2002-01-10Z2011-03-11T08:54:52Zhttp://cogprints.org/id/eprint/2009This item is in the repository with the URL: http://cogprints.org/id/eprint/20092002-01-10ZCreativity, Evolution and Mental Illnesses.Mental representations, or memes, transform the space in which they evolve. Their survival is dependent on the
survival of the individuals and the groups hosting them. Creativity - the production of new and useful ideas - is
closely linked to the social dynamics of the individuals expressing creative ideas: without social confrontation
new memes cannot become diffuse. Creative individuals tend to be emotionally unstable, and many are affected
by mental disorders. Studies on the link between creativity and mental illnesses show that it is exactly the
characteristics of the mental disorder which also confer some advantage on afflicted individuals. These
advantages extend to the groups to which the creative, mentally ill individuals belong. The group comprising the
most creative personalities will therefore acquire an adaptive advantage which maintains the integrity of the
group as a whole, in spite of the vulnerability of the individual.
Antonio PretiPaola Miotto