Topic: Decline of the West
The sordid death of Whitney Huston got me thinking along the obvious line: Why does there seem to be such a close correlation between great talent and self-destructive insanity?
I realize, of course, that most highly talented people have no death wish. But the minority who are self-destructive grab the headlines by being found dead in a hotel bathtub, etc. And we always assume that the burden of their extraordinary talent in some way killed them. It’s an assumption that can lend a phony air of tragedy to even the most untidy exit.
But what such incidents really show is that talent signifies nothing but itself. If you have a defective personality, great musical or literary talent won’t make up the deficiency. And if you possess a well-balanced personality, talent can’t destroy you. After all, there are plenty of self-destructive people who have no talent at all. What’s their excuse for polishing themselves off with a drug overdose, a noose or a leap from the roof?
