A boy is struck by lightning and afterwards, can play the piano like a pro.
A mentally-challenged boy falls on his head and afterwards, can sculpt any animal perfectly out of clay with only a second to absorb details.
A man gets into a bar fight and emerges a mathematical genius.
Wait, what?
Jason Padgett: mullet-donning rebel turned mathematical genius
A horrible concussion just knocked the Einstein right into him? For Jason Padgett, that's exactly what happened. Acquired Savant Syndrome is even more rare than other types of Savant Syndrome with only around 30 documented cases in the world. Acquired Savant Syndrome only occurs when a traumatic brain injury occurs and "knocks the Einstein into them." Typically, cases of Acquired Savant Syndrome fall into three categories, including: splinter skills, talented savants, and prodigious savants. Splinter skills denote specific skills related to memory. Talented savants acquire skills that are exceptional but were not present before the injury. Prodigious savants--the most rare of the most rare--acquire skills that are spectacular in glaring contrast to normalcy.
We have to consider, is there an inner Einstein in all of us? What kind of blow would it take to bring it out?
At one time, perhaps the most apocryphally accepted beginning and end "book-ends" on the spectrum of educational needs were "giftedness" and the "learning-disabled." When one considers the "gifted" child, they anticipate a high-achieving, bright, and enthusiastic student--eager to learn and understand. They attribute giftedness to ambitiousness, creativity, and of course, endless intelligence. However, this notion is anything but true. In fact, "giftedness"--in its truest form--is not defined by or a term necessarily associated with the need for less instruction.
And here's the real kicker: in terms of emotional and educational problems, the trends of "gifted" children more closely resemble the trends of "learning-disabled" children. In fact, both labels often neglect to acknowledge the phenomenon of twice-exceptional children. Or, children who have both moderate or severe attention, emotional, and learning problems. Often, these children's exceptional strengths and challenges might be overlooked as "averageness" as they cancel one another out. Consider the following scenarios, courtesy of understood.org:
Tessa is a bright, insightful, and enthusiastic fourth grader who is reading at a 12th-grade level. At the same time, she can't pass spelling tests, and writing is a huge struggle. Jamie is 16. He knows everything about the Civil War, writes beautifully, and can talk endlessly about politics. Yet he needs a calculator to help him with even the most basic math. And he couldn't tie his shoes until he was in seventh grade. Steven Spielberg is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, but reading has been a lifelong struggle for him because he has dyslexia.
This world--especially the educational world--is no place for savants. Finding, and more importantly, nurturing exceptional talent has become near impossible as Common Core and other conformity-promoting educational structures have become more and more prevalent. With more rules and restrictions, exceptional students are often forced under labels such as "gifted" or "learning-disabled," when in reality, the two are more closely-related than we could ever imagine.
To some degree, we all experience the social and emotional challenges of twice-exceptional children. We all experience frustration, low self-esteem, and social isolation. However, those placed under umbrella terms such as "gifted" or "learning-disabled" are often plagued by these challenges.
The human conversation is one of complete connectedness. There is no definite end to our ability or disability as a species. Defining "book-ends" will only hurt us.
"I'm sorry, he's autistic."
"I'm sorry, she has problems."
"I'm sorry, I'm messed up."
Stop it.
Millions of people berate themselves daily for their "mental blemishes." "Gay. Autistic. Depressed. Messed up. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!"
You probably do it too.
Well, don't you think you're special?
There are possibly a thousand types of intelligence--and you aren't any? Wow, that's actually pretty remarkable in itself.
According to the theory of Neurodiversity, mental "illnesses" such as Autism, Depression, and Anxiety are not abnormal, but rather simply different variations of the human phenotype. Research suggests that all of these "illnesses" have survived along with the human race; moreover, as they are hereditary, they have served a role in society before organized society was even a thought.
How could this be possible?
Multiple intelligences. The theory was first proposed in 1983 by Howard Gardner and explained that IQ is not a valid measure of intelligence as there are varied forms of intelligence (shown most often under the nine described below). However, its ideas have also endured the human condition. Everyone exhibits distinct strength in certain areas. This theory simply serves to further discredit the stigmatization of the "mentally-ill" or "mentally-disabled." Moreover, it proves that Sesame Street had the right idea. Everyone is special. Why? Because everyone with a pulse has strength somewhere.
If you would like to calculate a rough estimate that will project your intellectual strengths, click here.
"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; it is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied." -John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism
"God knows how our neighbor managed to breed/His great sow:/Whatever his shrewd secret, he kept it hid/ In the same way/He kept the sow--impounded from public stare,/Prize ribbon and pig show." -Sylvia Plath, "Sow"
"A pig does not seem able to accuse; it is too dead to pity." -Ted Hughes, "On Thinking"
"J'avais de cochon, plus exactement de pate en croute, de rillons, d'andouillettes, de fromage de tete, de jambonneau aussi."-Charles Baudelaire, "Lard or Pigs?"
English: (I felt like a pig, more exactly like a pate of pork, some rinds, a head of cheese, like some ham also).
So, what's the deal with pigs and the discontent of great minds?
It is nothing of a coincidence that pigs seem to hold a perpetual juxtaposition alongside ignorance. Wyatt N. Troia first proposed "The Sad Socrates Effect" on Harvard University's blog, The Crimson. When Troia explained the phenomenon, he highlighted the correlation between Harvard students and an increased risk for Depression and suicide. He suggested that higher-than-average intelligence leads to an increased proneness to sadness as a consequence of deeper thinking (Read the Article Here).
However, this is not a new phenomenon. There have been endless articles correlating gifted children with unexplained bouts of existential depression. Being spontaneously thrown into a bout of existential depression is typically triggered by idealistic thinking (i.e. imagining all scenarios--including exceptionally ideal scenarios and becoming upset when they don't 'pan out').
So smart people are sad, big deal. What's new? Who cares? And what the flying fiddlestick do pigs have to do with any of it? Let's reexamine the first quote by good old John Stuart Mill, "better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied." John Stuart Mill--who suffered from Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression--was proposing that although painful, the life of an intelligent person is a sort of burdened blessing. To Mill, Plath, Hughes, and Baudelaire, the pig represents the lowest possible vessel to live in. However, intelligent philosophers, thinkers, and authors all know that living in the lowest possible vessel is favorable over living in mediocrity.
So let's propose a new phenomenon. The Three Little Pigs effect.
As we all know, "The Three Little Pigs" is a children's parable that details the moral: "hard work eventually results in success." However, if you were to reexamine the details of the story, what does it really show? One pig is responsible for all three's survival: one pig who is not really a pig but something for the future. The weirdo pig saves the day, but why? Because he didn't act like a pig. Hence The Three Little Pigs Effect. By nature, all exceptionally intelligent exhibit savant-like symptoms. You could easily argue that exceptional intelligence is a disability. Ignorance--or rather, pigness--feels better, is more socially-acceptable, and easier to cope with. The Sad Socrates Effect is a disability. The Three Little Pigs Effect helps all the sad socrateses rise above, contribute, and save the day.
"My mom was being like...so Bipolar. She took away my phone for no reason."
Oh.
So the speaker of this quote is implying her mother has a debilitating, life-long, and incurable mental illness that requires careful moderation and treatment including: pharmaceuticals, talk therapy, and most likely, hospitalization. Because she took away her phone. Really? That's an insult?
Despite popular notions regarding Bipolar Disorder--or, in its archaic term, Manic Depression--has very little to do with being a "bitch" or being "moody." Bipolar Disorder is characterized by periods of Mania and Depression. Bipolar Disorder makes an individual's life exceptionally more challenging than by those unaffected by the illness.
By what constitutes Mania? And isn't everyone a little depressed?
Mania--according to the most updated Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5)--is characterized by elevated feelings of pleasure, a decreased need for sleep, and an inflated sense of self-importance. Individuals with Bipolar Disorder might feel agitated, self-absorbed, or "invincible." They might even have delusional thoughts (i.e. being a god, being capable of extreme tasks/workloads, etc.) or hallucinations.
And then it's over. And Depression takes over. Lying in bed. Contemplating suicide. Binge-eating (and in some cases, purging/restricting). Loss of friends. Loss of pleasure. Loss of will. Loss of job. Loss of straight A's. Loss of self-esteem. Loss of life. The only things one can gain from the Depressive states of Bipolar Disorder are experience and probably a couple of pounds.
Cycling between Mania and Depression (and in some cases, hypomania and mixed episodes) is debilitating, painful, and confusing. Moreover, the effects of Bipolar Disorder on its patients definitely warrants the association of their talent(s) with Savant Syndrome.
Bipolar individuals face challenges throughout their entire life. Parents of Bipolar children often struggle with behavior issues. Bipolar students struggle with extreme fluctuations in cognitive ability, heightened sensitivity to criticism, and an impaired ability to plan, organize, or concentrate within the school system. Bipolar adults struggle to keep jobs, pay bills, and maintain social formalities. Then about 20% of them kill themselves.
Well, that sucks.
But Bipolar Disorder isn't all bad. Bipolar individuals often have intense senses of creativity, empathy, and sensitivity. When manic, Bipolar individuals see, smell, taste, and hear the world at the loudest possible volume. As idealistically as possible. Individuals such as: Sylvia Plath, Vincent van Gogh, John Clare, Kurt Cobain, Frank Sinatra, and Virginia Woolf are all thought to have been affected by the disorder.
Thousands of people in America are affected by this disorder. And they're unaware of their possible exceptional talents. This is untapped potential. Where are we going wrong?
The Bell Curve. Take a gander at this "beauty":
(centerforpubliceducation.org)
The Bell Curve represents a theory that assumes most of American students are "destined" to fall right in the middle. That pukey orange average.
That's all fine and dandy, but how is a Bipolar student supposed to conform to such a caustic shape when their performance levels look more like this?
(corbisimages.com)
Yes, that graph serves two purposes 1.) to illustrate the dynamic, ever-changing nature of a Bipolar student's performance levels and 2.) to juxtapose mental and physical illness. American society, today, expects The Bell Curve. Many Americans expect to classify individuals into categories: unexceptional, ordinary, exceptional. Bipolar individuals experience fluctuations that make them fit into all of these categories (and more). And although not all Bipolar individuals are savants, life is the farthest thing from "average." Point is, the reason the suicide rate for Bipolar individuals is so high is because the world doesn't suit them.
But that's not the most tragic part. The most tragic part is that's what makes Bipolar individuals savants. That's what makes Bipolar individuals break out of themselves to become exceptional authors, artists, musicians, mathematicians, actors, singers, song-writers, scientists. Is the pain worth the possibility of exceptional talent? For society, maybe. For the individual, probably not. But we have to wonder, where would literature be if Sylvia Plath hadn't written The Bell Jar? Where would art be without Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night"? Where would music be without Kurt Cobain and grunge? There is no coincidental correlation between Bipolar Disorder and exceptional talent. There is only Savant Syndrome.
"You don't know what it feels like to be me, when you can't sit still because your legs feel like they are on fire, or it feels like a hundred ants are crawling up your arms."
How high would you estimate the author of that quote's intelligence? High enough to finish high school? College? High enough to write a thought-provoking novel? High enough to understand the world around him/her? High enough to sit down? To keep still? To maintain social formalities?
Those words came from a girl who throws herself. Takes off all her clothes. Smears her own fecal matter on walls. Those words came from a girl who cannot speak as consequence of a nearly-lethal mixture of severe Autism, oral-motor apraxia, and cognitive delay. Those words came from a girl who is--by definition--mentally retarded.
Carly Fleishmann is an Autistic American young woman who--despite her severe mental and physical disabilities--has shown remarkable talent and ability.
Carly has not only existed as an exceptionally-inspiring and society-changing individual, but also, as a classic case of Savant Syndrome.
Carly has published an enormously successful text--Carly's Voice--that explains Autism in ways non-Autistic researchers could never dream of understanding. In regards to "experts," Carly herself writes, "[she] think[s] people get a lot of their information [about Autism] from so-called experts but [she] think[s] what happens is that experts can't give an explanation to certain questions. How can you explain something you have not lived it or if you don't know what it's like to have it? If a horse is sick, you don't ask a fish what's wrong with the horse. You go right to the horse's mouth."
What if the horse won't speak?
Carly has rightfully gained fame as one of the few children impacted so severely with Autism to gain a true national voice. However, Autism isn't a new disability. Although Autism wasn't officially added to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) until 1980, Autism has existed as far back as human nature. It took hundreds, if not thousands of powerful people--like and unlike Carly--to bring us to where we are today.
And we still don't know everything--whether we're a fish or a horse. In fact, we know very little. That's why Autistic Savants are so crucial to the functioning of society. That's why parents shouldn't abort of "give up" on their kids with developmental disorders, mental illness, or cognitive delay.
Why does Autism make Carly below anyone else? What is wrong with swimming in another world? Is this one really that great that we need to force her to be here too? Is Carly the one who has it right?
(Above) News story about Carly's remarkable ability
"Autistic kids are so musically-talented." "Smart kids are bad kids."
Savant Syndrome: the phenomenon that describes individuals who--despite living with severe emotional, physical, or mental disabilities--have obvious and remarkable talent.
Like Rain Man, right?
Not necessarily.
Although true "Savant Syndrome" is typically regarded as a condition involving debilitating Autism or other congenital and acquired disorders, some degree of Savant Syndrome is apparent in many seemingly normal, unaffected, and talented individuals.
A whole hullabaloo of questions arise when considering the seemingly enigmatic qualities of a Savant. How can a debilitating disorder allow for--let alone facilitate--truly remarkable talent? Is there a relationship between struggle and greatness? Is it all just a coincidence? Is it just an excuse--some way to tether incredible people down to the world?
Maybe.
Or maybe it's just a romantic ploy, some unrelated correlation, some way of giving worth and hope to "the worthless." Either way, Savants of all "degrees" are--to say the least--intriguing to the public (especially talk show hosts).
"Your Achilles' Heel" will explore the mysteries behind extreme and acute cases of Savant Syndrome, in addition to its relation to contemporary literature, media, and culture. And if you stick around long enough, you might just learn how to determine what your special talent and more importantly, what your "Achilles' Heel" might be.
