More indirect evidence of a positive correlation between mental disorders and artistic creativity? And other possible correlates.

(Political-ideological affiliation?? Variably deviant sexuality??...)

Do you have chronic difficulties with mathematics??

This might reveal something more about you than just a specific cognitive difficulty... That is what a study¹ with a large, representative sample conducted in Denmark discovered: that there is a positive correlation between having a diagnosis of mental disorders and specific cognitive deficits regarding mathematical abilities. And with two bonuses: a potential correlation with "creative skills" (based on another study) and with language... Let's look at the study:

¹ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-26845-0

"Abstract

The cognitive functions of individuals with psychiatric disorders differ from those of the general population. These cognitive differences often manifest early in life as differential school performance and have a strong genetic basis. Here, we measured genetic predictors of school performance—in English, Danish, and mathematics—in 30,982 individuals using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and examined their relationship with the risk of six major psychiatric disorders. By decomposing school performance into specific mathematics and language performance, we observed—both phenotypically and genetically—a strong negative correlation between mathematics performance and the risk for most psychiatric disorders. However, language performance correlated positively with the risk of certain disorders, especially schizophrenia—a finding we replicated in an independent sample (n = 4,547). We also found that genetic variants associated with increased schizophrenia risk and better language performance are overrepresented in individuals in creative professions (n ​​= 2,953) compared to the general population (n = 164,622). Taken together, these findings suggest that language ability, creativity, and psychopathology may stem from overlapping genetic roots." 

Anecdotal observation

I am an "amateur"—or "not-yet-professionalized"—poet and a writer of articles covering social, political, scientific, and philosophical topics (often reflecting a variable personal perspective). My own psychological and cognitive profile aligns perfectly with the findings of this study—which was based on an excellent, representative sample—as I exhibit psychopathological traits (currently in relative remission, such as social anxiety) and a cognitive profile marked by mathematical deficits alongside highly developed linguistic skills (not to mention other attributes, such as strong reasoning capabilities).

Thoughts on the study

This is a fascinating study that identified, replicated, and/or confirmed the existence of a stereotypical profile: the artist (talented or otherwise) who is somewhat "eccentric" and poor at math. It is interesting to note how mathematical ability appears to act as a protective factor against most mental disorders. It would also be intriguing to understand the neurological mechanisms by which a mathematical deficit might predispose an individual to—or at least correlate with—a typical psychopathological profile. One might even consider this from an evolutionary perspective: after all, mental disorders signal bodily dysfunction (often linked to other organic issues) and tend to negatively impact an individual's adaptive potential. Could it be that normal mathematical ability is a fundamental sign of adaptive optimization, while a deficit reflects incomplete or impaired organic development? After all, isn't our ability to perform calculations directly and ancestrally linked to survival in prehistoric environments—perhaps evolving from our capacity to estimate or predict costs and benefits? The existence of a closer relationship between mathematical skills and the perception of logical patterns seems factual—even more so than the relationship with (other forms of) language, which serves primarily for social communication*...

* Primarily, given that the perception of logical and true patterns forms the foundation of all cognition and is just as important for qualitative language as it is for quantitative language (involving the perception of patterns and the subsequent categorization and comparison of elements, phenomena, etc.).

However, it is also possible that this is not exactly—or solely—a matter of a mathematics deficit, but rather an inherently unbalanced cognitive profile that could serve as a predictor for a psychopathological condition... It would then be necessary to determine whether individuals with the opposite cognitive profile—showing deficits in language and/or creativity but not in mathematics—also exhibit a higher predisposition toward developing mental disorders...

"We found that the polygenic score associations were in the same direction as the corresponding phenotypic associations. The results suggested that individuals who did not......diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, but with higher polygenic risk for psychiatric disorders, performed better in language than in mathematics (Fig. 4b; Supplementary Table 12). Regarding SCZ² and BD³, we observed a pattern of inverse association between phenotypic analyses and polygenic score analyses (Fig. 4a,b). SCZ cases had significantly worse mathematics scores, but not better language scores, compared to controls (mathematics: Beta = −0.44; SE = 0.03; P = 3 × 10⁻³³; language: Beta = 0.01; SE = 0.03; P = 0.64). However, individuals without SCZ but with higher polygenic risk for SCZ had significantly worse mathematics scores as well as better language scores (mathematics: Beta = −0.07; SE = 0.01; P = 1.4 × 10⁻¹¹; language: Beta = 0.10; SE = 0.01; P = 5.1 × 10⁻¹⁶). This pattern was reversed for BD. BD cases had significantly lower mathematics scores, as well as better language scores, compared to controls (mathematics: Beta = −0.37; SE = 0.04; P = 1 × 10⁻¹⁶; language: Beta = 0.24; SE = 0.04; P = 8.5 × 10⁻⁸). However, individuals without BD but with higher polygenic risk for BD had better language scores, though not worse mathematics scores (mathematics: Beta = −0.002; SE = 0.01; P = 0.88; language: Beta = 0.12; SE = 0.02; P = 2 × 10⁻⁸). A similar inverse pattern between SCZ and BD is known regarding genetic correlations with educational attainment and intelligence. SCZ shows a significant negative genetic correlation with intelligence but a small positive genetic correlation with educational attainment¹⁸ (also E1), whereas BD shows a significant positive genetic correlation with educational attainment¹⁰ (also E1) but no genetic correlation with intelligence. "The results point to a unique inverse relationship between SCZ and BD regarding cognition, although the molecular mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear."

² Schizophrenia

³ Bipolar Disorder

The correlational findings mentioned above are very interesting. Initially, they suggest the partial existence of a heterozygote advantage regarding certain severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. For both, this advantage centered on linguistic abilities; meanwhile, carriers and those with similar phenotypes—especially in the case of schizophrenia—exhibited more severe impairments in mathematics (whether average or disproportionate). This is certainly intriguing: after all, why these specific phenotypes? Why was mathematical ability more affected, or why did linguistic ability show a superior advantage, particularly in bipolar disorder?

In this study, the relationship between bipolar disorder and the listed cognitive indicators proved more favorable, showing a broader cognitive advantage or a less significant cognitive impairment (setting aside, of course, the disorder's own psychopathological expression)... This also seems linked to the severity of each disorder: bipolar disorder appears more like an extreme expression of mood variation, whereas schizophrenia affects aspects even more fundamental to human cognition, such as perception. However, the more generalized or profound cognitive deficits seen in schizophrenia might not be mere primary reflections of the mental disorganization itself, but rather part of the underlying phenotypic profile—a relationship that is correlational rather than strictly causal. (Even though symptomatic manifestation is linked to a worsening of the cognitive state, the phenotypic and correlational similarities between carriers and non-carriers—specifically those closer in terms of psychopathological expression—offer interesting evidence suggesting that the cognitive nature of, perhaps, the majority of individuals with schizophrenia is not simply a product of the disorder's symptoms, but rather part of their broader phenotypic makeup)...

Performance, ...not merely unimpaired but actually superior—specifically regarding linguistic abilities—among those in "phenotypic and polygenic proximity" to individuals with the two highlighted disorders, clearly demonstrates that, in more "homeopathic" doses, both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can confer unique cognitive advantages. Examples include divergent thinking and imagination—at elevated yet balanced levels—which are well-known pathways to creativity, or a wider range of moods (without frequently reaching extremes), which can also serve as a driver for motivation, focus, and creation (further on, I highlight and discuss the positive correlation between the demographic expression spectra of these disorders and career choices in more explicitly creative fields, such as the arts)...

For superior performance in linguistic abilities—coupled with a deficit in mathematical skills—may represent a unique cognitive and mental phenotype in which..in itself, fosters the development of certain skills, yet it may also be linked to other impairments, given that it has been found to correlate positively with a diagnosis of mental disorders...

Regarding the genetic relationship between "intelligence" (or IQ), educational attainment, and the disorders assessed: despite a significantly positive correlation between educational attainment and bipolar disorder, the same was not observed with intelligence (null correlation). In the case of schizophrenia, while there was a significantly negative correlation with intelligence, the correlation with educational level was weak—though still positive.

A null correlation—such as the one found between intelligence and bipolar disorder based on polygenic association (the degree of overlap between genes associated with each factor)—tends to indicate the presence of both positive and negative correlations, or the existence of subgroups where the null result is the net outcome of these opposing forces. Even at an individual level, the unbalanced cognitive profile found in many affected individuals and their genetically close unaffected relatives may contribute to this null correlation with "intelligence" (IQ)—much like the pattern observed where notable deficits in mathematics pull scores down, while advantages in language skills pull them up.

The correlation between bipolar disorder and educational level can be explained—based on the study highlighted here—by the emphasis placed on linguistic skills in higher education, particularly in the humanities; these are precisely the skills often highly developed among many affected individuals and their genetically close unaffected relatives.

In the case of schizophrenia, however, while the polygenic correlation with intelligence was significantly negative, the correlation with educational level showed only a weak positive advantage compared to bipolar disorder. This reflects the fact that individuals with schizophrenia tend to exhibit lower average IQ or "intelligence" scores than those with bipolar disorder, a trend linked to their generally lower levels of education. The primary logical explanation is that schizophrenia correlates with a "less intelligent" profile than bipolar disorder does. Regarding educational level, beyond this primary factor, schizophrenia—being a more severe mental disorder than bipolarity—tends to be more detrimental to long-term pursuits like higher education, partly due to a poorer prognosis.of a pharmacological intervention.

Interestingly, there are other studies⁴ (with an excellent representative sample) that found a link between academic giftedness and bipolar disorder—even involving mathematical abilities—which may suggest the existence of more than one high-ability cognitive subtype variably associated with the disorder...

⁴ https://psychcentral.com/lib/intelligence-linked-to-bipolar-disorder/

"Research indicates that bipolar disorder may be up to four times more common in young people who achieved top grades in school.

A link between high IQ and bipolar disorder has long been proposed, but scientific evidence to date had been weak, according to researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, in the UK.

In collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, they used data from the Swedish national school registry covering all 713,876 students who completed compulsory education between 1988 and 1997, at age 15 or 16. This information was cross-referenced with data from the Swedish hospital discharge registry regarding bipolar disorder diagnoses made between the ages of 17 and 31.

Excellent academic performance was associated with a nearly fourfold higher-than-average risk of developing bipolar disorder among boys. The study was published in the *British Journal of Psychiatry*.

'We found that achieving top grades is associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder, particularly in humanities subjects and, to a lesser extent, in science and mathematics subjects,' said Dr. James MacCabe, the lead researcher." "These findings support the hypothesis that exceptional intellectual ability is associated with bipolar disorder.

"Top grades in Swedish and Music showed particularly strong associations, reinforcing literature that consistently points to a link between linguistic and musical creativity and bipolar disorder."

To reinforce the evidence found in the study primarily referenced in this text, the findings above demonstrate a positive correlation between exceptional academic performance and an increased risk of a bipolar disorder diagnosis—particularly in subjects that place greater demands on linguistic and creative abilities...

''Association of E2..and creativity

Historically, creativity is believed to be positively associated with psychopathology34. Many epidemiological35,36,37 and genetic38,39 studies have reported findings supporting this. Our analyses showed that E2 was associated with increased risks for several psychiatric disorders, as well as with enhanced language performance. Thus, we investigated whether common variants associated with E2 are also associated with creativity. To assess this, we analyzed 167,575 individuals from the Million Veterans Program (MVP) biobank40 for whom occupational category information was available. We classified individuals employed in the ‘arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media’ category as creative professionals and the others as controls. We constructed polygenic scores for all four E factors using effect sizes from the iPSYCH GWASs and compared the scores between creative professionals and controls after adjusting for their highest level of education, age, and sex, along with other covariates (“Methods”). For sensitivity analysis, we also compared the scores of individuals in each of the other occupational categories against the rest. We found that E2 polygenic scores were significantly higher in creative professionals compared to others. This association was observed specifically between E2 and creative occupations. That is, among the four E factors, E2 showed the strongest association with creativity, and among the 24 occupational categories, creative occupations showed the strongest association with E2 (Fig. 6; Supplementary Table 16). The results suggested that individuals with a greater genetic predisposition for better performance in language relative to mathematics in school (indexed by a higher polygenic score for E2) are more likely to be employed in a creative occupation later in life.''

1. If one is an artist and/or mentally disturbed, is one then more likely to be gay or sexually deviant? 2. And if one is more adept/skilled with words than with numbers, is one then more likely to hold a degree in the humanities? 3. And is one more likely to be ideologically left-leaning?

The perceived correlation between a mental disorder diagnosis and professional or amateur involvement in artistic activities has historically manifested first as the myth of the mentally tortured genius, wherein an altered mental state is viewed as the primary cause of that genius. However, subsequent studies examining this claim of causality—which was particularly popular during the Romantic era of Western literature in the 19th century—have demonstrated that the relationship between "madness" and intellectual exceptionalism is an indirect correlation rather than a direct causal one. This is because individuals closely related by blood to those with certain disorders, such as schizophrenia, are more likely to exhibit cognitive advantages—particularly regarding creative capacity—if or when they display a more attenuated expression of the same disorder that affects and compromises the subjective well-being of their afflicted relatives; essentially, this involves a genetic sharing of the same mental predispositions, but in less extreme doses. This correlation was also observed in the study in question, and although it may be considered the "least interesting" finding, it has been replicated in various other studies on the same topic. Here, it is the polygenic—or genetic—relationship that draws the most attention, as it suggests deeper roots than merely reflecting an environmentally influenced motivational difference, as is commonly believed...

It is also worth noting that this association is not a mere product of "modernity" but a historically recurring phenomenon. While it once lacked scientific detail, there is now a substantial body of published literature dedicated to the subject—including numerous studies with excellent representative samples (involving large numbers of subjects)—that reinforces the link, effectively validating it, though not quite in the way Romantic writers two centuries ago envisioned...

The questions posed below the excerpt from the study—which serves as the primary reference for this text—attempt to extend these correlations into other spheres of social and human life. Moving from the correlation between profession and psychiatric diagnosis to correlations with political-ideological affiliation, for instance, there appears to be a "path" for expansion in this direction... After all, isn't that precisely the stereotype of the humanities student or graduate? So, might those who have an official or unofficial diagnosis of a mental disorder—or other conditions (such as atypical sexuality)—and who exhibit this specific cognitive and professional profile (good with words and original, but poor with numbers) also be more ideologically.left-leaning? After all, this group tends to indulge in the sophisticated use—with considerable poetic license—of language that appeals to those cognitively drawn to words (not necessarily in the sense of language’s objectively functional use—rationality, or the sole means of expanding our true understanding of the world). Beyond the stereotype of the artist—talented or otherwise—who is weak in logic and mathematics, there is also the "leftist from the humanities": someone so much more inclined toward words than numbers that they prove incapable of grasping even basic statistics. This is primarily due to ideological conditioning that filters factual information—even when that information consists of stereotypical generalizations about groups politically crucial to the power agendas of their "ideological elites"—and perhaps also due to a cognitive profile that fosters fanatical adherence to beliefs and narratives where words take on exaggerated importance (many leftist narratives are tacitly "semanticist," placing excessive weight on the word itself rather than on what it actually symbolizes—varying degrees of truth, facts, elements, phenomena...). Ultimately, it seems that certain stereotypes are being—at least partially—validated by the genuine social sciences and humanities...

Another list of sincere insults

 Pseudo-intellectuals first seek to convince themselves that they are true intellectuals, especially when they are unaware of what they are or what they are not, and they usually are not. This theater or performance of appearance begins in the mirror itself.

The problem is not that bad art exists, but that it is elevated to the heights that should be reserved exclusively for high culture.

Ideologically fanatical individuals are at similar levels of insanity to untreated psychotic individuals. Perhaps the biggest difference between them is that, while typical psychosis causes subjective discomfort, atypical psychosis, generated by ideological indoctrination, has the completely opposite effect and, therefore, can perhaps be considered even more dangerous...

Regarding the mimicry of opportunistic or parasitic strategies in nature and extrapolation to the human geopolitical context:

The same situation, of one species deceiving another, posing as itself, invading its living space, usually that of a social species, and taking advantage of this deception to benefit. So, this opportunistic mimicry also occurs in the Western world, where a certain tribe of "chosen ones" poses as "native whites" to do exactly what is perceived in the natural environment...

Deception, usurpation, exploitation, even the destruction of the host species...

But make no mistake, because this type of parasitism has been characteristic of every complex society or civilization...

The example of this tribe was only used because it is an accurate manifestation of this type of mimicry in a human context.

If the right produces constructive shit and the left destructive shit, it is because the right's shit is more moral than structural, while the left, in trying to deconstruct this structure, ends up destroying it—the only structure that exists.

How to think rationally with an example:

First, ask fundamental questions about the topic. For example, "racism."

Who is defining these or those concepts?

(Who is defining the concept of racism? Ans: Ideologically biased individuals and/or groups...)

How objective and precise are these definitions?

(Ans: The concept of racism has not been defined in the most objective way because it has been done so vaguely, leaving room for confusion with other types of behavior or tendencies, for example, the confusion between personal taste and racial prejudice, or between negative opinion and negative generalization.)

But how do we define objectivity when it comes to an abstract construct?

(Ans: Precisely because it is an abstract construct, the concept of racism should be as strict as possible, the most objective way to define an abstraction. For example, my concept of it, as a generalization between behavior and race or ethnicity, "everyone in group X is like that," for example.)

The level of subjectivity in an aesthetic judgment depends on what is being compared. For example, comparing French (standard or Parisian) with Polish will inevitably result in the conclusion that the former is more aesthetically pleasing than the latter, if Polish seems to have a constant hissing sound, while French sounds more elaborate and, therefore, more sophisticated. It would be like comparing a beautiful flower to a blade of grass on the ground...

It seems common for those who define themselves as "independent" to be essentially stingy individualists.

"There is no absolute truth"

The denial of the existence of absolute truths is a declaration of absolute truth...

The vast majority of moral arguments are essentially emotional blackmail. But some blackmail is "better" or fairer and more objective than others.

Those who leave the "flock" of a traditional religion—that is, those who leave a typically religious ideological indoctrination but end up becoming very ideologically biased "progressives"—have merely exchanged one indoctrination or brainwashing for another...

The influence of the environment on human intelligence is only more significant, but never absolute, during the first formative years, of immersion in basic education, while biological or genetic influence becomes progressively significant the higher the level of complexity of knowledge, as it expresses more purely vocational aspects. It's basically the difference between learning to read and write and directing one's own interests at a much more complex and/or specific level.

The right is more about aggression and homicide, and the left is about immolation and suicide. If the traditional right has historically been a force of oppression and destruction, it has been more about attacking those it considers threats, but never, or primarily, itself.

While the left, especially the identitarian left, currently dominant in Western nations, has acted as a self-destructive or implosive force.

Culture is not the cause of human behavior, but one of its effects.

Old-school or classically trained actors (obviously) resemble classical dancers more than modern actors because they are also products of a system that prioritizes (or prioritized) talent over appearance. Currently, the most talented actors tend to be those who work in theater, precisely because it is a remnant of their profession's past, since theater continues to prioritize talent over appearance...

On expressions or statements that have aged poorly

"Class consciousness"

It has progressively become synonymous with hypocrisy and ideological fanaticism.

Indoctrination has a neutral or essential meaning and a pejorative meaning. In a neutral sense, it is any doctrine followed by an individual or group. Every culture has its indoctrination, its modus operandi, if no culture survives without a doctrine. Indoctrination, in a pejorative sense, is the opposite of education, because the former consists of transmitting information according to the wishes of the authorities who hold the power to transmit it, and not based on more objective, impartial, or rational criteria. Education, ideally, is the practice of wisdom itself.

Much of what is commonly called "the left" boils down to emotional blackmail and supposed good intentions.

Those who put "kindness" before knowledge also put ignorance before it.

Kindness without knowledge is no different from evil with knowledge.

The rational artist is a rare bird. Most artists are rationally idiots.

Intellectually pedantic and politically fanatical individuals are literally insufferable.

A narrative is an event, situation, or phenomenon described in the language of feeling. And therefore, it tends to be expressed imprecisely or even as a distortion of the facts.

"Homens não sabem escrever sobre mulheres na literatura" /"Men don't know how to write about women in literature"

 Comentário feminista tipicamente estúpido que diz mais sobre a ignorância sobre o que a arte significa: fantasia, imperfeição, criação, perspectiva...

Typically stupid feminist comment that says more about ignorance about what art means: fantasy, imperfection, creation, perspective...

Diferenças narcisísticas entre o artista verdadeiro e o artista de fachada/Narcissistic differences between the true artist and the facade artist

 O artista de fachada é primariamente narcisista, porque usa a arte como um meio para se tornar famoso e/ou enriquecer materialmente. 

O artista verdadeiro é primariamente mais autoconsciente, porque usa a arte como um fim em si mesmo, a priori, para se auto expressar, ocupar o seu tempo de existência ou direcionar e organizar sua mente hiperativa, criando sua rotina criativa, o seu sentido de viver, também como um meio para o próprio entretenimento pessoal, de auto aperfeiçoamento... E mesmo para o próprio sustento. Portanto, fama e riqueza não são vistas como objetivos prioritários, mas como consequências possíveis. Também é possível dizer que a autoconsciência expressiva contribui tanto para o ímpeto artístico do artista verdadeiro quanto para uma expressão mais secundária de narcisismo, por um desejo de atenção e reconhecimento, mas não como uma força primária, tal como acontece para o artista de fachada. 

Por fim, entre o artista verdadeiro e o artista de fachada, encontra-se um grupo dotado de impulso artístico, muito sensível e criativo, e também de um desejo narcisista e ganancioso de se tornar famoso e/ou rico por esse meio. 

Narcissistic differences between the true artist and the facade artist

The facade artist is primarily narcissistic, because he uses art as a means to become famous and/or materially rich.

The true artist is primarily more self-conscious, because he uses art as an end in itself, a priori, to express himself, occupy his time of existence or direct and organize his hyperactive mind, creating his creative routine, his sense of live, also as a means for one's own personal entertainment, for self-improvement... And even for one's own livelihood. Therefore, fame and wealth are not seen as priority objectives, but as possible consequences. It is also possible to say that expressive self-consciousness contributes both to the true artist's artistic drive and to a more secondary expression of narcissism, through a desire for attention and recognition, but not as a primary force, as it does for the cover/facade artist.

Finally, between the true artist and the facade artist, there is a group endowed with an artistic impulse, very sensitive and creative, and also with a narcissistic and greedy desire to become famous and/or rich through this means.