Reply #64: I've met a lot of really smart, really successful people [View All]

[FloridaJudy]

Who I suspect had mild Asberger's. They function spectacularly well in some areas, but they're awkward in social situations. Some have speculated that Einstein was one: I doubt this. I think he was just absent-minded, as many really bright people are. His mind was probably on more important things than whether his shoes matched. But anyone who's familiar with Newton can spot the signs. He revolutionized mathematics but was totally inept in most social situations.

It's a spectrum. For those on the high end, it can even confer some advantages - just as those who are just a little bit bipolar or schizophrenic are often more creative than their neuro-average peers. But for those who have the full-blown disorder it's a catastrophe.