August 12, 2014

Robin Williams' Comedic Genius Was Not a Result of Mental Illness, but His Suicide Was

Of course, the media is writing a lot today about the link between mental illness and creativity in light of Robin Williams' suicide. Here's the thing: Williams' comedic genius was a result of many factors, including his compassion, playfulness, divergent thinking, imagination, intelligence, affective repertoire, and unique life experiences.

By Scott Barry Kaufman

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

This blog appears in the In-Depth Report Genius, Suicide and Mental Illness: Insights into a Deep Connection

Of course, the media is writing a lot today about the link between mental illness and creativity in light of Robin Williams’ suicide.

Here’s the thing: Williams’ comedic genius was a result of many factors, including his compassion, playfulness, divergent thinking, imagination, intelligence, affective repertoire, and unique life experiences.

In contrast, his suicide was strongly influenced by his mental illness.

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This romanticism of mental illness needs to stop. The media needs to offer accurate views of what it’s like to have a real debilitating mental illness and make a call for more funding to support those who are suffering instead of focusing on cutesy connections to genius that are not even supported in the scientific literature.

See:

The Real Link Between Mental Illness and Creativity

The Tears of a Clown: Understanding Comedy Writers

Being Suicidal: What it feels like to want to kill yourself

US Suicide Helpline: 1-800-273-8255 UK: 08457 90 90 90