Eccentricity (behavior) 1239477 224472144 2008-07-09T00:07:24Z Mladifilozof 589644 /* References */ {{onesource|date=January 2008}} {{Original research|date=September 2007}} :''This page refers to eccentricity in behavior and popular usage. For other uses, see [[eccentricity|eccentricity (disambiguation)]].'' In popular usage, '''eccentricity''' refers to unusual or odd [[behavior]] on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive. Eccentricity is contrasted with [[Normality (behavior)|"normal"]] behavior, the nearly universal means by which individuals in society solve given problems and pursue certain priorities in everyday life. People who consistently display benignly eccentric behavior are labelled as "eccentrics". ==Depictions of eccentricity== Eccentricity is often associated with [[genius]], [[giftedness]], or [[creativity]]. The individual's eccentric behavior is perceived to be the outward expression of his or her unique [[intelligence]] or creative impulse.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/06/weins06.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/06/ixworld.html|title=Einstein, eccentric genius, smoked butts picked up off street|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=2005-11-06|accessdate=2006-09-27}}</ref> In this vein, the eccentric's [[Habit (psychology)|habits]] are incomprehensible not because they are illogical or the result of madness, but because they stem from a mind so original that it cannot be conformed to societal norms. In this vein, [[Edith Sitwell]] wrote: <blockquote> "Eccentricity is not, as some would believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd." </blockquote> ==Comparison to the norm== A person who is simply in a "[[fish out of water]]" situation is not, by the strictest definition, an eccentric since, presumably, he or she may be ordinary by the conventions of his or her native environment. Eccentrics may or may not comprehend the standards for normal behavior in their culture. They are simply unconcerned by society's disapproval of their habits or beliefs. Many of history's most brilliant minds have displayed many unusual behaviors and habits. Some eccentrics are pejoratively considered "[[crank (person)|crank]]s", rather than geniuses. Eccentric behavior is often considered whimsical or quirky, although it can also be strange and disturbing. Many individuals previously considered to be merely eccentric, such as [[aviation]] [[business magnate|magnate]] [[Howard Hughes]], have recently been retrospectively-diagnosed as actually suffering from [[mental illness]] ([[obsessive compulsive disorder]] in Hughes' case). Probably the best example was Serbian physicist and inventor [[Nikola Tesla]]. Another famous eccentric was renowned [[theoretical physicist]] [[Albert Einstein]], who in addition to being widely recognized as a genius, was also known to pick up and smoke discarded cigarette butts on the street{{Fact|date=June 2008}}, pilot his sailboat on windless days ("for the challenge"){{Fact|date=June 2008}}, and lecture his 8-year-old nephew on physics (including a 2-hour exposition on the fascinating Newtonian properties of soap bubbles). Other people may have eccentric taste in [[clothes]], or have eccentric [[hobby|hobbies]] or collections which they pursue with great vigour. They may have a pedantic and precise manner of speaking, intermingled with inventive wordplay. Behavioral eccentricities have often been classically associated with psychological profiles indicating [[overcompensation]], [[insecurity|insecurities]], unresolved childhood issues, [[involuntary celibacy]] and other sexual issues, [[unrequited love]], [[heartbreak]], and other romantic issues, [[repression|repressed feelings]], social ineptness, [[monomania]], or a variety of other influences, even if the person would not necessarily be classified as insane. Some accepted psychological profiles that are commonly attributed to eccentrics are the [[Oedipus complex]] (a primal desire on the part of a young male to compete with his father for his mother's love and affection), [[Napoleon complex]] (colloquial term used to describe a type of inferiority complex suffered by people who are short), [[Peter Pan Syndrome]], [[obsessive-compulsive]] disorders, and [[autism spectrum disorder]]s, most notably [[Asperger syndrome]]. Eccentric behavior has also been attributed to drug use. Many individuals may even manifest eccentricities consciously and deliberately, in an attempt to differentiate themselves from societal norms or enhance a sense of inimitable identity; given the overwhelmingly positive stereotypes (at least in [[pop culture]] and especially with [[fictional characters]]) often associated with eccentricity, detailed above, it would seem only natural that certain individuals would seek to be associated with this sort of character type. However, this is not always successful and the individual in question may simply be dismissed by others as just seeking attention. ''Extravagance'' is a kind of eccentricity, related to abundance and wastefulness; refer to description in ''[[hyperbole]]''. ===Characteristics=== The [[textbook]] ''General Psychology'' by Weeks and James mentions people with a mental illness "suffer" from their behavior while healthy eccentrics are quite happy. The text even states eccentrics are ''less'' prone to mental illness than everyone else. According to the textbook, there are fifteen distinctive characteristics that differentiate a healthy eccentric person from a regular person or someone who has a mental illness (although some may not always apply). The first five are in most people regarded as eccentric: *Nonconforming attitude *Creative *Intense [[curiosity]] *Idealistic *Happy obsession with a [[hobby]] or hobbies *Known very early in his or her [[childhood]] they were different from others *Highly [[intelligence|intelligent]] *Opinionated and outspoken *Noncompetitive *Unusual living or eating habits *Not interested in the opinions or company of others *Mischievous sense of humor *Single *Eldest or only child *Bad speller<ref>http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=eccentric</ref> (usually uncommon) ==See also== * [[hyperbole]] * [[individualism]] * [[high-functioning autism]] * [[Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou]] ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Eccentricity| ]] [[Category:Human behavior]] [[da:Excentricitet (opførsel)]] [[de:Exzentriker]] [[nl:Excentriciteit (gedrag)]] [[ja:奇人]] [[pl:Ekscentryzm]] [[pt:Excentricidade (comportamento)]] [[ru:Экстравагантность]] [[sr:Ексцентричност]] [[simple:Eccentricity]]