Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
A First-Rate Madness summary
Nassir Ghaemi
Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness
16 mins
Topics
Table of Contents
A First-Rate Madness
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
Some mental illnesses may improve leadership abilities.
Mental illness is serious. In its most extreme forms, it can be devastating for those who have it and their loved ones. Furthermore, a social taboo still surrounds mental illness. That may explain why some people experiencing mental illness are ashamed and try to hide it.
However, the author believes that some forms of mental illness involve abilities that are otherwise inaccessible to the rest of the population.
Specifically, the author has two mental illnesses in mind: major depressive disorder – commonly called depression – and bipolar disorder. They each foster important character traits.
For instance, let’s consider someone who’s faced depression. Depression is a disorder that affects the mood and leads to feelings of sadness. It can also reduce motivation and interest in the world. However, it often means that someone who experiences it is more empathic than average since he’ll have experience and understanding of sadness.
People who’ve not suffered from depression might be able to conceive of the experience of severe depression, but it’s not the same as having been through it. And if you’ve managed to come through it, then you may have a better grasp of the struggles of the human experience.
Bipolar disorder is somewhat different. People who have it may rapidly oscillate in their moods between mania and depression. It can make them more spontaneous. However, those high levels of energy and heightened moods are balanced with deep lows of depression.
Also – and we’ll return to these in later blinks – this means bipolar-disorder personalities often look at things from non-standard perspectives. They are able to imagine creative solutions to problems that someone who hasn’t experienced bipolar disorder would find hard to conceive.
Both of these disorders also occur in “milder” forms. Dysthymic personality disorder is associated with depressive types, while hyperthymic personality disorder corresponds with bipolar disorder.
People with dysthymic personalities lead their lives in a constant state of mild depression, which may culminate in several depressive episodes over the course of a lifetime. Dysthymic personalities are often empathic and deep thinkers.
Hyperthymic personalities are often bursting with energy and creativity. They are charming and without fear. They are, essentially, in a constant state of mild mania.
Now that we’ve gotten an overview of these disorders, let’s look at some of the most influential leaders of recent decades with dysthymic and hyperthymic personalities.
Want to see all full key ideas from A First-Rate Madness?
Key ideas in A First-Rate Madness
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is A First-Rate Madness about?
A First-Rate Madness (2011) argues that some of the world’s most effective leaders were able to achieve such heights because of their experiences with mental illness. Conversely, the book makes the argument that while mentally healthy leaders may succeed when the world is running smoothly, their mental health actually inhibits their leadership abilities in times of upheaval.
Who should read A First-Rate Madness?
- Psychology students
- Politics students
- History students
Categories with A First-Rate Madness
Books like A First-Rate Madness
The Cask of Amontillado
Edgar Allan Poe
A Dark Romantic Tale of Revenge, Deceit, and Murder
13 min
4.1
The Myth of Normal
Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté
Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture
20 min
4.6
Hardwiring Happiness
Rick Hanson
The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence
18 min
4.4
Hold on to Your Kids
Gordon Neufeld & Gabor Maté
Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers
16 min
4.5
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked
Start growing with Blinkist now
28 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers