Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

[Steve]

A condition presented in the novel Soon I Will Become Invincible as the tendency of very smart people to become villains.

 

I have to admit, this illness could make a great plot hook. Imagine if it was due to an imbalance of brain chemistry treatable with drugs.

 

What if the gadgeteer of the PC group used to be a villain, but he's all right now (as long as he takes his meds each day).

 

Even better, imagine if Doctor Destroyer had this condition? Every now and then, if he's defeated and forced into treatment, he becomes good instead of evil.

 

However, I could see something happening for each of these two examples like what happens to people taking anti-depression meds, "I feel fine now, so I don't need to take them anymore."

[sbarron]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

I kind of assumed that there was something about being that smart that just made them evil. So if there were pills that cured them of the evil, they'd have to lose the super-smarts. They could still be really smart, as smart as most heroes, anyway. But the truly evil genius plots, scams, escapes, and equipment would then be beyond them. Of course, on the plus side, they also wouldn't have to blurt out there plan to anyone who would listen.

 

And if you knew that you could be smarter if you stopped taking your pills, how long could you stay on them? Would you be tempted to take a few days off to figure out some problem that's bugging you? It'd be so, so easy...

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

At least in the novel, there wasn't really a treatment for it. They just locked you up until you escaped again.

 

Look at it from their point of view. Here you are, literally dozens of times smarter than all but a select few people in the world. While they fumble around trying to make correct change and try to remember if they should put pickles on the burger or not, you're plotting orbits in your head and cracking the veil between dimensions. In a world of sheep, why shouldn't you be the shepherd?

 

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And you've got x-ray thermal enhancing telescopic goggles.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Science Related Memetic Disorder, OTOH, is treatable, though a mix of psychiatry and medication.

[Publius]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

At least in the novel, there wasn't really a treatment for it. They just locked you up until you escaped again.

 

Look at it from their point of view. Here you are, literally dozens of times smarter than all but a select few people in the world. While they fumble around trying to make correct change and try to remember if they should put pickles on the burger or not, you're plotting orbits in your head and cracking the veil between dimensions. In a world of sheep, why shouldn't you be the shepherd?

 

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And you've got x-ray thermal enhancing telescopic goggles.

Sing it Brother!

 

I totally agree with this. Intelligent people make their own rules, about politics, sex and social norms so why not about conventional morality as well? Someone truly hyperintelligent would perhaps enjoy playing the game of the simple ape-creatures that surround them, but for how long? Frustration alone should drive them to conquer the planet. Schmucky the clown and the cast of simpletons in charge? Give me the Destructo-Ray.

 

Plus we all know that superheroes are just authoritarian bullies in tights with issues. Batman is driven by his psychological flaws to do things, not his native intellect. Without that, he may have been the Lex Luthor or Ras a Gul(sp) model, and outdone them all if he were strongly motivated enough.

[nexus]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

A condition presented in the novel Soon I Will Become Invincible as the tendency of very smart people to become villains.

 

I have to admit, this illness could make a great plot hook. Imagine if it was due to an imbalance of brain chemistry treatable with drugs.

 

What if the gadgeteer of the PC group used to be a villain, but he's all right now (as long as he takes his meds each day).

 

Even better, imagine if Doctor Destroyer had this condition? Every now and then, if he's defeated and forced into treatment, he becomes good instead of evil.

 

However, I could see something happening for each of these two examples like what happens to people taking anti-depression meds, "I feel fine now, so I don't need to take them anymore."

 

It could be nicknamed Angry Nerd Syndrome or Geek Rage.

 

On a more serious note, I think there would have to be something more to it since there are super smart heroes and neutral figures in most comic book world, for example Reed Richards and Tony Stark (ignoring Civil War). Maybe more of a tendency towards villainy, genius vs madness and all that.

[MilkmanDan]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

It's an interesting idea, and you can stretch somewhat to real-world parallels. Look at how many great artists have had problems with drug addiction or mental illness; many times, true genius manifests itself by screwing up somebody's normality.

 

You could have a supervillain desperately trying to good, but getting frustrated because he just KNOWS if he wasn't on his Cognizix he'd be able to do his taxes in no time, so he just skips that one dose on April 15. Then he needs to help his kid with his homework, so he skips another one, and next thing you know he's building a death-ray satellite in his basement and plotting to take over Lithuania.

[nexus]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

It's an interesting idea, and you can stretch somewhat to real-world parallels. Look at how many great artists have had problems with drug addiction or mental illness; many times, true genius manifests itself by screwing up somebody's normality.

 

You could have a supervillain desperately trying to good, but getting frustrated because he just KNOWS if he wasn't on his Cognizix he'd be able to do his taxes in no time, so he just skips that one dose on April 15. Then he needs to help his kid with his homework, so he skips another one, and next thing you know he's building a death-ray satellite in his basement and plotting to take over Lithuania.

 

A long time ago I read a short story with a similar premise. It wasn't superheroic but the concept was similar. The protagonist had sociopathic mental disorder that was only connected to his extreme intelligence. He took meds to suppress it and desperately wanted to stay on them but a crisis arose where his intelligence (and ruthless mindset) were needed. I can't remember author or title though. :-/

[OddHat]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

I think Geek Rage is probably the best description. (Can't rep you again yet, Nexus).

 

Plenty of people are genuinely gifted or superbly educated in one area (math, music, physics, etc), while at the same time being emotional basket cases. Worse, they assume that their expertise and insight in their field gives them similar insight into all fields, including psychology and human relations (most people overestimate their abilities outside of their own fields, overachievers even more so than underachievers). You end up with smart people confidently reaching moronic conclusions. Add in the objective evidence that other humans they meet aren't nearly as able in the genius' skill area and good old childhood bullying, and complete contempt for your fellow humans isn't much of a stretch.

 

Most of us are lucky enough to learn how to make healthy connections with other people and get past adolescent anger at the world; comic book mad geniuses (and some web board posters) never manage it.

[teh bunneh]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Plenty of people are genuinely gifted or superbly educated in one area (math' date=' music, physics, etc), while at the same time being emotional basket cases. Worse, they assume that their expertise and insight in their field gives them similar insight into all fields, including psychology and human relations [/quote']

 

It's teh intarwebs!

[OddHat]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

It's teh intarwebs!

 

Yes, yes it is.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

It's an interesting idea, but personally I find the disease idea... well, like I said, interesting. But unsatisfying.

 

Now, could some crook out there *say* that this was the case? Certainly - everybody loves a good insanity defense, and when you're arguing that you were insane when you built that robot that took out a good chunk of Manhattan, I think most people would agree... you're just arguing it as a legal defense because you couldn't help yourself.

 

Further, even without that sort of intent, given the large *number* of highly dangerous, highly intelligent villains, I'm sure that there's a good number of shrinks out there who'd suggest the possibility, especially in an environment where coming up with a new "syndrome" can be worth millions.

 

But personally... to me, at least the vast majority of the villains must have made the choice. Maybe it's a defensible choice, especially in their minds, but *they made it*. After all... how smart are you, really, if you can't come up with a way to rationalize taking the world over from some of the yahoos currently in charge?

 

(And the sad thing is... I think that last sentence will remain perfectly topical any time you look at it in the next 40-50 years.... *sighs*)

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Batman is driven by his psychological flaws to do things' date=' not his native intellect. Without that, he may have been the Lex Luthor or Ras a Gul(sp) model, and outdone them all if he were strongly motivated enough.[/quote']

 

If Bruce Wayne hadn't been severely traumatized as a child, right now he'd be serving 45 days in jail for violating his parole and driving drunk (again) on a suspended license (again). And crying that it's not right.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

If Bruce Wayne hadn't been severely traumatized as a child' date=' right now he'd be serving 45 days in jail for violating his parole and driving drunk (again) on a suspended license (again). And crying that it's not right.[/quote']

 

Possibly not. His parents were noted philanthropists and had a very strong ethic of civic responsibility. They might well have cut him off long before it got to that point.

[sinanju]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

A long time ago I read a short story with a similar premise. It wasn't superheroic but the concept was similar. The protagonist had sociopathic mental disorder that was only connected to his extreme intelligence. He took meds to suppress it and desperately wanted to stay on them but a crisis arose where his intelligence (and ruthless mindset) were needed. I can't remember author or title though. :-/

 

Sounds like Larry Niven. In his future history the ARM are the "tech police" and they use people who are clinically paranoid to man the organization. They use drugs to stabilize them when they're off duty. In one (relatively recent) short story a retired ARM and some friends are aware of the discovery of the Kzinti (aggressive, militaristic catlike aliens) and fear that earth--which is living through a golden age of peace and prosperity--will be utterly unprepared when the Kzinti come calling.

 

So the ex-ARM holes up, stops taking his anti-psychotic drugs and begins planning how to deal with first the Kzinti, and then with the humans--the blind, treacherous, untrustworthy humans who DON'T UNDERSTAND! Clearly, he must first overthrow the existing order who are out to get him....

 

Eventually he wakes up sane again (his friends having planned for this eventuality), but the plan worked. They've got LOTS of useful ideas for dealing with the Kzinti when/if they show up. As they do.

[transmetahuman]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

It's an interesting idea, and you can stretch somewhat to real-world parallels. Look at how many great artists have had problems with drug addiction or mental illness; many times, true genius manifests itself by screwing up somebody's normality.

 

You could have a supervillain desperately trying to good, but getting frustrated because he just KNOWS if he wasn't on his Cognizix he'd be able to do his taxes in no time, so he just skips that one dose on April 15. Then he needs to help his kid with his homework, so he skips another one, and next thing you know he's building a death-ray satellite in his basement and plotting to take over Lithuania.

 

How about this scenario: a medicated ex-supervillain approaches the heroes with a plan to deliberately, temporarily go off his meds, incarcerated and watched 24-7 by the heroes, with the intent of developing a cure that doesn't reduce his intelligence...

[nexus]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Sounds like Larry Niven. In his future history the ARM are the "tech police" and they use people who are clinically paranoid to man the organization. They use drugs to stabilize them when they're off duty. In one (relatively recent) short story a retired ARM and some friends are aware of the discovery of the Kzinti (aggressive, militaristic catlike aliens) and fear that earth--which is living through a golden age of peace and prosperity--will be utterly unprepared when the Kzinti come calling.

 

So the ex-ARM holes up, stops taking his anti-psychotic drugs and begins planning how to deal with first the Kzinti, and then with the humans--the blind, treacherous, untrustworthy humans who DON'T UNDERSTAND! Clearly, he must first overthrow the existing order who are out to get him....

 

Eventually he wakes up sane again (his friends having planned for this eventuality), but the plan worked. They've got LOTS of useful ideas for dealing with the Kzinti when/if they show up. As they do.

 

That does sound very familiar. Thanks!

[Mister E]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

As I understand it, Doc Savage liked to do brain surgery on villains to fix them. I can't confirm this, however, because currently I can't handle finishing the first page of any of his stories. One day...

[Comic]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

The Shadow, too. Well, in the movie.

 

The original was much nastier.

[McCoy]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

As I understand it' date=' Doc Savage liked to do brain surgery on villains to fix them. I can't confirm this, however, because currently I can't handle finishing the first page of any of his stories. One day...[/quote']

Yep. Which is why I'm seriously considering making him a super-villian in my my campagine history.

 

To be fair, most of the stories were written in the 30's, when progress on psychatry made "curing" crime appear to be a possibility. It was only after the Nazi medical experiments became public knowledge that it went from humane to creepy.

[Mister E]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Yep. Which is why I'm seriously considering making him a super-villian in my my campagine history.

 

To be fair, most of the stories were written in the 30's, when progress on psychatry made "curing" crime appear to be a possibility. It was only after the Nazi medical experiments became public knowledge that it went from humane to creepy.

 

No fairness needed. It's cool, and I like it. Reminds me of Ras Thavas, the Mastermind of Mars; a character I'm super fond of (ERB I can read quite well ).

 

A villain you say?

[JimLotFP]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Someone truly hyperintelligent would perhaps enjoy playing the game of the simple ape-creatures that surround them' date=' but for how long? Frustration alone should drive them to conquer the planet. Schmucky the clown and the cast of simpletons in charge? Give [b']me[/b] the Destructo-Ray.

 

Plus we all know that superheroes are just authoritarian bullies in tights with issues. Batman is driven by his psychological flaws to do things, not his native intellect. Without that, he may have been the Lex Luthor or Ras a Gul(sp) model, and outdone them all if he were strongly motivated enough.

 

Yeah, I just re-read Watchmen yesterday, seems to fit right in with this.

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Something to note is that values exist along a separate axis from intellect. In other words, you don't have to be smart to be good, and you don't have to be smart to be evil, so whatever is true of being smart isn't something that indexes or scales with whether one is also good or evil.

 

People who are really smart in the way you describe, and who do the villainy you describe, seem to think that they can redesign morality the same way they can redesign whatever it is they're knowledgeable about (i.e., some branch of science or engineering). They think that morality is a species of reasoning. There are certainly philosophers who thought this, but most people seem to find their real moral intuitions more deeply embedded than that.

 

If so, the bad guy can mistakenly believe that morality is just a species of reason, and good guys can be every bit as intelligent in principle as the bad guys if you want. I say that for every Reed Richards there's should be a Victor von Doom. One need not take this view, but I think the most compelling SF I've read is the stuff by Strazcinsky and Card that suggests that all our science and technology have (will) ultimately done is innovate new ways to carry out old motivations--our flaws and virtues remain what they've always been.

 

That said, I like the idea of the intelligence being granted by some mental malfunction that meds fix, and that that malfunction influences the character to evil in the ways described. It's a great setup I think I may adopt at some point, but I think the person in question always had a little evil in them if they become clearly evil when they gain power.

[Comic]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

... you don't have to be smart to be good' date=' and you don't have to be smart to be evil, ...[/quote']

 

Yet by the same sad token, it takes no brains at all to point at others and call them evil for simply holding some different views than one's own, while no amount of intellect it seems will prevent one from falling into the same trap.

 

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

[Mister E]

Re: Malign Hypercognition Disorder (MHD)

 

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

 

"Shame upon him who thinks evil of it."