Joshua Walters: On being just crazy enough

http://www.ted.com At TED's Full Spectrum Auditions, comedian Joshua Walters, who's bipolar, walks the line between mental illness and mental "skillness." In this funny, thought-provoking talk, he asks: What's the right balance between medicating craziness away and riding the manic edge of creativity and drive?

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• TED
• TEDTalks
• Joshua Walters
• mental skillness
• mental illness
• bipolar
• manic
• creativity

[FenixAiroso]

A wise friend once pointed out to me that "Normal" is a setting on your washing machine. And who the Hell wants to be a washing machine?

[kcptrem]

Its just sad how some people here don't even understand what this guy just told the world.

Honestly, I'd rather be a very talented and gifted guy with bipolar than a normal person. Most men seek fame and fortune, but no fortune nor fame could ever buy talent and gifts.

Hands down Joshua Walters for giving both a funny and deep talk :)

[lalalawy345]

thank you , Joshua! Very inspiring

[reconciliation86]

@reconciliation86

And the edge of everybody more successful than you is to know what shade of evil they want to be and what shade of evil the person they are interacting with would accept or endorse.

I know psych wards are tough, but the doctors and nurses aren't evil - at least that was my experience. They honestely tried to help and care as best as they can. And of course they don't understand and of course communication was difficult and not so important for them as it should be. But they try

[reconciliation86]

@reconciliation86

I definitely agree that the pharamaceutical industry cares about profit only. If they can prove a marginal improvement and market their product, that's all they care for. And if somebody can prove that a different way of eating or thinking will provide an enormous improvement, they will do everything they can to shut them up or discredit them.

But I don't believe there is such a thing as pure evil outside of imagination. Everybody is shades of evil.

[reconciliation86]

@negativetroll

oh just noticed your nick..

anyw*.given what he said..why would you think he would actually take zyprexa? I took zyprexa in the past and it made me gain roughly 40 pounds. the first thing I did after I was released from the psych ward was to half the dose and get rid of it entirely in two weeks. It took two years to get rid of the 40 pounds with no effort whatsoever (I guess gaming addiction does help).

If you believe fluoride causes bip*, don't drink tapwater if it's contaminanat

[Vixref]

"Just manic enough" aha one of my favourite TED talks

[monkeyrecordsnz]

I have forwarded this on to my psychologist friend who works with a lot of people who are bipolar...

[gitadji]

There's a lot of wisdom in this idea. I have adult ADD and quite often coworkers and friends would call me crazy just for being different and thinking that everything is doable.I was raised in a socialist republic where being unordinary and eccentric was not well accepted by the society. Luckily, now I'm in a place where those qualities of a "crazy" are recognized. I'm working in the technological innovative field where you have to be "crazy" in order to create the future. I'm glad I'm CRAZY :)

[subzero628]

I was meant to find this today... I was really meant to find this today. Thankyou so much... Very few rare people have the ability to change people's lives with a few words and this guy can and he is my fukkin hero!

[sanoonbs]

@HeilNizar i swear i almost cried when he finished, its like you have no idea what he is talking about, ...