Fortune Cookie Friday: What Is A Genius?
What is a genius? Some people think it is a person with a high IQ. Lots of geniuses have excellent knowledge in their fields, but there is more to being a genius than intelligence.
Now, I’m not a genius, but I have known many intelligent people who I thought fit the bill but failed due to their inability to switch gears, work under pressure, or delve deeper into a subject.
Many people are talented enough to pivot when the stakes are high and love the challenge but are average in intellect.
Talent alone won’t always get you to genius status. 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer stated, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see,” It takes both intelligence and talent even to come close to genius level.
Geniuses go searching for ideas that lead to questions. From there, they investigate every rabbit hole, discovering solutions to problems many people weren’t aware of.
There was an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun (“Auto Eurodicka,” 3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 2, Episode 15) where the extraterrestrial commander Dr. Dick Solomon reads a passage from Fox in Socks. After saying the tongue-twisting section aloud, he glances at the front cover, returns to the page he was reading, and states, “This man is a genius.”
Is Dr. Seuss really a genius? Perhaps. Geniuses come in many forms. Not all are scientists like Albert Einstein. Some are artists like Leonardo da Vinci and some are writers like Shakespeare.
There are similar traits and characteristics that appear to define a genius.
Curiosity
The inquisitive mind is always searching, and it’s no wonder that a genius would turn over every stone to see what lies beneath. They may not always find the answers, but sometimes inquiry is about finding the right question.
Creativity
Not all problems can be solved head-on. Thinking outside the box can help us see a problem from a different perspective. Geniuses tend to be abstract thinkers and find solutions hidden from those with a narrow focus.
Risk-takers
It takes a special personality to set off on an adventure into the unknown, even if it’s intellectual. Usually motivated by their curiosity, geniuses dare to seek answers in unlikely places and accept failure simply as a wrong solution.
Perhaps there is a genius in each of us waiting to surface. If we study hard, remain curious and open-minded, and venture forth with gusto, we can be the next Milton Friedman or Marie Curie. Do you have it in you to do the work?
