Genius: Is It Real? What Is It?

Genius is an idea that humanity has accepted since the dawn of civilization. Find out why some scholars question the validity and value of the concept, with some even viewing it as a potential danger for society.

Growing up in the 1970s, my family, my teachers and the media were all pretty consistent on one topic. Some people were born geniuses, while the rest of us mere mortals weren’t.

The two figures everyone seemed to point to on this topic were Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein. Our role models might also toss in Michelangelo, Shakespeare or Sir Isaac Newton as examples of larger-than-life geniuses.

In those days, teachers and other educated people tended to link genius with the idea of IQ. Teachers dutifully tested all their students’ IQs, and if any of us scored above 140 (which, to nobody’s surprise, counted me out), they would be ranked as a genius in-the-making.

Genius Notion Is as Old as Civilization

The notion of a genius is as old as civilization. In the ancient world, people believed that a “genius” was a kind of guardian sprit or daemon that guided and inspired chosen people with creativity, inspiration…