--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Finally, some of the genes identified in…" description: "\"“Finally, some of the genes identified in certain variants of schizophrenia or bipolar disease actually augment certain abilities. If the most patholog..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_mental-illness_finally-some-of-the-genes-identified-in_1157522.png" --- # Finally, some of the genes identified in certain variants… ![“Finally, some of the genes identified in certain variants of schizophrenia or bipolar disease actually augment certain abilities. If the most pathological variant of a mental illness can be sifted out or discriminated from the high-functioning variants by genes or gene combinations alone, then we…” quote by Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_mental-illness_finally-some-of-the-genes-identified-in_1157522.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_mental-illness_finally-some-of-the-genes-identified-in_1157522.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_mental-illness_finally-some-of-the-genes-identified-in_1157522.png) > ““Finally, some of the genes identified in certain variants of schizophrenia or bipolar disease actually augment certain abilities. If the most pathological variant of a mental illness can be sifted out or discriminated from the high-functioning variants by genes or gene combinations alone, then we can hope for such a test. But it is much more likely that such a test will have inherent limits: most of the genes that cause disease in one circumstance might be the very genes that cause hyperfunctional creativity in another. As Edvard Munch put it, "\[My troubles\] are part of me and my art. They are indistinguishable from me, and \[treatment\] would destroy my art. I want to keep those sufferings." These very "sufferings," we might remind ourselves, were responsible for one of the most iconic images of the twentieth century-of a man so immersed in a psychotic era that he could only scream a psychotic response to it.”” [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genetic variants linked to mental illness can also enhance creativity, making diagnostic tests ethically complex. **In simple terms:** Some disease genes may boost talent, so testing is limited. Key Takeaway Recognize the dual nature of genetics. Themes genetics creativity ethics mental health Mood thoughtful cautious Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - clinical diagnostics - artistic pursuits - personal identity - therapy decisions Key Concepts pleiotropy gene‑environment interaction neurodiversity Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance early detection with preserving creative potential? - Can we develop nuanced assessments that differentiate harmful from beneficial gene effects? 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Erika”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/the-cycles-of-dysfunction-and-mental-illness-did-not-have-to-carry/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [I'm getting less good at faking it. People in my family are noticing and asking what's wrong. My friends give me invitations to talk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-manning/i-m-getting-less-good-at-faking-it-people-in-my-family-are-noticing/) [Martha Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-manning/) [Browse all 1,233 Mental illness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Finally, some of the genes identified in certain variants of schizophrenia or bipolar disease actually augment certain abilities. 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