What Marshall's saying here is important. However, I don't think he said it as well as he could have, or as well as the topic deserves. I go through similar (if

What Marshall's saying here is important. However, I don't think he said it as well as he could have, or as well as the topic deserves. I go through similar (if less extreme) cycles, and the depressive state can be debilitating. I looked at this as a serious affliction and set about "curing" myself about a year ago. I was ultimately successful after about a few months of concerted effort, at which point I became mediocre and may have blown my chances at moving directly to Stanford next year. I've since reverted (because I couldn't take how bad I felt that I was subjectively accomplishing so little), and am in the process of studying this personality type to try and find a better answer. I think I'll draft an analysis myself in response to Marshall's and submit it if it comes out decently. Out of curiosity (and to satisfy my hopeful hunch), are there many other HN users with behavioral patterns like this? I'm hoping to find similarly impassioned individuals on my way out towards Palo Alto/Stanford.