Eccentricities and Oddities

The world revels while labeling an individual as 'eccentric,' inasmuch it even raises their value to great heights. A man or woman of extraordinary talent and genius is applauded and a great deal is given to their oddities. The common things done by all and sundry is not worthy at all but the uncommon and stupid things done by great people gets tagged as 'eccentric.'

I have been contemplating on various people who were labeled so and thus their shortcomings and frivolousness is passed. Minds which have given wonderful additions to make our life beautiful were quite often miserable people. Just because they have contributed many useful things, can their folly in some areas be dismissed as 'eccentricity?'

I admire Van Gogh. He shot himself at 37. He was also mad for sometime rather say eccentric. His works are remembered even today but I feel very sad for him. Why did he shoot himself? Was life so much a burden that he did not have the courage to live through it. I'd rather say he was a loser in life. Now this is a different stand for me as I have always defended Van Gogh's action. Not today.

Plath, Sexton -- both noted poets committed suicide. Their poems stay on but why did they die such gruesome deaths? Can one pass them off as 'eccentric' and stop the discussion. No. The man on the street who is homeless and still carries on should be lauded. Having no home is the highest form of violence but still he manages with life. Why not?

Plath had a good family in Ted Hughes and the children. Now don't think that family is everything. However the contribution of family and home in life is tremendous but being alone with pets also is grounding.

Again when it comes to love and other details, some 'great' men/women were pathetic. Jean Paul Sartre, Einstein -- I shall not go into the nitty-grities here. But we just dismiss their failures as 'eccentric' but hound certain others for the same mistakes. How unfair is this? Maybe there are scientific theories to prove that a genius mind is eccentric.

Maybe I did not make much sense in this post. This is a thinking-out-aloud process that accidentally became a post. Inspite of all this, if you have come this far as to read this, don't leave without saying something. Looking forward to reading what you feel about this issue of 'eccentricities and oddities.'