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Thread : Cultures advance because of A.D.D.  
9 Apr 2009 @ 1:14 PM
walrus Join Date: Fri 27th Mar 2009
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Cultures advance because of A.D.D.

This is only a theory and only my theory, so you have been warned. Cultures (arts and science) advance through the ages at a very steady pace. The knowledge pyramiding off of previous knowledge. It should be a smooth gentle rise. Except that that smooth rise in knowledge sometimes jumps 20, 40 , 60, maybe even 100 years forward suddenly. When you look closely at who and why, I believe that you will find an ADD person responsible for the sudden advance. Da Vinci: check out his life with an eye towards diagnosing ADD. Same thing for Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Arcamedies, Socrates, Homer, etc., etc.....I think you will find that most, if not all, sudden jumps in the world's knowledge base were linked to one ADD person or another. It stands to reason. An ADD person digest large amounts of knowledge (not neccesarily school knowledge, many of these people were self taught), but looks at this knowledge in it's pure form. Most of society sees knowledge through a political filter. An ADD person is unfettered with a political filter (thus we often say politically incorrect things; pure raw knowledge). Because an ADD person sees the pure unfiltered knowledge and can use it to make a much bigger science or art leap than the average person. "Why can't it be done this new way?" is the montra of the ADD person. The non ADD person accepts the answer, "because it's always been done that way.".... To the ADD person, that is not an acceptable answer. Ask ANY ADD person if "because it's alway been done that way" is EVER an acceptable answer. To that ADD person, that statement is a Call To Arms.

And THAT is the reason that cultures throughout history have these sudden "fast-forwards". Because an ADD person was there to NOT accept the answer,"because it's always been done that way".

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22 Apr 2009 @ 5:41 AM Reply # 1
Nivlong Join Date: Fri 31st Oct 2008
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Sure, why not?

Author Thom Hartman proposes we reconsider ADHD. Instead of a disease, it could be an adaptation from hunter-gatherer days (he even mentions Edison). http://www.amazon.com/Edison-Gene-ADHD-Hunter-Child/dp/0892811285

I like your theory and find it plausible. I would include more than ADHD minds, though. A variety of mental and physical conditions have contributed many things to science, art, and design. I'd venture a variety of artistic and scientific people such as depressed artists, monks with OCD, or programmers with Asperger's all have made a variety of significant contributions to culture. I'm sure a different mental or physical perspective allows people some freedom from the status quo as you suggest.

I'd be careful about treating cultural advances and technological leaps as if we're moving ahead in years, though. We definitely find better ways of doing things, but since we can't predict the future, we can't say "we've advance 10 years in so-and-so technology." And looking back doesn't count because hindsight has perfect vision. We've advanced compared to whom?

Just as evolution isn't "trying" to produce humans as its pinnacle of success, innovation doesn't have a destination either.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuated_equilibrium for a parallel of what you're suggesting, but regarding evolution. There is no "destination" in culture or evolution (or the evolution of culture), but there are fast drastic changes.

Also check out http://www.ted.com/ for current-day innovators from a variety of backgrounds. You'll find high-energy, inspiring people that don't accept the status quo. Do you see ADHD symptoms in the presenters?

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4 May 2009 @ 4:39 PM Reply # 2
walrus Join Date: Fri 27th Mar 2009
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sorry, no

sorry, no...my theory only includes ADD people...it doesn't include other people, sorry....my theory only makes sense as originally proposed (ADD People advance cultures suddenly instead of the usual increments)....check out the periods in time when major and sudden advancements appear in cultures and you will find ADD people associated with those sudden advancements.....Socrates, Homer, Edison, Franklin, Da Vinc,i etc.....check out their biographies...you will find symptoms of ADD.

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