Years ago, they were called freaks of nature. They were seen at traveling carnivals. They were part of the “menagerie” or “human freak show”. Today, we are more enlightened and civilized and have a little more understanding of the diversity of shapes, sizes and colors of humans. With more than 7 billion people on this planet, it is inevitable that there will be a few odd people here and there. From rare health conditions to odd behaviors, the world’s strangest people are anything but normal, but most of them are absolutely awesome!
“Freakshow”
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“Freakshow”
Abigail and Brittany Hensel – Siamese twins
The Hensel sisters each have their own head and internal organs, but share a body with only one pair of arms and legs. Both girls can read and write normally, but things like eating, walking, driving or playing video games require a little more coordination. Some fun news about the twins: they got a job teaching in a classroom!
Abigail and Brittany Hensel – Siamese twins
Valeria Lukyanova – The human Barbie
“Wow, what a doll!” Wait a minute, is she a doll or is she human? This Ukrainian model became an instant internet sensation when she started posting photos of herself as a “human Barbie”. She claims she is 100 percent natural, apart from her breast implants. It must be pretty hard for her to find shirts that fit properly!
Valeria Lukyanova – The human Barbie
Mohammed Kaleem – the boy with huge hands
When little Kaleem was born, he already had hands that were twice the size of those of a normal baby. But as Kaleem grew, so did his hands. They grew and grew and grew. By the age of 9, his hands weighed more than his head. Fortunately, a doctor was able to reduce the size of Kaleem’s hands from 2014, and he can now even go to school!
Mohammed Kaleem – Young boy with huge hands
Sultan Kösen – The tallest man in the world
Let’s talk about Big Bird. Why didn’t the NBA draft this guy? At 8’3″, Turkey’s Sultan Kösen holds the record for tallest man alive. Unfortunately, he can’t really play basketball; his long bones make it hard for him to run, let alone dunk.
Sultan Kösen – The tallest man in the world
Chandra Bahadur Dangi – The shortest man in the world
For this little guy, who passed away in 2015, a pillow was a nice bed. A sink was his bathtub, a toy dollhouse was a nice home, and dinner lasted him a week. This small but tough Nepalese was the smallest man alive: Dangi was only 1 foot and 10 inches tall. He lived a long, full life and died at the ripe old age of 75.
Chandra Bahadur Dangi – The shortest man in the world
Jyoti Amge – The shortest woman in the world
Women are usually shorter than men, but Jyoti Amge is taller than Dangi was. A rare growth disorder called achondroplasia has limited Jyoti to a petite stature of 2’1″, giving her the claim to fame as the world’s shortest woman. FYI: If you recognize her, it’s because Jyoti appeared in American Horror Story: Freak Show.
Jyoti Amge – The shortest woman in the
Paul Karason – Papa Smurf in real life
“Not far now, my little Smurfs,” said Papa Smurf. Paul Karason was taking colloidal silver to treat a skin condition, but the silver in the over-the-counter medication reacted with sunlight and caused argyria, a condition that turns the skin a dark blue color. His unexpected fame and notoriety prompted the FDA to ban silver in over-the-counter medications. Sadly, Karason passed away in 2013 from a sudden heart attack (which had nothing to do with his argyria).
Paul Karason – Papa Smurf in real life
Yu Zhenhuan – The Human Yeti
And we thought Tom Selleck was hairy! The Chinese Yu Zhenhuan has coarse black hair that covers 96 percent of his entire body. Does he use a big brush or an extra-long comb before he goes on a date? Does his hairdresser charge him extra for a haircut and shave? We certainly don’t envy him in the summer months, but he needs to be warm in winter!
Yu Zhenhuan – The human yeti
Jocelyn Wildenstein – Plastic surgery taken too far
The story goes that Jocelyn caught her husband in bed with a 19-year-old Russian girl. An ugly divorce followed. Jocelyn, who had been addicted to plastic surgery for years, had tried to make her face cat-like, similar to the “big cats” of Africa that her husband supposedly loved. Unfortunately, he opted for a stray rather than a cat. The couple divorced in 1999 after 21 years of marriage.
Jocelyn Wildenstein – Plastic surgery taken too far
Rolf Buchholz – The pierced man
This guy is addicted to piercings and tattoos. When you have more piercings on your body than anyone else in the world, it’s easy to pretend to be a demon or hang from the ceiling. Does Rolf feel pain? Only he himself knows. But he must be very thick-skinned to put up with all those piercings.
Rolf Buchholz – The pierced man
Audrey Horncastle – Professional breast stapler
This story is not yarn! Give Audrey Horncastle a ball of yarn and a pair of knitting needles and she’ll knit you a pair of beautiful breasts that will be the envy of every crocheter on this side of the Atlantic. But Horncastle has a reason for her obsession. She donates these ultra-soft, plush breasts to doctors and midwives so they can teach new mothers how to breastfeed.
Audrey Horncastle – Professional breastfeeder
Zydrūnas Savickas – The strongest man in the world
“You are weak and puny. I am Savickas. I’m as strong as a gorilla.” Savickas currently holds the record for the strongest man in the world. The Lithuanian powerlifter set the record for the deadlift of 1,155 pounds. That’s more than half a ton! And what’s even more amazing? He is constantly working on being able to lift even more. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks his own record!
Zydrūnas Savickas – The strongest man in the world
Asha Mandela – Longest dreads
Asha, Asha, let your hair down. We want to measure those beautiful dreads! Yes, Asha Mandela has the longest dreads we’ve ever seen. “I am a very proud and gifted Empress-Queen,” she said, “I am the black Rapunzel.” (She must also have a very strong neck to carry the weight of her hair around!)
Asha Mandela – Longest dreads
Julia Gnuse – Most tattooed woman
Well, as they say, the body is the canvas. Julia Gnuse, who sadly passed away in 2016, had 96 percent of her entire body covered in ink. Julia originally got a tattoo to hide a skin condition, but it later became her passion. There was probably an interesting story behind every tattoo. To hear them all would certainly have been a marathon!
Julia Gnuse – Most tattooed woman
Lucky Diamond Rich – Most tattooed man
In contrast to Gnuse, this man has not missed a single spot. Lucky Diamond Rich even has tattoos on the inside of his eyelids and mouth (and allegedly even on his foreskin)! We won’t need visual confirmation. We’ll take his word for it. Why he did it … why do people climb Mount Everest? Because they can.
Lucky Diamond Rich – Most tattooed man
Mikel Ruffinelli – The widest hips and the biggest butt in the world
No ifs, ands, or butts. This baby has back, and back, and back, and back, and back. Mikel Ruffinelli’s butt is so big you can put a teapot and cups on it, and she’s proud of it! “I want to have the biggest hips in the world, even if it kills me,” she says. Ruffinelli’s hips measure an incredible 2.5 meters all the way around. Someone should call Sir Mix-a-Lot: That’s how it should be.
Mikel Ruffinelli – The widest hips and the biggest butt in the world
Mandy Sellars – Elephant legs
A rare genetic mutation caused Mandy Sellars’ legs to grow abnormally large. In 2010, one leg had to be amputated just above the knee due to a severe blood infection, but the stump grew and grew and now weighs about 40 pounds itself.Despite everything, Mandy takes it all with humor. She considers herself a “part-time TV personality” after appearing on so many shows, and she uses her influence in the media to raise money and awareness for others with her condition. This is someone with a really positive outlook on life.
Mandy Sellars – Elephant Legs
Patrick Deuel – The heaviest man in the world
Weighing in at 1,126 pounds, Deuel was known as the “half-ton man”. Not exactly the best nickname, most would say, and he didn’t think so. After a hospitalization that required a special ambulance and having to have his bedroom wall removed so he could leave his house, he decided he needed a big change. He underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost well over 700 pounds. Sadly, he passed away in 2016 at the age of 54, but his story has inspired many others to do the same.
Patrick Deuel – The heaviest man in the world
Nick Stoeberl – The longest tongue in the world
That’s not a lizard, man. That’s Nick Stoeberl! Stoeber is the Guinness World Record holder for the longest tongue. He also uses his peculiarity to his advantage: he’s not only good at licking ice cream cones. He even paints with it! That’s right, he even auditioned for America’s Got Talent and drew the judges a picture of a heart-shaped plant. But Simon Cowell called it “stupid” and “a complete waste of time”, so he was kicked off. But he doesn’t need to feel sorry for himself, because he’s a professional model too!
Nick Stoeberl – The longest tongue in the world
Liam Hoekstra – The strongest child alive
When little Liam Hoekstra was doing pull-ups effortlessly at the age of just 3, his parents knew something couldn’t be right. It turned out that he was suffering from a rare genetic myostatin disease called muscle hypertrophy, in which the body rapidly builds muscle while reducing body fat. One day this boy could be a real Superman, but for now he’s just enjoying being a kid. He does wrestle though. Who would want to get in the ring with this kid!
Liam Hoekstra – The strongest child alive
Brooke Greenberg – The girl who never aged
Brooke Greenberg (right), who was born in 1993, has never aged more than a year, neither physically nor cognitively. When she turned eight, she was still the size of a six-month-old baby. Over the course of her life, the family took her to countless specialists and doctors, but no one could provide an accurate explanation as to why Brooke wasn’t aging. Therefore, they named her condition “Syndrome X”, which refers to an extreme developmental delay in patients. Sadly, she passed away in 2013 at the age of 20.
Brooke Greenberg – The girl who never aged
Taylor Muhl – Human chimera
Taylor Muhl is her own twin. No, seriously. The reason for this is what is known as “chimerism”, where one embryo of a pair of fraternal twins dies early in the womb. The surviving twin then absorbs the cells, which means that it has two sets of DNA. In most cases, chimerism has no unusual features, and most chimeras even go completely unrecognized. However, some have features such as different colored eyes or, as in Taylor’s case, two different skin colors. She also struggles with an autoimmune disorder because her body sees the DNA of her deceased twin as “foreign”. But all in all, Taylor seems to remain positive: “I felt free [after the diagnosis] because for the first time in my life I knew why my stomach looked the way it did. Before that, every doctor said that my belly must just be a birthmark … it finally makes sense.”
Taylor Muhl – Human chimera
Amoo Hadji – The dirtiest man in the world
Amoo Hadji is 80 years old and lives in Dezhgah, Iran. He has not bathed for more than 65 years, making him the dirtiest man in the world. It is said that his skin is so dirty that it resembles the tough skin of an elephant. Apart from not washing himself, he has also developed some other unconventional habits, such as smoking animal dung or cooking and eating rotting animal carcasses. He also leads a nomadic lifestyle and often sleeps either in a ditch or in a small brick hut that some locals have built for him. But despite all this, Amoo seems content with his life. He is at one with nature, foraging for food and owning very few possessions that allow him to live a simple life.
Amoo Hadji – The dirtiest man in the world
Whitney Weldon – A living statue
Whitney Weldon is one of around 800 people worldwide with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), one of the rarest genetic diseases in which muscles, tendons and ligaments can ossify if the patient suffers even a minor injury. The patient then has body parts that are completely frozen and therefore unusable. Although there is currently no cure or treatment for FOP patients, there are drugs in the works that could be ready for use in about a year. Whitney first experienced an FOP flare when she was just nine years old – her arm was frozen at a 120-degree angle. She described an episode as an excruciating pain, “like your bones were trying to come out of your skin.” Each time a relapse occurs, the FOP patient simply has to accept that they have lost their mobility and can no longer do certain things they used to do. “You have to get used to all these new normalities,” says Whitney. “You have to grieve for a part of yourself that you can no longer use. And then you have to move on.”
Whitney Weldon – A living statue
Christine Walton – The longest fingernails in the world
The prize for the longest fingernails in the world goes to Christine Walton from Las Vegas, Nevada. In total, her nails measure a ridiculous 19 feet and 9 inches. Walton, who also performs as a singer under the stage name “The Dutchess”, stopped cutting her fingernails in 1990, but she said it was more by accident: “I never made a conscious decision to grow my nails, but with all my kids and musical commitments, I guess it was easier to let them grow. One day I look down and they are ten centimeters long,” she said.
Christine Walton – The longest fingernails in the world
Joey DeGrandis – Photographic memory
There are people with a good memory, and there are people with a highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM). The latter is a condition in which sufferers can remember virtually every moment of their lives, right down to the day of the week. For a long time, Joey DeGrandis thought his ability was just a cool party trick, until he saw a segment on 60 Minutes about people with similar abilities. He finally decided to visit Dr. James McGaugh – a pioneer in HSAM research – on a road trip to California. Today, DeGrandis participates in many studies on HSAM and enjoys meeting others with the condition. There are only about 100 people with HSAM worldwide, and while this may seem like a blessing, the disease can also be seen as a curse in many ways. Jill Price, the first person to be diagnosed with HSAM in 2000, explained that for her it is “non-stop, uncontrollable and totally exhausting”. DeGrandis has also noted that he has developed depression and anxiety, which are likely related to his perfect memory.
Joey DeGrandis – Photographic memory
Zlata – The most flexible woman in the world
Julia Gunthel, who performs under the stage name “Zlata”, is the most flexible woman in the world. She has broken several Guinness World Records, including catching the most roses in one minute in a backward contortion using only her mouth (trust us, you have to see it to believe it). So why is Zlata so damn flexible? Well, aside from hard work and daily training, she also has exceptional ligaments that haven’t hardened with age like most adults do. Doctors have even said that her ligaments are the same as a baby’s. Zlata has said that she hopes to be a contortionist well into her 60s or 70s!
Zlata – The most flexible woman in the world
Julie Matthias – Foreign accent syndrome
After Julie Matthias, a hairdresser from the UK, suffered from a severe migraine in 2011, she noticed a bizarre symptom: she had developed a foreign accent. This condition is known as Foreign Accent Syndrome, and there have only been a handful of cases of it in the last 50 years. Scientists believe that the condition is probably due to mild brain damage. Matthias said of her diagnosis: “It’s just turned my life upside down. It’s devastating. You feel left alone and cut off from the rest of society.
Julie Matthias – Foreign accent syndrome
Sajad Gharibi – ‘The Persian Hulk’
Sajad Gharibi, an Iranian bodybuilder, weighs 390 pounds and looks more like a cartoon character than a real person. When you see him in action, it’s easy to understand why he’s referred to as the ‘Persian Hulk’ as he dwarfs everything around him. Gharibi eats a full English breakfast every morning before heading to the gym to fuel himself for the day. However, his diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Sajad Gharibi ‘The Persian Hulk
María José Cristerna – The Jaguar Woman
Mara José Cristerna, a Mexican lawyer, got her first tattoo at the age of 14. Since then, she has had more than 95 percent of her body tattooed, earning her the title of “most tattooed woman in the world” from the Guinness Book of World Records for her efforts. In addition, Cristerna has transformed her appearance through the use of a forked tongue, subdermal implants, piercings, ear enhancements, tattoos on her eyes, scarification and dental implants. She also owns two tattoo studios and the clothing store Mujeres Vampiro, with which she supplements her income as a criminal defense lawyer (Vampire Women).
María José Cristerna – The Jaguar Woman
Francisco Domingo Joaquin – The widest mouth in the world
The expression “big mouth” takes on a whole new meaning thanks to Francisco Domingo Joaquin. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Joaquin has the ability to open his lips to a width of 7 inches when needed. That means he can fit a full Coca-Cola can inside without breaking a sweat, to put it into context!
Francisco Domingo Joaquin – The widest mouth in the world
Tom Staniford – 0% body fat
Tom Staniford, a professional English cyclist, is one of only eight people in the world who suffer from the very rare myelodysplastic preleukemia (MDP). In order for Staniford’s body to be able to store fat, he needs to have absolutely no fat on his body to survive. Staniford has achieved great success in his para-cycling activities despite suffering from an unusual syndrome.
Tom Staniford 0% body fat
Kim Goodman – Eye-popping
Kim Goodman is the proud owner of a world record that is both remarkable and a little uncomfortable at the same time. Goodman is able to “pop” her eyeballs a full 0.47 inches out of their sockets!
Kim Goodman eye popping
Yekaterina Lisina – The tallest model in the world
With a height of 2 meters and 5 centimeters, the Russian Yekaterina Lisina – professionally known as Ekaterina Lisina – holds the world record as the tallest professional model in the world. Lisina used to be a professional basketball player before starting her modeling career. She has played for various Russian league teams and was a member of the Russian national team that won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Yekaterina Lisina – The biggest model in the world
Michele Kobke – The smallest waist in the world
Michele Kobke holds the world record for the smallest amount of waste. Years of wearing corsets have shrunk Kobke’s waist to an impressive 40.
Michele Kobke – The smallest waist in the world
Ngoc – Three decades without sleep
Another bizarre person living on this earth is called Ngoc. He hasn’t slept at all for about 30 years. Of course, it’s insomnia that keeps him from sleeping, but the strange thing is that he functions almost as normally as most other people. He can also do quite a lot of farm work. It’s true that he needs a bit of medical help, and that’s pretty obvious since not getting any sleep for three decades can cause a lot of physical and emotional problems.
Ngoc – Three decades without sleep
Mehran Karimi Nasseri – living at the airport since 1988
Next on this list is a man, an Iranian refugee named Mehran Karimi Nasseri. He has been living at the airport since 1988. This man has actually taken up permanent residence at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Even the movie Terminal is based on this man’s story because he had no choice but to live there indefinitely because his papers were not in order. He set himself up in the departures area of the airport and is said not to speak much.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri – has lived at the airport since 1988
Yoshiro Nakamatsu – man has been photographing every single meal he eats for 34 years
If you think you are the most enthusiastic person, this man will surely prove you wrong. Nakamatsu has proven that no one can beat him when it comes to enthusiasm. For the past 34 years, he has decided to photograph all the food he eats for rigorous analysis. He has undertaken this endeavor just to make sure his food is well analyzed – strange, isn’t it?
Yoshiro Nakamatsu – man has been photographing every single meal he eats for 34 years
Timothy Dumouchel – Man suing TV company because it made his wife fat and lazy
This man actually sued a TV company for making his wife gain weight. What he argues against the company will both make you laugh and shock you. He said that sitting on the couch for long periods of time and surfing channels was making his wife fat, and that the TV company was responsible for the situation.
Timothy Dumouchel – Man suing TV company because it made his wife fat and lazy
Michel Lotito – Man who can eat anything
A man who can eat anything – Michel Lotito, is someone most people know. This native of Hungary has set records many times and rightly so. He can eat metal, rubber, almost anything and still survive. He has eaten not only cars and bicycles, but an entire airplane. Despite such a strange diet, he has never become seriously ill. This is perhaps because his intestinal line is such that it can resist any kind of poisoning from any kind of food, well, if it can be called food at all.
Michel Lotito – man who can eat anything
Supatra “Nat” Sasuphan – the hairiest girl in the world
Supatra, the hairiest teenager from Thailand, has been diagnosed with a very rare condition that causes hair to grow in places where it normally does not. Although this has sometimes caused her problems, she is no different from anyone else and her condition doesn’t really bother her.
Supatra “Nat” Sasuphan – the hairiest girl in the world
Sanju Bhagat – man with twin living inside him
A farmer from India, Sanju Bhagat, lived his whole life with a bulging belly. Everyone started saying that he was pregnant and teased him. Little did they know that what they were saying was true in a way. When Sanju was 36 years old, he found it difficult to breathe because of his growing stomach. He was then taken to the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai for an emergency surgery. The doctors thought that he might have a tumor, but when they started operating on him, they found that it was a disease of the fetus within a fetus. This is a case of a fetus being trapped inside its twin. So basically, Sanju carried the mutated body of his twin brother for a full 36 years.
Sanju Bhagat – man with twin living inside him
Matayoshi Mitsuo – Japan’s Crazy Christ!
So Japan also has its share of bizarre people with bizarre thoughts. One of these popular personalities is Mitsuo, who says he is Jesus Christ, the Almighty God, and that his teachings will help bring about a new world order.
Matayoshi Mitsuo – Japan’s Crazy Christ!
Carlos “Halfy” Rodriguez (man with half a head)
An accident is responsible for Carlos’ appearance. After crashing through a windshield in a car accident, he landed on this head and shattered the top part of his skull. The accident caused so much damage that doctors had to cut out a large part of his brain to save him, and yes, he’s still alive, which seems like a miracle.
Carlos “Halfy” Rodriguez (man with half a head)
Gary Turner (man with the stretchiest skin)
Gary Turner suffers from an extreme case of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that has weakened his skin. He can stretch his skin extremely, as you may notice in the picture above, which seems impossible for anyone to accomplish. He performs many incredible stunts with his skin that landed him on this list, and is one of the men you probably won’t believe is real.
Gary Turner (man with the stretchiest skin)
Mr. Freeze
Wim Hof is a Dutch world record holder, adventurer and daredevil, commonly nicknamed the Iceman because of his extraordinary ability to withstand sub-zero temperatures. Remember that he once immersed himself in an ice bath for an hour and fifty-two minutes.
Mr. Freeze
Sadhu Amar Bharati
Sadhu Amar Bharati raised his arm for the first time in 1973 in honor of God Shiva and has not put it down since. Many people actually don’t believe that Bharati’s story is true, but it is as true as it gets. This man has kept his hand raised for more than 45 years without putting it down once. Amar Bharati decided about four decades ago to become a Sadhu Indian, which means living a life away from material needs and any unholy activities, in other words, a monk.
Sadhu Amar Bharati
The woman who remembers everything
Jill Price claims to remember everything since she was young, like when she woke up, what she ate, who she met. All of this is in her brain and can be triggered by songs, smells or places. She thinks it’s a curse because since she can’t forget things, it’s a burden on her mind and doesn’t give her much peace of mind.
The woman who remembers everything
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte, the famed French general and emperor, embraced a unique daily ritual—an invigorating cold bath. This eccentric practice was vital to him, enhancing both his physical strength and mental sharpness. Every morning, while others slept, he plunged into icy waters, believing in its rejuvenating effects. His specially designed bathtub symbolized his dedication to this regimen. To Napoleon, this ritual was not routine but a harmonious symphony of mind and body.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, a key figure in America’s early history, held a keen interest in air bathing. He frequently engaged in the practice of sitting unclothed by an open window, convinced that fresh air exposure played a vital role in maintaining optimal health.
Benjamin Franklin
Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I of England had a fondness for sugar, indulging in copious amounts of sugary delights daily such as marzipan, candied fruits, and sugar art. Legend has it that her teeth were severely decayed by the end of her life, necessitating their extraction.
Queen Elizabeth I
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The renowned composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had a tendency to rhythmically tap his foot and emit peculiar sounds during his creative process. Additionally, he would express his delight by engaging in energetic movements such as jumping up and down when satisfied with a specific musical composition.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch artist famous for his vivid and colorful paintings, had an unusual practice of ingesting yellow paint. He was convinced that the color yellow could positively influence his emotions, leading him to occasionally consume small amounts of paint to boost his mood.
Vincent Van Gogh
Charles Darwin
Famous for his theory of evolution, English naturalist Charles Darwin had an odd habit of gathering and categorizing a variety of things, such as seashells, fossils, and bird feathers. He would frequently neglect his other tasks in order to dedicate hours of research and classification to these objects.
Charles Darwin
Marie Curie
The Polish-born physicist and chemist Marie Curie had a habit of always having radioactive test tubes in her pocket. She would frequently utilize these test tubes for her studies, putting herself at risk for radiation exposure.
Marie Curie
Albert Einstein
The renowned mathematician and physicist Albert Einstein has a tendency of not donning socks. Even in chilly weather, he would frequently forgo wearing socks since he thought they were an unnecessary bother.
Albert Einstein
Queen Victoria
An odd habit that Queen Victoria of England had was to always have a piece of bread about her. She would donate it to any beggars she came across on the street or use it to feed the birds in the park.
Queen Victoria
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway, an American writer, wrote while standing up. He even had a special standing desk made for this reason because he felt that writing and thinking more clearly came from this habit.
Ernest Hemingway
Sigmund Freud
The creator of psychoanalysis and an Austrian psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, smoked up to 20 cigars per day. He recommended cigars as a kind of therapy to some of his patients because he felt that smoking improved his ability to think.
Sigmund Freud
Charles Dickens
Every time he finished a book, renowned English author Charles Dickens had a practice of moving furniture around his home. He felt that doing this allowed him to refocus and approach each new assignment with fresh eyes.
Charles Dickens
Ludwig van Beethoven
The German musician Ludwig van Beethoven had an odd practice of dousing himself with cold water before starting to write. He thought that by engaging in this routine, he was able to focus better and stimulate his brain.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Nikola Tesla
The Serbian-American scientist and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla had a tendency of mentally calculating various calculations while he walked and counting his steps. He thought that maintaining his mental acuity and attention came from this practice.
Nikola Tesla
Isaac Newton
The curious practice of English mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton involved pushing down on his eyeball with a metal probe inserted into his eye socket. He thought that by engaging in this exercise, his optic nerve was stimulated and his vision improved.
Isaac Newton
Virginia Woolf
The English author and feminist Virginia Woolf had a habit of writing in a garden shed. She felt that the shed’s seclusion and silence allowed her to concentrate on writing and create her greatest work.
Virginia Woolf
Michelangelo
The Italian Renaissance sculptor and artist Michelangelo had a tendency of working in his bed. He frequently used pillows to support his head and hands when he sculpted and drew while lying down.
Michelangelo
Pythagoras
The Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras had an odd habit of shunning beans. He refused to eat beans and did not permit his disciples to do so because he thought they were a type of evil.
Pythagoras
Edgar Allan Poe
The American poet and writer Edgar Allan Poe often wrote while curled up on a sofa. He thought that having this job allowed him to think more creatively and coherently.
Edgar Allan Poe
Marie Antoinette
The final Queen of France prior to the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, had an odd hobby of collecting little animals. She kept a menagerie of small animals in her private residences, including dogs, cows, and even a giraffe.
Marie Antoinette