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In popular
usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of a
person, as opposed to being normal. Eccentric
behavior is often considered whimsical or quirky, although it can also be
strange and disturbing. American
millionaire Howard Hughes, for example, was considered to be very eccentric
in his old age, when he stored his urine in glass jars and never cut his
hair or nails. Other people
may have eccentric taste in clothes, or have eccentric hobbies or
collections. Eccentricity is
often associated with genius or extreme creativity. The
individual's eccentric behavior is seen as the outward expression of his
unique intelligence or creative impulse. In this view,
the eccentric's 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 "normal" society. In this vein,
Edith Sitwell wrote: "Eccentricity
is not, as dull people would have us 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." Eccentric
personalities are marked by precisely this disregard for society's norms. The eccentric
may comprehend the standards for normal behavior in his culture, or he may
not. He is simply
unconcerned by society's disapproval of his habits or beliefs. Many of
history's most brilliant minds have displayed many unusual behaviors and
habits. However, some
eccentrics are cranks, rather than geniuses. Extravagance is
a kind of eccentricity, related to abundance and wastefulness. For extravagant
text, see also hyperbole. Quotes "That so few
now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of our time". -- John Stuart
Mill, On Liberty. See also List of people
widely considered eccentric |