There are so many written parameters that explain and define the very nature of genius that it's sometimes very confusing as to what qualifies a person to be a genius. Is it a high IQ or an individualistic view of a particular problem that lead to some grand philosophical event or invention? What is your definition of genius and to take it to a higher degree, who are 3 of your favorite geniuses and why?.................
Songwriters fit the bill for me - Lionel Bart - composer Leonard Bernstein and Brian Wilson of course there are so many others I will add also the 2 guys that discovered the workings of DNA - amazing !
Not many takers here. I quoted you @Patsy Faye because you wrote exactly what I was fishing for. I have belonged to a couple of think tanks and it's amazing how many "higher thinkers" have a belief that genius only lies with an extremely high IQ. While it is true that having a score above the 190 mark might qualify someone to be a genius because of a higher potential to exhibit greater cognitive abilities, it isn't the hallmark by which genius can be classified. My favorite smart people are Da Vinci, Rachmaninov, Epictetus, Bohr and Ramanujan. Among the high IQ'ers DaVinci is nearly always picked but I picked him because he was indeed a classic genius in nearly every field of endeavor that he studied: Music, philosophy, invention, art, math, astronomy etc. In other words, I picked him because I personally like him and not just because everyone else at my IQ level points him out. Way too often people who been tested and found to have average IQ's are somehow forgotten in the grand spectrum of things. The caveat is, because even though a person exhibits average cognitive processes in most endeavors, he or she might have a spark of genius in a singular field such as the catagory you have picked: music. Yeah, I like Bernstein too......and Mancini. Bottom line here is that there are students in the classroom that absolutely can exhibit some level of genius at something but never get realized because of our teaching methodology. To me, everyone ( barring severe mental stresses) can be great and show superior qualities at something provided someone in a students early life knows what to look for.
Its a great post from you Bobby, sums up how I feel too High IQ doesn't equate to common sense, nor creativity That's why I said in another post that teachers should harness a child's 'ability' We can be taught many things but excel at maybe one and one is sometimes enough to excel to great heights Da Vinci is a popular choice for us too - he was able to channel so many things in that great mind which is exceptional, he had great foresight which 'all' the people we have mentioned have.
In the grand scheme of today's educational system in America there are multitudes of kids who will never know where their true potentials lay. The old, "well rounded educational system" dipped Johnny's fingers into a full assortment of pies whereas (as has been discussed ad infinitum) today many catagories have been either nearly omitted or gone by the wayside entirely. Although I do not agree with the entire precedence that the old U.S.S.R. placed upon it's younger students, I do believe that in some ways they were on the right track. They tested, observed, and recognized potentialities within each student in all catagories in a search for excellence in a specific catagory such as: all Math, Sports, Tech, Phsychology, History, Geography, Music, Astronomy, etc. They searched for genius in a particular field of endeavor and nurtured that attribute to the full extent of the known knowledge in that field at the time. Of course, many times they went way beyond the limit of human rights by taking children away from their parents, were and housed and taught with other children who showed the same potential as themselves. The possibilites are endless when we search for genius in our students. Who knows, the guy who collects our trash might have been a great writer or artist had he been exposed to literature or the palette when he was just a lad early on in school.
Agree with 'all' of your post. I have witnessed perfection in children with autism, IQ low but - the skill lies beneath One child of 10 years, he did a detailed drawing of the Houses of Parliament - a huge intricate building amazingly this boy captured 'every' detail of it to perfection ! Also we have a Government minister here, you may have heard of him - Boris Johnson I consider him an inept oaf. Yes he went to a grand college, but they can't teach common sense can they This guy is an embarrassment, he 'constantly' says inane comments about important stuff ! Representing this country ! When I complain about him, I'm told 'Oh he is very clever though' 'How's that' says I Answer - Well he can speak Latin ........... LOL
@Bobby Cole "In the grand scheme of today's educational system in America there are multitudes of kids who will never know where their true potentials lay." Less a question of individuals knowing where their potentials lay, for individuals rarely interpret their own potential abilities, do they? Rather, multitudes of parents who either do not understand, or among those who do understand, the implications of their kids' potentials, beyond getting them of age and out. I believe potential must be nurtured at home. Reasonably mentally gifted parents usually know inherently whether a particular offspring is suitable material for a gifted future. Other side of the coin are the "Ben Carsons", unknown numbers of whom never benefit from the astute and focussed parent pushing them toward great heights. Frank
For me, rock bands and movie makers. Song writers and Lead Singers. Lead Singers have to memorize all the words/lyrics to all songs the group does. No easy task. Movie makers, like George Lucas, revolutionized moving making when making Star Wars/A New Hope in 1977 with his ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). And, after that, movies kept getting more and more realistic. Add computer technicians and "waala"........movies made beyond imagination.
Not sure I'd put those up there with 'genius' Cody Its a talent they have Inventing the radio, so bloomin complex - I still marvel at that