Are you a Depressed Genius Or a Happy Idiot?

I got the depression but don't know about the genuius part,lol.I does seem that a lot of the greats have suffered with depression and I still can't figure it out why they all seemed to have such a great gift.

I think when someone is gifted with something like superior brains that there is always some 'problem' that goes along to balance it out. for some its depression, for others complete social ineptitude, etc. I'm author and artist for a Fantasy Role Play Game publisher (small house Mystic Station Designs) I paint, I'm working on a novel that has been well liked so far by the writers group I'm in, but I can sometimes fall into a near paralyzing depression where I can't write, and won't even consider picking up a paint brush. I don't have the 'high' that goes with bipolar - thank goodness - and the depression is a b0tch but I'll take that trade off - I like who I am and what I do when I'm not restricted by the depression.

my mum's Bipolar (manic depressive) and she's not remotely a genius (sorry mum) Creative people seem to be more likely to also be depressive but from personal expeiance it doesn't automatically work the over way arround.

defintly some of each most every day lol..i guess thats ok because i do keep a sense of humor and hubby is very funny....so i am always getting a laugh there.....

it seems to me that humanity loves to struggle, in fact, that it thrives through struggling. depression is one of the great afflictions, and perhaps, it's really a gift because maybe it actually inspires creation. funny, right? how else do you explain the sudden onset of poeticism on a 15 year old male adolescent after his gf dumps him? or all those torturous love songs that only come out of pain? it's funny. we all need strife I guess. then i wonder why we complain about it so much.....

I have had a bipolar person in my life and he wasn't a genius, sadly, other than perhaps a slightly criminal genius. He was strange, anyhow as we would only see him in his manic phase and would then go t ground when he was depressed. He was terribly paranoid during that period and I think being out in the world would be too much for him to take. It was a strange sort of manic energy he would havem almost like someone on amphetamines would is always moving, bobbing, weaving and talking. He didn't use any of it for creative purposes though, other than to drive anyone around him nuts because he was so 'up'. I think I fall somewhere in the middle, myself.

Winston Churchill also suffered from depression. He was also a writer I believe! I consider myself a depressed idiot - certainly no genius here! LOL ;)

There is a high incidence of mental illness of many stripes in people who have very high intelligence. I wonder if it has something to do with pressure, or just not being able to shut off the brain? I'm a depressed genius I suppose. Technically my IQ says I am a genius, and my lack of common sense seems to uphold that idea. However, I've always hated thinking of myself as a genius, because then I feel guilty for not doing more with my intelligence. My husband suffers from depression but is an anti-genius. He's not an idiot, but he has a lot of common sense and is able to do so many things that I couldn't even dream of because of it. It's funny for me because he envies my intelligence while I envy his common sense. I wonder if he'll read this and comment, since he's on mylot now. =p

I think I am both. I am creative and I am intelligent (not bragging just know I did well on IQ tests and in school). I didn't used to be depressed. I can be rather depressed now cause I am ill and it interferes with my life. Good questions about those you mentioned - wish I could give an answer to them.

depressed ok idiot ok so thats makes me a depressed idiot i guess and i am depressed because i was an idiot in love thats all i want to say.

What an interesting question Angelwhispers, I'm sorry I didn't see this post sooner. I am depressed, and was clinically diagnosed a long time ago. I am also creative. I've been called a "musical genius" by more than one, and a "big brain" by still others. Personally I don't think of myself as either. It very well may be that the depression makes one want to create. To bring forth something beautiful into a world that seems so dark and bleak. On the other side of the same spectrum, perhaps the desire to create is a way to express the pain and externalize it, such as Van Gogh did. I don't think you have to be depressed to be creative, but the more I ponder the question the more that I notice that there is a connection between two. I have only met a handfull of extremely creative people who didn't have some kind of internal pain, anger or depression deep inside. This is a great topic but I'm finding myself at a loss for words. I think I might have to mull this over a bit more.

Well I don't have depression, but I do have anxiety disorder with agoraphobia...although I'm working to overcome this problem...I think a lot of people who have depression and on the flip of the coin anxiety disorders tend to be above average people...and usually have high creative abilities...I for instance am a photographer who has been published, a writer and have had some short stories published, I make crafts, and am an artist--in school I was always an honor student to boot...So I might not a depressed genius, but a panic disorder genius...LOL

I'm definitely a depressed genius! I'm an artist at heart, and I think that true artists, of ANY GENRE (music, writing, painting, acting, singing, comedy, sculpting, composing, crafting, etc.) usually have ALOT of depression in their lives, 4 a few different reasons. 1st, society, as a WHOLE, DOESN'T respect, NOR APPRECIATE an artist's "plight". The average conventional person is CLUELESS about the PROCESS of producing a fine piece of art. The general public is ALSO "clueless" about the journey 2-wards "making it", in whatever field u're pursuing. Because society basically ONLY appreciates a "finished product", and many respect art as a COMMODITY ONLY, this can be quite disheartening 2 artists. Also, the "best", most SOULFUL art, is overflowing with PASSION and EMOTION, and many times, that passion, those emotions, and that SOUL, come from PAIN and STRUGGLE! U can't sing the BLUES (4 example) if u've never HAD any "blues" in your OWN life! Artists also tend 2 be very MOODY, so those mood "shifts" can quite often go 2 depression rather quickly and easily. Plus, the "greats" look at life in a DEEP way, and when u go DEEP, u WILL be depressed, when u look at the REALITY of most things, and stop DELUDING yourself! Like the old saying goes: "IGNORANCE is 'bliss' "! But, the TRUTH HURTS! Ultimately, though, the truth sets u FREE! I think the Universe blesses artists of ALL kinds with our "genius" talent, as an OUTLET 4 all of our pain. It sort of "balances the scales" of our lives. We have more "lows" than the average person, but we also have more "highs", and it can be a "euphoric" feeling when a piece is completed. It's like giving "birth". As a composer, I look at my compositions as my "children"! As far as a "happy idiot", I can't relate! I'm certainly no "idiot", and I've yet 2 be TRULY HAPPY, on ALL LEVELS! That's what I'm journeying 2-wards, though. Total self acceptance, self LOVE, and being at PEACE with myself! Then, maybe I WILL be a "happy idiot"!

I'm somewhere in between. :p I'm a poser genius... which makes me an idiot. :)) But I'm happy with my life! Which makes me... a happy idiot! Recently, I experienced depression because of studying too much for my licensure exam and pondering so much about my boyfriend who is so loyal and loving. I'd write poems and compose songs so I would have an outlet of my depression. Maybe the reason why I got over that episode so quickly is that my body couldn't stand it. My brain was probably saying, "You're no good in writing and creating music, go back to being the happy idiot that you are." And so, here I am, smiling at myself and at my life. Once in a while I'd pretend being genius but then again my body would respond quickly. ;p

As for me, I wouldn't describe myself as a genius though personally I'm one of depressed lot . It is often recognized that the sweet songs are those that tell us of the saddest truths . Hence only depressed souls can imbibe the true realities of life .

I am bi-polar and I think that I do my best work in the manic state. I do my best writing when I am manic, too. Maybe the experiences of the depression give me some insight. During my manic times, I have written a lot of pieces right here in MyLot about being informed and writing to your government officials to encourage them how to vote for upcoming bills. I also try to encourage others to do the same. My battle cry acknowledges that "Together, WE CAN make a difference".

i was once a happy child and i remember being upset but could easyly look into the brighter side of things, now everything is changed. i have developed a new way of thinking, boserving peoples actions and reaction. this puts you on a different level because it lets you judge people by their silly involuntary or even voluntary behavior. it helps me to not have the same mistakes, but at one point i feel depressed just by thinking how bad the human been is.

i consider myself as a happy idiot. i dont know how to consider myself as one but i dont care much about the details, i focus on fun and enjoyment that i may encounter or i want to experience. my friends call me a genius, but i prefer being an idiot.