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abstract: |
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.
altloc:
- http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit/1997/vol1/preti_a&miotto_p.html
chapter: ~
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creators_id: []
creators_name:
- family: Preti
given: Antonio
honourific: ''
lineage: ''
- family: Miotto
given: Paola
honourific: ''
lineage: ''
date: 1997
date_type: published
datestamp: 2002-01-10
department: ~
dir: disk0/00/00/20/09
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eprint_status: archive
eprintid: 2009
fileinfo: /style/images/fileicons/text_html.png;/2009/1/preti_a%26miotto_p.html
full_text_status: public
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keywords: |
creativity, evolution, meme, mental representation, mental disorders, bipolar disorders,
schizophrenia, natural selection, information processing
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:54:52
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longitude: ~
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note: ~
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pubdom: TRUE
publication: 'Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission'
publisher: ~
refereed: TRUE
referencetext: |
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relation_type: []
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reportno: ~
rev_number: 8
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source: ~
status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:42:21
subjects:
- clin-psy
succeeds: ~
suggestions: ~
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title: 'Creativity, Evolution and Mental Illnesses.'
type: newsarticle
userid: 2578
volume: 1