Gedolim/cachamim and gifted?

amother

Thu, May 14 2020, 8:42 am

Hello,

First of all, I don't want to diagnose the gedolim of any generation but when I'm talking with other people about children with autism/add or high IQ I see sometimes also comparisons with the biographies of great gedoilim.
Men who were totally preoccupied with lernen, didn't play much as a child and thaught really out of the box or were really rigid in their thinking.
It's from me as someone on the spectrum and lots of family on the spectrum kinda chizuk that we can become also leaders even when we are on the specturm.
I feel when I say this that gossiping about great gadoilim and talmid cachamim and I totally don't want that, because it is gift to be on the spectrum or intellectually gifted but it's also a curse. I do good in learning a new Sefer but I have huge troubles going to an all-ladies event and so does a lot of my family, and it's not making me a tzadeikes because I'm rigid I can be in arguments because of it. So I just want to discuss this without that people point a finger to me. Because I still feel stigmatized as someone on the spectrum while I really think lots of gadoilim and chachamim are too. But again, that might count as lashon horo and I don't want that.....

So who will discuss this with me?

PinkFridge

Thu, May 14 2020, 8:52 am

Interesting.
Most gadol biographies I've read highlight, at some point, how sensitive and insightful they were.
And of course, there are also gedolim who weren't natural geniuses but with a lot of shvitz and determination got there.

leah233

Thu, May 14 2020, 9:08 am

There probably were individuals who were respected Talmidey Chachomim and Tzadikim who were on the spectrum but it would be very difficult to become a major Gadol while on the spectrum becuase

(1)In order to become a respected leader you need to constantly interact with the public and be able to relate to them

(2)there are many situations where having single minded focus on learning detracts from your Gadol status.

The difference between a Gadol and a person on the street is that (a) the more you get know a person on the street the more you see their weakness, the more you know a Godal the more you see thier virtue (b)a Godal is ALWAYS a gadol, no matter where they find themselves and what the situation they are in calls for, a person on the street is not.

There is one Gadol in particular who I'm thinking of, who when reading his biography, his hasmadah in learning would come across as addiction and work alcoholism, rather than Tzidkus, were he not so easily willing to close his Gemora anytime the right thing to do was not to learn.

amother

Thu, May 14 2020, 2:01 pm

leah233 wrote:

Some people can interact with a public and leading and still be on the spectrum, I know a teacher with asd...
And you don't need to be singleminded and have asd.....