My Philosophy on Genius
Updated: Mar 28
(For an earlier work on intelligence, click here)
A genius can be considered a person who is exceptionally good in one or more fields. A person who is exceptionally talented in many fields is considered a polymath. Regardless of the definition I just gave, there is no universal consensus on what a genius is.
Of course, I'm referring to the noun and not the adjective. The adjective is synonymous with brilliant (and in Hebrew as well).
Some may believe that a genius is someone with a high IQ. This is not necessarily true because one can be a genius in fields that are irrelevant to IQ tests. Thus, we can conclude that IQ tests are insufficient when it comes to testing our intelligence. I'm saying this as someone who scored around 130 as a kid. It doesn't really matter to me anymore.
There are several misconceptions about what it means to be a genius. For example, a genius is not necessarily someone who can't make dumb mistakes. Walter White from "Breaking Bad" can be seen as a genius scientist, but he made some unwise choices that could have cost him his life as a criminal. His mathematical mind couldn't stop him from making choices that were far more irrelevant to the fields he was an expert in.
Emotional and social intelligence are also important for those who want to achieve their goals in life. A genius is not necessarily exceptional in either of those categories. In my experience, many people prefer a nicer tone than an important message when communicating. And without sufficient emotional intelligence, you may find it difficult to understand others.
Being exceptional in a field does not guarantee you will live long and prosper. If that field has less demand in society, you might have to find a job you dislike that has greater demand. For example, since there is a decreasing demand for books in the world, I moved to blogging.
As I said before, there is no universal definition of genius. Even if you consider yourself a genius, it doesn't mean it will be wise for you to mention it, constantly or at all.
In my opinion, genius is simply a display of excellent merit in one or more fields. Many people are considered geniuses for that principle alone. I do wonder if it is possible to be a genius without its display. However, I think it is possible, which then makes genius hidden by default. Can something exist without anyone's awareness? Like a supernova occuring in another galaxy, hidden from the detection of astronomers -- of course it does.
Some people are attracted to intellect. They are called sapiosexuals. However, some people might not even entertain the idea that someone in the same room is more intelligent than them. Therefore, it may be wise to not brag about your intelligence, if you seek to expand your connections.
In my experience, a display of intellect seems to make people feel threatened, even if they are not in danger. As a result, they might attempt to retaliate against you in order to "defend" themselves. In philosophy, that possibility might as well be inevitable, because philosophizing is impossible without intellect (or the ability to think in a complex way).
A genius might not be rich, just because he's a genius. In some cases, you might not even need to be a genius in order to be rich. If you are able to think like your customers think, then you may be better able to serve them. I would not say that being a genius is a necessity for that.
I don't believe that every genius is born with high intelligence. I think that we can achieve great things without being born with a high IQ. It takes time and practice. I started writing philosophical texts in 2013, and they were quite poor, I think. If I hadn't spent years practicing, I would be a much poorer philosophy writer today. My original book, which I call "Book Zero," will probably never be published. I see it as an early exercise in my craft.
Please note that I never called myself a genius in this article, nor did I imply that I am. Others may see me as one, but I see little reason to adopt this title. A title that is counter-intuitive and cannot be properly defined is probably unwise to claim. If I cannot find a proper way to confirm whether it is correct or not, then I prefer to avoid it. I prefer to avoid it because I dislike deceiving others (and myself).
In general, it is unwise to say that you are wise. Those who say they are are either naive or don't care about external reactions. Somehow, anything related to intellect is nowadays seen as arrogant. However, in some cases, like my own, it is nothing more than a stereotype.
If you want to achieve your goals in life, focus on the things that are functional to your cause. Genius or not, it does not matter for that end. Actors may need a lot of emotions in order to do their jobs well. In my job, I don't require much of it.
Some people may like being regarded as geniuses, and their followers may also like attributing this title to them. Mothers and fathers may be proud when they receive social validation regarding the intellect of their children.
I just philosophize because I want to contribute to the world and make philosophy more relevant.
Mr. Nathan Lasher's Feedback
True geniuses are humbled by it and don’t feel the need to brag but are always willing to use their intelligence to help someone.
True geniuses are also possessing incredible amounts of polymathy. Don’t even require learning multiple things. Can pretty easily connect anything together despite knowing much about it.
Being a genius and being unaware of it makes you stupidly intelligent. It kind of randomly surfaces and makes you seem really out of character so people don’t put much stock in what your saying.
Genius, and being aware of it, commands a certain degree of authority. I don’t feel the need to go out and tell the world about it. I find it better to just put myself out there so people can become aware of it on their own terms.
Actions speak louder than words so if your actions are pure then you have nothing to worry about and do not give into your ego while doing it. Be humble and partially depersonalized.
Remember it might be in your body but it isn’t you that is making you do anything spectacular. It’s all a result of your genetics giving you the intelligence that it did. Stay humble and just admire the wonderful things it is capable of.
Best advice I can suggest is to market the presence of your genius/ intelligence, through your actions, to let others become aware of it. Do not advertise it.
When you build a healthy ego you can learn to fully appreciate your own genius and truly start to see what it is capable of.
Enjoy some sources:
2024 EDIT: A Quote by Mr. John Duran, for you to ponder on:
