GreyWolf

Genius and great talent is often a difficult burden. A study of Mensa members in New York city found a highly disproportionate number of cab drivers among their members. The explanation given was that many highly gifted people find it difficult to interact with "lesser" intelligences on a socially significant basis. They cannot cope with the effort of "thinking down" to the level of we normal mortals. They become socially withdrawn and somewhat "odd" in many cases. As a cab driver, they are able to have gainful employment, and interact with many different people each day, albeit on a merely superficial level. The variety of topics they can discuss is more stimulating to them than the focus of a daily grind, but requires no real depth of interaction.

So genius and talent is a burden. So what? So is poverty. So are physical limitations. So is political oppression. And so on and so on. Allowing the likes of Polanski, or any other great talent or mind, to excuse their failings/crimes because of that is an incredible insult and disservice to the vast majority of people suffering similar burdens who deal with it and become decent, honest, law-abiding citizens.

The efforts of the talented stand alone. Their works are what they are. Their actions also stand separate, and must be judged as their actions alone, not in reference to anything else they may have created.

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The secret to great marksmanship is deciding what the target was AFTER you've shot.