Marriage may tame genius

[bodypilot90 0]

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/scitech/SciTechRepublish_898675.htm

Marriage may tame genius
Thursday, 10 July 2003

Creative genius and crime express themselves early in men but both are turned off almost like a tap if a man gets married and has children, a study says.

Satoshi Kanazawa, a psychologist at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, compiled a database of the biographies of 280 great scientists, noting their age at the time when they made their greatest work.

The data remarkably concur with the brutal observation made by Albert Einstein, who wrote in 1942: "A person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of 30 will never do so."

"Scientific productivity indeed fades with age," Dr Kanazawa says.

"Two-thirds (of all scientists) will have made their most significant contributions before their mid-30s."

But, regardless of age, the great minds who married virtually kissed goodbye to making any further glorious additions to their CV.

Within five years of making their nuptial vows, nearly a quarter of married scientists had made their last significant contribution to history's hall of fame.

"Scientists rather quickly desist (from their careers) after their marriage, while unmarried scientists continue to make great scientific contributions later in their lives," says Dr Kanazawa.

The energy of youth and the dampening effect of marriage, he adds, are also remarkably similar among geniuses in music, painting and writing, as well as in criminal activity.

Previous studies have documented that delinquents are overwhelmingly male, and usually start out on the road to crime in their teens.

But those who marry well, subsequently stop committing crime, whereas criminals at the same age who remain unmarried tend to continue their unlawful careers.

Dr Kanazawa suggests "a single psychological mechanism" is responsible for this: the competitive edge among young men to fight for glory and gain the attention of women.

That craving drives the all-important male hormone, testosterone.

Dr Kanazawa theorises after a man settles down, the testosterone level falls, as does his creative output.

The study appears in in the August issue of the Journal of Research in Personality, published by the Elsevier group.

The British weekly New Scientist reports on it in its upcoming issue on Saturday.

[Luv2Fall 0]

Marriage has a way of taming many things.

[bodypilot90 0]

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Marriage has a way of taming many things.

is this a good thing or a bad thing?

[turtlespeed 220]

So are you saying that women suck the inspiration and creative genious out of us - or that they are just evil people that suck the life out of us?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[bodypilot90 0]

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So are you saying that women suck the inspiration and creative genious out of us - or that they are just evil people that suck the life out of us?

well my ex was both. However I didn't do the study. What do you think? Maybe we should ask newly married guys

[rehmwa 2]

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So are you saying that women suck the inspiration and creative genious out of us - or that they are just evil people that suck the life out of us?

The point of the article is that "women" don't do that. Just the opposite.

"Wives" do.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[turtlespeed 220]

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So are you saying that women suck the inspiration and creative genious out of us - or that they are just evil people that suck the life out of us?

The point of the article is that "women" don't do that. Just the opposite.

"Wives" do.

Now I get it -

Thanks again oh mighty Rehmwa(wtf is a rehmwa anyway?)

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[rehmwa 2]

"rehmwa" is a leftover e-mail name from my Navy time. last name, first and middle initials.

If I had to do it over again here at DZ.com I'd do something much more clever and entertaining.
no, no I wouldn't, I don't have any of my own funny material it's all stolen mainly from the Simpson's - marriage sucks the creativity right out - and not in a good way

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[happythoughts 0]

I think it's real simple. When you get married, you don't devote all your hours to your job anymore.

For football players, coaches will make them carry a football everywhere they go for a week. It makes them think about it all day long. Focuses their attention.

When you are single, you have more time to spend at work. A lot of your identity is connected to your achievements. When you are off, you are hanging out with work buddies afterhours discussing theories and techniques.

All your time management changes when you get married. When you are off work, you don't think about it. Plus, associating with women too much is bound to make you dumber.

[Paige 0]

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All your time management changes when you get married. When you are off work, you don't think about it. Plus, associating with women too much is bound to make you dumber.

Don't we have more brain cells than you guys?!?!?!

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[happythoughts 0]

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Don't we have more brain cells than you guys?

Yes, but they are weaker, like your feminine little muscles. Besides, there are cells that control different abilities. Womens communications cells are vastly overdeveloped, while the logic cells that have constructive uses are largely degenerated.

This has been proven scientifically through the investigation of female hormones in beer. Studies show that after 12 beers - men talk incomprehensibly, can't drive, and hug everyone. Who can argue with science?

[Paige 0]

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while the logic cells that have constructive uses are largely degenerated.

I'm way more logical and don't have the best communication skills. I've never really been like a girlie girl. Always too logical for that. I think that's why I have yet to meet a guy who can tolerate me for very long. I'm just as logical and that drives them nutz.

As far as the beer and men goes, who can argue with science?!?!

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[Luv2Fall 0]

.......depending upon the issue lol.

[happythoughts 0]

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I'm just as logical and that drives them nutz.

We back to basic hormones here. You drive them nuts because you're so darned cute. Go ahead and deny that, nobody will back ya. Your cute cells are way overcharged.

I think this marriage/genius study is one of those "science can be used to prove anything" examples.

However, the conclusions are really contradictory. Think of this... if they guy who did the study is married, and the conclusions are correct, then the results must be less than genius. Right?

However, if the conclusions are incorrect, then a married guy wouldn't produce a valuable study.

I'll bet this study was done by a single guy with a very bad lab monkey. He probably spanks his monkey every day.

[Luv2Fall 0]

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I'm just as logical and that drives them nutz.

I'll bet this study was done by a single guy with a very bad lab monkey. He probably spanks his monkey every day.

If he keeps that up, he might go blind.

[wmw999 2,446]

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If he keeps that up, he might go blind

Hmmm; John Milton was blind, and he was a genius. Ya think

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Luv2Fall 0]

Let's hope not lol.

[lawrocket 3]

I work with my lady. We both do the same thing.

I think my creativity has flourished working with her, since she shows me different ways of looking at things.

Would it work if the husband and wife were together all the time (like my lady and I are practically 24/7)?

Anecdotally, yeah, I spend about 1/4 of the time with my music as I used to spend before her. Maybe because I'd rather take care of her than make music and try to make others have a good time.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Paige 0]

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We back to basic hormones here. You drive them nuts because you're so darned cute. Go ahead and deny that, nobody will back ya. Your cute cells are way overcharged.

Okay, maybe no one would support my claims of not being cute. Honestly, I don't get what men see in me. Well....I get what they want from me, I'm just tired of being picked up by jackasses who only care about what is on the outside. I'm smart, really I am. Graduated college with honors in all three majors. I'm just really good at hiding it.

I do agree with your conclusions and the results of the survey. Those are very astute observations and I would have never thought of those. You are smart when you realize you don't know it all and accept help from others, as well as praising them for their brilliance.

I wonder if the guy who did the study was married or not. That would be cool to know to see if the results were skewed.

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[MarkM 0]

Correlation doesn't prove a cause an effect.

Maybe brilliant scientists/criminals just aren't marriage material, therefore the results are skewed in their favor? You can't assume that marriage kills the drive, it could've been that the drive to "excel" dried up because their life priorities changed and then the person found they had time to get married and raise a family.

[bodypilot90 0]

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You are smart when you realize you don't know it all and accept help from others, as well as praising them for their brilliance.

Thinking that way shows you are wise as well as cute.

[Paige 0]

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You are smart when you realize you don't know it all and accept help from others, as well as praising them for their brilliance.

Thinking that way shows you are wise as well as cute.

Why thank you

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[cyric77 0]

IMO I think that success, creativity, and genius among married individuals depends the couples desire to continue to stimulate each other in new ways throughout their lives. This means actively making an effort not to stagnate into complacency.