����������� Recently I've been reading some books on eccentric people and it has made me think. First what is "eccentric"? Oxford Reference says it is being "unconventional and slightly strange" or "odd or capricious in behavior or appearance". That's a decent definition but doesn't really do it justice. I mean when one thinks of eccentric people, they think of the things that really stand out as being different from the norm. "Unconventional" is too muted, as is "slightly strange. And yes odd is correct, but the guy that always insists on wearing a paisley bowtie is odd, but not always eccentric. Capricious ("given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior"-again from the OED) doesn't really work for me. We've all know people are just impulsive or moody, that's not eccentric at all. So I checked the Oxford English Language Reference to see where the word comes from. There it describes eccentric as "not central or referable to a centre; irregular." Now there's a definition I can go with. Someone who is not at the center (the center being the norm) or even better a person who has no center, which in this case would be that thing in their head that tells them that this isn't how people act; now that's eccentric. Even with "irregular", it gives an idea that it's not just weird but somehow wrong, like that irregular shirt I bought really cheap cause they couldn't sell it in the big name store. If you look how people over history have treated the eccentric, it's usually best with disdain, and at worse they are shunned and looked upon as an outcast and part of the human garbage pile. ����������� So what qualifies someone as eccentric? I mean a guy like Emperor Norton, who declared himself Emperor of the US, made laws, and abolished both the house and senate (sadly, they never followed his orders...), that's definitely an eccentric person. What about that guy that thinks demons are telling him to kill people? Is that eccentric? Or is that just insane? In this case it seems pretty easy to say that's not just eccentric, that's a person who is seriously ill. But where does one draw the line? From my reading, it is my impression that the eccentric actions are judged by the current societal standards. This doesn't qualify as eccentric but it's a good example and something that has always bugged me. When you look at old photographs and paintings of our nation's founders and early leaders as well as religious figures and learned people, you will see that many have long hair, long beards, long goatees, interesting goatees (think Jefferson Davis), huge sideburns (I've been trying to get my brother to grow a "Van Buren" for the longest time), and other pileous (I admit, I used the thesaurus for that word, it just means hairy) growths. Now it's not as bad, but there have been people, and still are some, who think that long hair and beards are messy and unruly and not fit for sophisticated society. Back in the day it apparently was considered ok to grow these things while today certain people just find them abhorrent. So what may be eccentric today, in the future or past may not be perceived as eccentric, I would guess there have been many people who were thought of as eccentric in their time but are seen as visionaries today (more on that later). It is also clear that there are people who start out eccentric and who change over time to something more serious. There have been quite a few eccentrics who in their later life shut themselves up for contamination or other harm. They at some point migrated from just being different to being ill. Though one could look at some disorders that are treated like psychological illnesses and say they are eccentric. Many people who have a phobia or are compulsive at certain activities have been called eccentric, and if this doesn't seriously impair their life, I think it is adequate. Over all eccentricity is in the eye of not just the beholder but the beholder's view of what is acceptable in society. That which oversteps this boundary is eccentric.� ����������� Another question that could be brought up is does the eccentric know that they are perceived as eccentric? Based on the cases I have read about I would think they majority know that they are perceived as unusual. Whether they understand why, I am not totally certain, I do think some understand and like the attention, while others do not and can't understand why everyone doesn't see/do things like they do. Does that have any bearing on the eccentric and their actions? Well since we usually see the actions of the eccentric one could assume they don't care enough to change their actions but that may not be necessarily true. There may be an untold number of people who do try to hide what they think society will shun. I can tell you of a number of people with an accent different from the region they live and try desperately to lose it. So does any of that matter? Again if it doesn't impair the person's state of living then what is the problem? I think that society gets the blame for putting pressure on those who don't conform to their norms and pressuring them to feel wrong when they get by perfectly fine. ����������� When you read though books and anecdotes of eccentrics you find an astonishing number of these people were wealthy (self-made or inherited) or seen as great minds in their field. Name a list of the most prominent scientists, artists, musicians, or writers and you'll find a story somewhere of how they were different. So with the very wealthy, does the wealth bring about eccentric tendencies, or is it the eccentric tendencies that bring about the ability to gain wealth? Well, oddly enough, both seem to take place. Those people born into money (especially the British, Edith Sitwell has a wonderful book on them) many times have been seen by the rest of society and many times their peers as odd. I think a good argument could be made that their wealth let them take advantage of eccentricity. Where if an idea entered my head that would be outside the norm, I usually wouldn't have the time or money to act upon it unless I was very dead-set, many of those born into wealth, especially in the past, had all the time and money they needed so they could build or buy or do just about anything that came to them. Where I may come up with something and just pass on it because I can't afford to do it, they could, on impulse, build that odd house or whatever they fancy. So what about those that have created their wealth through business or other investments? Just looking at the nature of many of these people (eccentric or not) they usually have both a strong drive to do what they want, and an original way of thinking or at least one that is ahead of everyone else. This doesn't mean these people will necessarily be eccentric but it's easy to see how some would turn out so. When they apply these attributes to all areas of their life, combined with the ability to afford to do more than the normal person, it's easy for them to be eccentric. The same attributes are true of inventors and scientists. The great ones have to be able to think of something that no one else has thought of or think of things in way not seen before and have the drive to make that idea reality. So again it's pretty easy to see how people like Edison, Einstein and Tesla, among others, were considered eccentric. They use that unique viewpoint and drive in areas of daily life and you have Edison (I believe) covering all his windows to protect himself from moonbeams at night. The same would also go for people like politicians or in any field. If there is one thing that you can say most eccentrics have in common it's a style of thinking. They seem to be able not just think "outside the box" but think outside the building. Combine that with a strong perseverance and you have the elements to create an eccentric person. I don't want to forget artists, musicians, writers, and all those in the creative endeavors. Again to have the person that creates those great original pieces you need someone who thinks very originally and doesn't mind trying new things, despite what critics say. How many artists, composers, and writers were told by critics in their time their work was horrid only to be seen as a genius years after their death? I don't want anyone to get the impression that I think all these people will naturally turn out to be eccentric, just that the likelihood is higher. ����������� Now this will be much more editorial than the above stuff, so take it as you will. In some ways the argument could be made that today's society is more conformist. Not that past cultures haven't been, I totally understand you were expected to act a certain way and all that. It just seems popularity and societal pressure to be like everyone else is at an all time high. This brought a question to my mind; does a conformist society bring about more or less eccentrics? I don't know. Like I said earlier I could see more people trying to subvert their eccentricities because of societal pressure. But with more conformity it becomes much easier to be eccentric. Just by wearing the wrong brand or style one could be seen as out of step with the norm. Personally I, and it seems many others, applaud and are glad we have those people who are different. They make things interesting. And I definitely can't complain about the achievements many eccentrics have created. I found a quote by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood that really sums up my opinion: "To be called eccentric in this age of conformity is something to be proud of." It really is something to be proud of, to be able to look outside what others say is right or normal. To be able to stand up for your individual desires and thoughts without minding (too much) that some may look upon you poorly. This is so clich�, but we really should celebrate that which makes people different, I can't speak for others, but I want a world with people of different views, different ideas, and different ways of thinking. It adds a wider array of perspectives that we may not have thought about. But that is not to say the non-eccentric is boring or less valuable. By far, the majority of people are not eccentric and they are the ones who run the world. You need that person there that will say that's a great idea, but we can't afford that or it won't sell. Another way to think about it is maybe everyone has a few drops of eccentricity. Most people have their peeves or that one thing that must be done a certain way. In the end maybe that is the best way to look at eccentricity. Not as the �normals� versus the eccentrics, but that everyone is eccentric in their own way and in varying degrees. We are all individuals; we all think differently and act differently from some other people. So next time you see that guy or girl who just seems different or very weird, remember that they have their own unique perspective to contribute to the world. And maybe, just maybe, it's everyone else who�s looking and thinking you're eccentric one.