Psychologist Dr. David Weeks mentions people with a mental illness "suffer" from their behavior while eccentrics are quite happy.[6][7] He even states eccentrics are less prone to mental illness than everyone else.
According to studies, there are eighteen distinctive characteristics that differentiate a healthy eccentric person from a regular person or someone who has a mental illness (although some may not always apply). The first five are in most people regarded as eccentric:[6]
- Nonconforming attitude
- Idealistic
- Intense curiosity
- Happy obsession with a hobby or hobbies
- Knew very early in his or her childhood they were different from others
- Highly intelligent
- Opinionated and outspoken
- Unusual living or eating habits
- Not interested in the opinions or company of others
- Mischievous sense of humor
