|
|
|
|
Were Einstein and Newton Autistic?
Newton hardly spoke, was so engrossed in his work that he often forgot to eat, and was socially inept. If no one turned up to his lectures, he talked to an empty room. He was depressed and paranoid. Einstein was a loner as a child, and repeated sentences obsessively until he was seven years old. He confused people who came to his lectures. However, he did have close friends and many affairs, and was concerned with social and political issues. "Passion, falling in love and standing up for justice are all perfectly compatible with Asperger syndrome," says Baron- Cohen. "What most people with AS find difficult is casual chatting — they can't do small-talk." Psychiatrist Glen Elliott doesn't agree. He says, "One can imagine geniuses who are socially inept and yet not remotely autistic. Impatience with the intellectual slowness of others, narcissism and passion for one's mission in life might combine to make such an individuals isolative and difficult." Elliott notes that Einstein had a good sense of humor, which few Asperger patients have. |
|
Copyright © 2010
Tim Stouse
|
