Eccentric genius or autistic?
That question is being posed by a professor of psychiatry in a book he penned and it’s stirring some debate.
As a society, we give a little extra leeway to mental giants, often overlooking outrageous behavior that wouldn’t be tolerated in a factory or office.
Michael Fitzgerald, who teaches at Trinity College in Dublin, has singled out several historical figures and attributed their success in their given field to autism. His research of their personality traits has led him to his theory that their singular focus for days on end, their lack of empathy, massive memories and other characteristics are signs of the disorder.
Everyone from Einstein to Isaac Newton to Charles De Gaulle made his list. He hopes pointing out people who are great success stories in society in his book “Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents Changed the World,” will take some of the negative connotations away from the disorder, erasing some of the stigma associated with it.
With more and more children being diagnosed as autistic, we are likely to see many more success stories in the years to come.
There’s a post about Fitzgerald over at PhysOrg that’s created some interesting alternate viewpoints in the comment section. Check it out.
