When Steve Jobs came up with the saying, “Think Differently”, he was talking about the fact that creative people are not normal. This indeed should not create judgment in your awareness of creative and innovative persons, but a new understanding of their ability to be open and see solutions.  New studies are being completed each year that prove brains of creative people generate more activity in very similar parts of the brain, and often, they are exceeding neural and normal brain responses.  This means, in a normal brain society, creative minds and creative people struggle with what is acceptable, and how to fit within normal brain expectations. They excel at becoming the new frontier, and the next inventor.

Staying normal, often means, to get by with very safe and easy lifestyle choices, and endure a quiet and reasonable existence.  A normal brain understands social standards are important, and follows the rules to get by each and every day.  The brain of creative people refuses this antiquated stance, and these creatives are often labeled, antisocial, egocentric, or selfish.  The main issue with this general definition is that creative people are often judged to be left of center, and in effect, not a benefit to society.

Some Symptoms of Creative People

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN,  diagnoses mental illness and cogitative brain disorders as often society risk takers.  The true diagnosis, without stigma, would showcase the creative people as not only creative geniuses but as the answers to our many pressing problems in science, math and in health.  See the list of symptoms below for the creative people we so often misdiagnose as antisocial personality disorder:

Antisocial personality disorder signs and symptoms may include:

• Disregard for right and wrong
• Persistent lying or deceit to exploit others
• Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or for sheer personal pleasure
• Intense egocentrism, sense of superiority and exhibitionism
• Recurring difficulties with the law
• Repeatedly violating the rights of others by the use of intimidation, dishonesty and misrepresentation
• Child abuse or neglect
• Hostility, significant irritability, agitation, impulsiveness, aggression or violence
• Lack of empathy for others and lack of remorse about harming others
• Unnecessary risk-taking or dangerous behaviors
• Poor or abusive relationships
• Irresponsible work behavior
• Failure to learn from the negative consequences of behavior

Antisocial personality disorder symptoms may begin in childhood and are fully evident for most people during their 20s and 30s. In children, cruelty to animals, bullying behavior, impulsivity or explosions of anger, social isolation, and poor school performance may be, in some cases, early signs of the disorder.

Although considered a lifelong disorder, some symptoms — particularly destructive and criminal behavior and the use of alcohol or drugs — may decrease over time, but it’s not clear whether this decrease is a result of aging or an increased awareness of the consequences of antisocial behavior.”

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/basics/symptoms/con-20027920

In most new brain study work, the very ambiguous label to any anti-social behavior, could, in fact, be labeled creative people in action, with a clear lack of direction.  When you are judging a person by their actions, it is not advantageous to punish creative people.  Nor will positive gain come from inflicting a negative consequence of seemingly antisocial behavior.   In the creative brain, the lack of empathy or quiet selfish time spent alone is often a necessity.  Not all members of society are able to conform to one single standard.

Society Standards and Creative People

The sixties was a time of awakening for not only the united states but for humanity as a whole.  When you think of the social changes from the American Civil War, to the 1980’s, there was an upheaval of sorts during all eras, between so-called conservatism and liberalism.  People in society decided to allow less rule-following, and then slowly they convert to a strict process of policing the population with standards.  The recent history path has been a quick one, where this trend reverses and evolves between the two standards in a flip-flop fashion.  When social norms are safer for creative people, more innovation occurs.  And likewise, when new regulations and demands are placed upon the society, innovation suffers.  It isn’t for everyone; creative brains need open-minded understanding to prosper, or the actions that result can be destructive.

Take, for example, Jackson Pollock, the innovative freestyle painter from New York in the 1940s and 1950s.  We have had some time to reflect on the talent and artistry of Mr. Pollock, and with this, will come to some realizations.  He is lost to us through his painful depression, but with a little understanding of the creative brain, we can fully understand how he created the magnificent abstract work that he is famous for.  Every historical record of creative people shows a true indicator of mental anxiety and stress.   With force, society wills some of the creative people into a decisive path of destruction.  Alcohol, drugs and often obsessional behaviors can result in pain and poor decision making on the part of creative people. With careful guidance, they become innovative, empowering leaders, and decisive entrepreneurs.  It is true as well, that creative people possess not just decisions of might, but of kindness.  When they are treated with abject assurance, they can accomplish anything.  And, they may be capable of many solutions, to many different topics or problems.

Creative People All Possess Breadth

When thinking of which area of expertise to dedicate yourself towards, often it will come to one specific area of specialty.  But, with creative people, the sky is the limit.  They often are people who have a broad amount of interest, in many areas.  They are often part of a family of creative people.  Creative people do not often fit into their era or seem to be on the edge of a new vision.  They are persistent.  They often will hear many negative comments about their focus or lack thereof.  They will endeavor to pursue areas that most do not feel are worthy of their time.  Creative people have stamina to the point of appearing crazy.

In Princeton, the brilliant but often misunderstood John Nash was uncertain if he should believe that his numbers were correct, and made a leap of faith and believed them.  This one persistent and unquestionable step, gave him the ability to win the appeal of his colleagues, once he stayed the course, and was bestowed the noble prize for economic fundamental knowledge.  He became at the beginning, a labeled crazy person, who followed ghosts or imaginary people.  John never lets them persuade him that his numbers were incorrect, which they tried to do.  When he compelled them to let him work through the process, he began his creative edge with persistence and resolution.  He never let up.  And, when he saw Aliens in his living room, he believed they were there.  His creative brain ensured he left no stone unturned, and he worked through the process with consistency and great assured strength.

When other creative people asked him how he finalized the economic brilliance of his doctorate, he simply stated the numbers came to him.  And when the same creative people asked about his ghosts and his aliens, he said, I simply didn’t know the difference between them and the numbers. When you have creative people innovating, they do not take chances on missing out on the greatest ideas possible.