What do you think.. If you get creative, get confident that you can change something, tried something new, etc you are called manic.
But if you don't do all these you are a sheep..
You are right. No matter how you behave there will always be someone out there who doesn't like you way you are. We all have our own different perspectives of others and how we think the world should be, it's impossible to please everyone at once. Ticking the boxes in 1 persons eyes might cross them all out in anothers...
For example: The people who call you manic for trying to make a change are likely collectivists; they believe in conformity and "group think", so naturally standing out is seen as a threat to their conformity and why they label you as being mentally ill, because anything or anyone that challenges social conventions is seen as wrong. Like wise those that call you a sheep are probably individualists; they put a strong emphasis on "going your own way doing your own thing" - being your own self. They see your refusal to stand out as trying to fit in, and that goes against their beliefs.
I wonder if all the successful people did have hypomania and found a way to success during that period.
I kind of agree with this. Yes there are successful people who have mental health issues, but there also a lot of people out there who have these same problems and are not successful. There's many factors which can determine if someone "makes it" in this world. Sure hypomania might have helped said successful people but, like you said, it was in a specific period of their lives so it's more of a case of them being in the right place, at the right time. If they weren't there at a good time it wouldn't matter either way if they were bipolar or not. I hope I've understood you correctly?
