Posted by
James Moore on
3/5/2010 12:26 PM |
Comments (3)
Who ever thought being sad could be good for you? As it turns out, as reported by The New York Times, new research is emerging that indicates depression positively benefits our ability to think analytically and creatively. As our mind chews on personal problems through a process called rumination, it taps into our working memory, bolstering our ability to pay attention and problem-solve in general.
Some of history's greatest thinkers and artists, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and Van Gogh among them, were notoriously plagued by melancholic habitus — what we now call depression. Closing himself off from the outside world and maintaining an inwardly focused state of mind may have helped evolve Darwin's thinking.
Putting history aside, many still consider depression to be a debilitating mental illness. But there's no denying a strong link with creativity. Rumination is rooted in persistence, your mind churning away to evaluate every possible scenario until it's worked the problem out. As creative thinkers we solve problems by finding the perfect set of words or striking an artful balance in our designs. Persistence is one of our best assets, and we actually benefit from the intensified focus depression can bring about.
Neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen makes the comparison that “successful writers are like prizefighters who keep on getting hit but won’t go down. They’ll stick with it until it’s right.” Her research indicates that a state of unhappiness may even improve our ability to express ourselves. Writing therapy has come into vogue as a supplement or replacement to prescription drug regimens favored for so long. The French literary theorist Roland Barthes posited that “a creative writer is one for whom writing is a problem.”
So if depression is getting you down, look on the bright side. Pick yourself up, and pick up a pen while you're at it. You can channel all of that mental energy to create something positive. Now that's something we can all feel better about.
Tags: darwin, aristotle, plato, van gogh, prozac, depression, verbal identity, naming, nancy andreasen, depression, creativity, roland barthes |
Categories: Verbal Identity, Verbal Identity News
