist and composer (considered one of the greatest musical talents of his time). His career was cut short by schizophrenia - a disease that also runs in his family. 

Wojciech Młynarski (1941-2017) - Polish poet, performer of the author's song and director. He suffered from bipolar disorder. 

This is where we end the first part of our list. It is easy to notice that it confirms the findings of the researchers discussed earlier: mental disorders are more common among geniuses involved in artistic creation than among scientists. In many cases, the presence of mood disorders is also noticeable, especially the incidence of depression and bipolar disorder. A certain regularity can be noticed here: it is often difficult for professionals to decide whether a given celebrity suffered from depression or bipolar disorder. This seems to be dictated by the fact that one of the forms of bipolar disorder (so-called type II - characterized by hypomanic states that are milder and less likely to lead to e.g. hospitalization) is easier to overlook. Depressions then come to the fore. It is also possible that it was the hypomanic states that increased creativity (which was also shown by the research discussed earlier). Moreover, the frequency of affective disorders in eminent authors seems to reflect to some extent both the results of research and the contemporary prevalence of these diseases - depression will soon become the most “aggravating” disease among all diseases, including physical ones.