I am skeptical of the notion of a "genius."
Perhaps in some fields, like mathematics, one occasionally happens upon a person with built-in cognitive hardware that allows prodigious insight. But I have taught innumerable people over the years, and never come across one who does tremendously well out of sheer talent. I have also had the privilege of knowing some who have made great contributions to human knowledge. I find people who love a subject. I find students who read and read and read and, low and behold, they often write extraordinarily well, too. Success is always allied to work, and work to pleasure in learning, from what I can see.
I read the life of Einstein, or of literary "geniuses," or the works of great philosophers, and I find people who love what they do , and never stop asking questions. I don't find people pre-loaded with some supra-mundane mental giftings.
Maybe I'm wrong. In my own discoveries, what I find most helpful, besides omnivorous reading, is a habit of applied double-edged irony. I see both well-developed in some whom the world counts as geniuses. Others, like Madame Curie, Tom Edison, and Jeff Bezos, are at the right place, and apply themselves industriously over many years.
genius to mean is someone with a very high IQ level who has natural talents.
Of course said person with natural talents still have to mold and use them to get them better and more specialized over time.
Without the handwork any 'Gems' that appear are usually from an uninformed perspective.Hello @flexbooth - You are so right It takes hard work and dedication to become at the top of your field
If one doesn't inform themselves on the subject matter at hand then one cannot purport to have the knowledge to be able to add value to their chosen field.
Masterpieces are few and far between,
Savantism is different than Genius and you may see savants in particular areas but you will also find an emotive connection with the areas they excel
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Good post! We are all works in progress. I have come to realize that I need to keep practising to be good at what I do 😉👍🏼
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Talent without work is nothing... I do believe that every single "genius" from the past had something "special", but that doesn't mean that it was something "out of this world"... lol...
Strong will, stubbornness, persistence, working ethics, thinking out of the box...
Nice post. It takes work to get somewhere.Ofcourse if you find that you are talented within a field, it can ease the process of learning and understanding and make you great at what you do.
I agree with you to a point. The geniuses we remember do generally have a certain "gift" and then, through rigorous training/practice/improvement reach heights that most people cannot attain. On the other hand, some "gifted" geniuses do not apply themselves in order to rise above the masses. They enjoy their "gift" to the extent they use it, but do not attempt progress to the level they could have if they had applied themselves.
I only say this because I feel I have a certain "gift" that I enjoy when I partake of it. My "gift" was recognized and, to a certain extent, celebrated when I was a child. Had I applied myself in pursuing this "gift", there is a possibility I could have gained some notoriety (nothing is certain in this world). However, that was not where my interests were at the time. Looking back, I sometimes wonder how my life would have been different has I applied myself in that area. However, I still enjoy my "gift" when I use it.
So, I guess my question is, does "genius" require notoriety? Does application and/or advancement of your "gift" factor into being a genius? Or is it just being better than just about everybody else at whatever your talent is?
This is not only an interesting and well written post but also thought provoking. Many would describe or argue that a Genius would be someone being born with a natural ability or rare talent or skill. However I do believe that we are all born with natural gifts of some sort but to be born a Genius? I think not. I think a Genius is born after a period of time through self discipline and dedication to thier chosen subject or craft.
You make some good points. We are not born with knowledge so even if you are a genius you still have to learn and study. I'm pretty sure no one has ever been born all knowing although there are some savants that pick things up really fast and thrive at them.
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