Let's make genius great again
By Adam Borowski
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As Albert Einstein astutely observed ― no problem can be solved by the same level of consciousness that created it. There are people who will tell you anyone can be a genius. I do believe that we need to differentiate between talent and genius. Talent hits a target no one else can hit, while genius hits a target no one else can see. Flexing one's mental muscles will certainly develop talent; the the origin of genius continues to elude us. For lack of a better term, genius borders on the metaphysical.
Geniuses have certain traits in common with psychopaths (both tend to be rule-breakers) and royalty (it is not a stretch to call geniuses intellectual royalty).
Yes, genius can be linked to elitism; there is nothing wrong with elitism per se, as long as it is not of the let them eat cake variety, which is inimical to inter-class dialogue. Genius evokes extreme emotions: one person imagines a narcissistic ― if not stereotypically feminine ― individual, while someone else pictures a stoic scientist. Genius can be a walking, talking contradiction.
Throughout history, geniuses were reviled by the masses for daring to disturb the status quo. It took some time, but a radical perceptual shift usually followed. People were singing praises, no longer issuing inquisitorial condemnations; building statues, rather than gallows.
Locked away in their ivory towers, the Prometheans were coming up with revolutionary ways to improve society. Surely, after thousands of years, we know all there is to know about genius? While it is true genius is omnipresent in popular culture, we rarely see an accurate depiction ― genius is usually a superhero… or a supervillain. A cantankerous old man feeding the pigeons in Central Park? Who cares about that! A box-office-flop-in-the-making.
The age-old cliche about geniuses having a tough time in school is as valid as ever. Just like the proverbial hot potato that nobody wants to touch, not many people in the education system know what to do with a brat who is too smart to ignore… and too arrogant to respect. Fortunately, there are alternative education systems; home schooling; even wealthy people willing to invest in the child's future ― while commendable, educators need a clear set of guidelines on how to approach profoundly gifted individuals.
Asia has a potentially significant role to play in the above outlined scenario. Asian culture holds education in high regard, with teachers (usually) having high status in society; Asians are not exposed to political correctness to the extent that Westerners tend to be. In fact, many expats find the experience of using the verbal cornucopia that is English ― without the filters ― to be exhilarating indeed. For these reasons ― among others I will not elaborate on due to word limit ― I predict an exodus of disillusioned Westerners, contributing to the rise of Asia in the 21st century.
Asia has the potential to make genius great again. It will be an arduous process, but our future as a species depends on making genius great again. Who knows, maybe the next breakthrough in our understanding of consciousness will be made by a North Korean refugee?
Adam Borowski (adam.borowski1985@gmail.com) teaches English to students on all levels of advancement.