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Brilliance and Mood Disorders

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On a related note to my Bobby Fischer post above. A psychiatrist I went to and I had maybe one interesting conversation in the entire time we saw each other. He had a ton of Vincent Van Gogh books in his office. I asked him if this was due to his profession and Van Gogh’s mental illness. He denied this and instead said that he merely liked the way Van Gogh saw the world.

I claimed that Van Gogh probably saw the world that way due to his mental illness and asked him what effect drugs like Prozac or whatever would have been prescribed to Van Gogh would have had on his art. The psychiatrist claimed that it would have made Van Gogh an even greater artist.

My serious and somewhat heartfelt reply was, “I think it would have made him into Norman Rockwell.”

Whether that would have been a good thing or a bad thing is up to you.

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2 Comments

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  1. that’s why these mf’s piss me off. they think pills are the answer to everything. they wanna jack kids full of ritalin, or some other sort of drug, or give kids/adults prozac, or other anti-depressants as if that’s the end all be all. not that i completely disagree with some of these drugs, but hacks and quacks are quick to the draw anymore. and what the hell does that mf’er know about van gogh.

    anyway, i am genuinely amused with your site. and this particular post made me smile. but don’t put too much stock in what i say, because, in the immortal words of pete townshend, ” don’t pretend that you know me, cuz i don’t even know myself…”

  2. brad,
    there are quite a few of your posts that amused me or intrigued me. but so far, this was the one that made me want to comment.

    will you tell me someday what the psychiatrist’s reply was?

    and, i i agree with you on the norman rockewell point.
    -andy