Mantid wrote:
Speaking of "spectrum", the idea that Cope is possibly a member of the Asperger's club is interesting - and I think (while that psychological model is possibly dubious, let's entertain it) that most people I am myself interested in sharing thoughts with are, as well. I probably am. I am so glad he has the obsession with the ancient monuments - it has opened my eyes to the richly spectacular nature of our history and pre-history, and renewed my own latent interests in archaeology and history. My own obsession with tracing music-which-reaches-me back to shamanic roots (conveniently serving as a shortcut to my own inner core) has been quite lubricated by Cope's studies, and his generosity in sharing all of this will forever have him as a core member of my personal pantheon of inspirations.
Good points. There are probably quite a few DSM terms that could be thrown at Cope - Aspergers, narcissistic, paranoid, schizotypal, anti-social behavior. Of course, from the view of authority, "sanity" is best represented by the unthinking, passive consumer. Whatever problems Cope might have, he's developed a method that has not only kept him productive for nearly 40 years (!), he's also inspired quite a few of us, too. Society would be much worse off if he was "normal."
|