光环背后盘点天才们精神状况.docVIP

光环背后盘点天才们精神状况 　　贝多芬、米开朗基罗、达尔文、牛顿……这些天才为后人留下了伟大的遗产，但他们的个人生活却未必如人们想象中光鲜。天才或伟人的光环背后，很多人也许承受着鲜为人知的精神痛苦。 　　Studies have shown that there are much higher instances of mental disorders in political leaders and creative geniuses than in the general population. While it’s impossible to be sure of a hindsight1） diagnosis of a historical figure， that hasn’t stopped researchers from educated2） speculation. 　　Abraham Lincoln—Depression？ 　　The Great Emancipator managed to lead the country through one of its more trying3） times， despite suffering from severe depression most of his life. According to one Lincoln biographer， letters left by the president’s friends referred to him as “the most depressed person they’ve ever seen.” On at least one occasion， he was so overcome with “melancholy” that he collapsed. Both his mother and numerous members of his father’s family exhibited similar symptoms of severe depression， indicating he was probably biologically susceptible to the illness. Lincoln is even assumed to be the author of a poem published in 1838， The Suicide’s Soliloquy4）， which contains the lines： 　　Hell！ What is hell to one like me 　　Who pleasures never knew； 　　By friends consigned to misery， 　　By hope deserted too？ 　　Ludwig van Beethoven—Bipolar Disorder5）？ 　　When the composer died of liver failure6） in 1827， he had been self-medicating his many health problems with alcohol for decades. Sadly， much of what he may have suffered from probably could have been managed with today’s medications， including a serious case of bipolar disorder. Beethoven’s fits7） of mania8） were well known in his circle of friends， and when he was on a high he could compose numerous works at once. It was during his down periods that many of his most celebrated works were written. Sadly， that was also when he contemplated suicide. During the early part of 1813 he went through such a depressive period that he stopped caring about his appearance， and would fly into rages during dinner parties.