Great Minds

     Madness. By definition, madness is a state of mental instability which may cause irrational and/or unnatural behavior. Is it really this though? I have a different idea of what is crazy and what is clever. I think society has trouble seeing the difference between a great mind, and a madman. If society or just any person does not understand someone or something, they consider it alien or different, and they call it insanity. Those with great minds are not insane, they just see things differently than the rest. They are just above the crowd, they deviate from the norm. That is not mental instability, their mind is just more in tune to the world around them. However, on the flipside to this, just because one is not mentally or emotionally unstable does not mean that they are normal. Ian Fleming wrote in his book Dr. No:

                " You are right, Mr. Bond. That is just what I am, a maniac. All the greatest men are maniacs. They are possessed by a mania that drives them towards their goal. The great scientists, the philosophers, the religious leaders — all maniacs."

                Anyone who aspires to and does something great with their genius can be considered a maniac. According to the dictionary, a maniac can be defined as "any intemperate or overly zealous or enthusiastic person". So, if someone is enthusiastic about doing something, and do it well, they can be considered a "maniac". So indeed, in the words of Dr. No the greatest scientists, thinkers, philosophers, innovators, inventors, leaders, etc. were all maniacs. There is a difference, in my opinion, from a crazy madman and a maniacal philosopher.

 

                You are probably familiar with the phrase: "All great minds think alike". I disagree with this phrase. Sure, sometimes it is true that great minds are capable of thinking, and seeing the same things, however I believe that it is the ability to see things differently that makes a great mind great. If you give three different people the same problem, a paradox with no real or correct answer, such as:

If someone says "I always lie", are they telling the truth? Or are they lying?  

                Two of them may say it is impossible to tell if this man is lying or not, and they are right in a sense, there is no answer. But, a cleverer mind may say, it is a paradox, and if there is no real answer, how can stating “it is impossible” not be an answer. Concluding that impossibility is an answer, will lead to the conclusion that a paradox itself is another paradox. Anyone who thinks like that would surely be called crazy by today’s society. But, even if his answer (or non-answer) is crazy, he is still smart because he looked beyond the norm of just saying it is impossible. A great mind is a great blade forged in the fires of experience. Weak minds are pieces of metal rusting from lack of use and care. With a great mind you can overpower any problem and person. This is why it is important to think outside the box, and not be afraid to blaze your own trail in life.