The bright side of the dark; the dark side of the bright. (2016)

“The depressed person sees the present clearly, isn’t fooled by over-reliance on the past, and thus predicts a new future.”

Nassir Ghaemi, Tuft University Mood Disorders Programme
Part of Talent Quarterly’s ‘The Dark Side Issue’, Issue 8 2016

Ghaemi urges his readers to “redefine what’s meant by normal” by describing the productive behaviors found towards the fringes of traditional definitions.

“That blue, reclusive, withdrawn person who keeps to herself probably has a better sense of her own abilities and of realities in her work than the reliable, friendly, pleasant person down the hall.

“The normal, mentally healthy employee won’t see the twists and turns of changes in the marketplace, and won’t foresee how things are moving if they go in a new direction. The depressed employee will see the early signs of change.

“The normal person uses the past to predict the future, and is right when the past predicts the future, but wrong when it doesn’t. The depressed person sees the present clearly, isn’t fooled by over-reliance on the past, and thus predicts a new future.”

Buy the article here: The bright side of the dark; the dark side of the bright