Sunday 30 December 2012

Do you have to be mad to be an inventor?



 Well, of course you do.

 Inventing something, whether it’s as an artist or as a scientist, involves thinking about things that aren’t there.

 And that’s pretty much a definition of madness, isn’t it.

Of course that doesn’t mean that inventors all wear straws in their hair, or make ape-noises at the neighbours, or sing love-songs to the daisies.

 No.

So I suppose that, on the whole, we'll have to put inventors down as part-time nutters.

 I think that most of us would be quite happy with that.

2 comments:

  1. I actually think you have to be a bit mad to do anything in the creative/inventive line. What's all this sitting at the laptop making stuff up about, then, if not talking to people who don't exist about other people who don't exist?? It's fun though and harmless, mostly.

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  2. You've made me think that perhaps it's better than harmless: just think of all the academics and publishers and book-binders writers keep in honest employment.

    All of a sudden I feel quite respectable.

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