<p>Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration</p>
<p>An IQ can only give you a number that measures one type of intelligence. We have to remember that IQ tests reflect what our society values at the time. The skills we find important may change with time. </p>
<p>That being said, the current research shows it is very genetic (probably closer to 70% than 50%) with of course environmental factors playing a part (children need support, encouragement, education, and must be willing to put forth effort). BUT, are all “geniuses” created equal? Why do some people with an IQ of 160 make amazing contributions to society while others don’t? Some say it has to do with creativity and the ability to see the ordinary in a new and different way. Invention is often the result of unusual thinking.</p>
<p>So maybe we should be talking about creativity, is that inherited? Or can that be taught?</p>
<p>BTW–we can’t all grow up to be anything we want. Think of having a goal of being an Olympic runner. You may train tirelessly (and become very good or even great) but you will be limited by the body you inherited from your parents. Although I believe that intelligence is similar (we have certain individual limits), what is most important is what we do with what we have–being very good or even great should suffice!</p>
<p>It’s really easy to screw someone up as a kid. Take a kid with the capacity for genius and warp his brain with useless classes and busywork and homework and stress and rigidity and rules and, sure as can be, you’ll have a unthinking human computer ready to take orders. Take a kid with the capacity for genius and treat her with cruelty, ignore her, neglect her mind. You’ll stunt her mind to an astonishing degree.</p>
<p>However, not everyone can be a genius. Some people just don’t have the raw ability, or the personality, or the proper set of priorities. </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure genius is maintained or destroyed, but not created.</p>
<p>To be a true genius, genetic. </p>
<p>You can fake it with hard work though. I think to be considered a genius, you have to have the ability of looking at a problem, and just KNOWING the answer. </p>
<p>For example, I have two extremely smart friends. From an outsider’s perspective, you’d think both were geniuses, but in my opinion only one is. He has the ability to ace every test he takes without studying (and he’s in seven APs, so it’s not like he’s in easy classes). The other friend gets the same grades as the first, but if you saw how much he studies you wouldn’t believe it. I’m talking from straight after school, up until midnight. Sure, he’s smart, but without all the studying, I don’t think he’d be getting anywhere near the grades of the genius.</p>
<p>I agree with #41 100%</p>
<p>a genius is absolutely, completely made. I’m not saying IQ and creativity and whatnot isn’t genetic. but even if you’re born the smartest person in the world, you still have a hell of a lot of work that you must do (and I mean A LOT, just like others) and a lot you must go through to be a genius and have an effect like Einstein’s on society or in a field. it may be a bit easier for some, but at that level of “perspiration,” the difference is more minute than most people think. </p>
<p>also, you can make something that doesn’t come naturally to you (like a particular subject) come naturally or learn how to get 100s on test without studying. you have to put yourself to do it, so for obvious reasons no one does it. but it is possible. my experience anyways. I was forced to do it once upon a time.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if that made sense, but that’s just my 2 cents</p>
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<p>I don’t know. A true genius would never be “bored” and easily turned into an unthinking human computer, its just not what they do. But yah, I do think you can screw up a persons mind with cruelty and neglect.</p>
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<p>But getting 100’s on tests doesn’t make you a genius. Just being able to memorize a lot of facts isn’t enough.</p>
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<p>I agree that genius tends to be born - otherwise there really isn’t much separating Raphael from Pinturicchio, or Einstein from some random kid in his class. Genetics, however, seems like too simplistic an answer. Even if it were the most regressive trait of all time (let me not here that I haven’t taken bio in 4 years), there would still have to be some signs of it in a person’s lineage, and that doesn’t seem to be the case in basically any situation. I think you’d be hard pressed to find another Shakespeare amongst his ancestors, another Einstein amongst his, or another Socrates amongst his, or amongst their children, for that matter.</p>
<p>I think 70% talent and 30% effort sounds about right. And why are there so much discussion over IQ? I think it’s a terrible way to measure intelligence. Multiple Intelligence theory ftw. On a rather random note – I donno if it’s really true – I heard Edison was very arrogant and said his famous quote to mean that even if you work super hard, without that 1% of inspiration, you could never become a genius (like he was lol).</p>
<p>Why is this even a discussion? Stop confusing concepts such as intelligence with great success, which by the way has to do a lot more with luck than intelligence than you might think, let alone handwork.</p>
<p>@maplesurrup, I agree, genetic wasn’t the correct word. What I meant to say was that geniuses are born the way they are. There’s no formula to raising a genius, they just are the way they are. That’s why you hardly ever see a genius with a similarly genius sibling-- it doesn’t have to do with being raised in the exact same circumstances, the genius’ intelligence was predetermined the moment he or she was born. </p>
<p>It is odd though that geniuses can come from the most unintelligent families, the only rational explanation I can think of it that the genius trait must be, for lack of a better term, a genetic flaw that happens to work in their favor.</p>
<p>Genetics (nature) and an amazing family that really values education (nature).</p>
<p>I agree with the 80%-20% estimate. I think to really resolve this or at least make this a more interesting argument, we have to look at geniuses from a previous age… say, from the 15th century. In those times, education was scarce and relatively difficult to come by if you weren’t part of the upper class. However, if we examine Leonardo Da Vinci - the most intelligent man to ever walk this Earth (Please, if you even think about wanting to dispute this, take it up with me.) - we would see that he only had very minimal education in everything, and much less so in the arts. He was born to peasant parents, so it’s unlikely that he inherited a “genius” trait from them. Yet, at the same time, it doesn’t seem like his environment was entirely stimulating either.</p>
<p>I think these cases are the most interesting… Why is it that Da Vinci was so incredibly intelligent? How is it that he found a way to branch the arts and the sciences in a way that was entirely revolutionary and mind-bending? Most interesting, however, is probably what motivated Da Vinci to think so creatively past the ordinary and delve as close as possible to the supernatural as humanity has ever been?
After all, genius without motivation amounts to nothing every time.</p>
<p>This Wired article (this is just one example of why I love this magazine) adds a different perspective on the cultivation of geniuses and sheds light on the nurture (environment) side of the argument: <a href=“http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/02/st_essay_genius/[/url]”>http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/02/st_essay_genius/</a></p>
<p>^VERY INTERESTING.
Thanks so much for sharing!</p>
<p>I believe a genius is mostly made not born. Without hard work and diligence, where is being a genius going to take them. Though you do have to factor in the environment.</p>
<p>geniuses might be born. happiness and success/achievements are made</p>