Successful comedians display symptoms of psychosis, study says

Comedians are able to make people laugh because they often display characteristics usually found in people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, research published on Thursday claims.

Their talent to amuse people lies in having unusual personalities and displaying what researchers say are high levels of psychotic characteristics, according to findings which appear to support the widely held belief of a link between madness and creativity.

The results are based on a study of how 523 comedians from the UK, USA and Australia described their own personalities and beliefs when they filled in a questionnaire measuring psychotic traits in people who are not troubled by mental illness.

"The creative elements needed to produce humour are strikingly similar to those characterising the cognitive style of people with psychosis – both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder," said Professor Gordon Claridge from Oxford University's department of experimental psychology. He is also one of the three co-authors of the findings, which are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

"Although schizophrenic psychosis itself can be detrimental to humour, in its lesser form it can increase people's ability to associate odd or unusual things or to think 'outside the box'. Equally, 'manic thinking', which is common in people with bipolar disorder, may help people combine ideas to form new, original and humorous connections," Claridge added

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/16/successful-comedians-display-symptoms-psychosis-study-says

I'd agree with that to an extent. Anyone remember Hancock? and Spike Milligan come to that. Not just comedians but artists in general - Van Gogh springs to mind. To be creative and inventive requires having a vivid imagination and pretty much being on a high, which seems to release the creativity. On the flip side, they'll be on a low at other times. I think I'd rather be creative and thoughtful and experience the highs and lows, than have a dull unimaginative personality that never experience either.

Tell me about it, when I was in the Dukes Priory mental hospital even the nurses were laughing. 

It has its down side...I mean what crazy son of bitch is up at 2:47am and still on here, sleep is for wimps, I need to create and explore, the world is a big exciting cookie full of wondrous things.


Oh Yeah Baby!