In chapter three Davis once again elaborates on the aspect of Monomania. He mentions many people and stories about them in order to back up his belief and position. He mostly speaks about the founder of Eugenics, Francis Galton. He wrote memiors in which we find out that he was obsessed with putting the events that occured in chronological order. Even though Davis mentions that this form of obsession of hereditary, still it took a big part in Galtons life. Ironically, Davis sort of praises him for his obsessive thoughts because he says without it, Galton would not be the scientist he is known as today.
After reading the chapter and especially the section on Galton I was hit with the reality that OCD is not as bad as many make it seem. For Galton, it benefited him and his specialty. So OCD isnt completely unbearable according to this chapter. Sometimes great things can come of you obsessing over making things perfect or doing your work in a certain way or order. I learned that people deal with OCD is different ways and sometimes it may lead to greatness and in other ways it can become a big burden on ones life.
I agree. OCD, depending on the person, may not be as bad as I formally thought. As you said, it may lead them to greatness, as it did with Galton, or lead them to become a burden, like many of the helpless sufferers of obsessive-compulsive disorder that we read about thus far. I believe that many of the influential people of our time obsessed on certain issues in order to accomplish greatness. Davis’ aspect of monomania shows that when one becomes specialized, obsession either good or bad is highly expected.
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