What is 'Genius'?

What is genius? Is it an individual fluent in many languages that are man-made? Maybe it is an individual who understands the complexities of the pseudo-language of Mathematics? Or is it someone who understands something we cannot prove like Science.

I believe genius does not come from the mind. No, I believe it comes from the heart and soul. Poets, Philosophers, critical thinkers that weren't content with the world they lived in and were dedicated to change the way people saw it.

Sure, you can be smart in market skills like Math, Science, or even Medicine, but that doesn't necessarily make you a genius. You could have the most powerful brain in the world and it wouldn't matter if you didn't have a heart.

Think about it.

[edit on 1-8-2009 by Bushido Kanji]

I agree.

A genius for me is someone who does something that has never been done before.
Does something, not because they can, but because they want to.

Anyone can bury their head in a book and learn all there is to know about any given subject. Those people haven't got great genius, just great memory.

A genius should never make you feel insignificant, but the complete opposite.
They should inspire and delight.

IQ has nothing to do with genius.

To me, my interpretation of a genius would be a person, who knows how to take what they know, and through creative thought, and extrapolation, incorporate that knowledge, for their own purposes, with a guile and tact few others posses.

Genius is 1/10th inspiration, 9/10ths perspiration.

[edit on 31/7/2009 by reticledc]

reply to post by LiveForever8


You know something? You are absolutely right.

A genius inspires, bottom-line.

Great men like Shakespeare, Michelangelo, and just about anyone from the Renaissance inspire people like you and me to do great things when the rest of the world thinks you cant because you aren't book smart.

Shakespeare is one of my greatest inspirations, as well as Edgar Allen Poe.

An important consideration to me when I think of 'genius' is someone who is skilled in virtually all areas, not just one. For instance, a brilliant writer who can't grasp basic math, or a clever scientist who can't string two sentences together are probably not geniuses, even if they are very smart.

Genius? For me a genius is someone who not only knows and understands all the information, in which they choose to take part in, but understands it quiet easily. Then they will take that understanding and push past the boundaries of modern thought. Such as Tesla. I believe everyone has genius in them. All it takes is an interest pushed by passion. A passion so great that, well, people will usually think your nuts.

[edit on 31-7-2009 by Conclusion]

[edit on 31-7-2009 by Conclusion]

reply to post by Bushido Kanji


Shakespeare is the man!

Someone who is a genius must definitely influence others. You can usually tell the genius of an individual by what comes after them.

He seemed to influence a wide range of people in all manner of subjects.

Shakespeare influenced novelists such as Thomas Hardy, William Faulkner, and Charles Dickens. Dickens often quoted Shakespeare, drawing 25 of his titles from Shakespeare's works.

The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud drew on Shakespearean psychology, in particular that of Hamlet, for his theories of human nature.

Mozart is another one. True genius.
And who did he influence......Beethoven!

Genius begat genius.

"He was not of an age, but for all time."
Ben Jonson said that of Shakespeare. It applies to all Geniuses if you ask me.

reply to post by LiveForever8


Everyone has some sort of inspiration, whether they consciously know it or not. And it doesn't have to be someone as great as Mozart or Shakespeare, it can be someone you love, the beauty of nature,a nd even the horrors of death and war.

There are many different people that are genius in their own way, whether it be humorous and symbolic like Shakespeare, or dark and gothic like Anne Rice and other Macabre writers.

And you cannot forget the transcendentalists.

There are geniuses in every generation, they just may not get the recognition they deserve. Maybe it is best that way. The world isn't always ready for change.

reply to post by Conclusion


Exactly, there are some people that don't want another person to change the way they view life, so they label them as crazy or even a traitor like that man who went against the Catholic Church..

His name escapes me...it is quite embarrassing.

reply to post by Bushido Kanji


Are you thinking of Luther perhaps?

reply to post by LiveForever8


I am not to sure about the a genius must influence others... I think that a lot of genius's do influence others, but i do not think it is a prerequisite.

Originally posted by Conclusion
reply to post by Bushido Kanji

 

Are you thinking of Luther perhaps?

No.

Heh, now that I think about it there are a lot of people that went against the Catholic Church, so I apologize for my vagueness. He was imprisoned, if I am not mistaken, for his theory of the Earth not being the center of the Universe, which caused people to rethink about the Heavens.

reply to post by Bushido Kanji


Galileo?

reply to post by Conclusion


Why not?

How many geniuses can you mention that have not influenced anyone?

Ok, i agree it is more a by product of genius, but for me its an important way of highlighting what that certain individual achieved.

a genius is a person who has the inherent ability to see something clearly and then communicate it clearly enough that it makes a difference. doesn't matter what the field is or how large or small the effort. genius sometimes lasts a lifetime and sometimes mere seconds...some of the differences are large and some small.

reply to post by LiveForever8


I can see your point. I believe that even if no one knew of a genius, its doesn't make him any less a genius.

reply to post by ~Lucidity


Very true about the span of genius.

reply to post by Conclusion


I understand what you mean.

But in the end, it takes others to make a genius.
I could say to you right now "im a genius" and you would say "prove it". If i then said "no i dont want to", that doesn't make me a genius.

A genius is someone who has a gift and stands up to be counted. It is then upto others to say "bravo, you are truly a genius!"

There is no such thing as a self prescribed genius in my opinion/

Here's a question:
Who was the last great genius?

I believe that certain souls choose to take on the role of genius, for the benefit of all. It is not always an easy road to take. Many times the "genius" is ridiculed, alone, and "different". I believe that they take on the "so called karma" for a reason. So that the rest of us don't necessarily have to go through the process of new thought and what the consequences are socially. We get to benefit. But they do sometimes get glory and recognition and even wealth from the endeavor and experience.
Sometimes genius goes unnoticed. For a time.
Then another picks up where the last left off.

And I believe there are all kinds of different levels of genius in any area you choose to look. From garden landscaping, to art, to molecular theory.

I sometimes believe genius is divinely inspired. But I am also willing to believe that we can all access the wisdom that they do. We just choose not to for some reason.

The difference between insanity and genius is a thing called success.

True genius requires a certain love for the insane and unorthodox and to boldly go where few if any have gone before.

It requires a love for bucking the status quo, and an ability to think and do things few would ever dare.

Succeed and they call you a genius, fail and they call you insane.