WHAT IS GENIUS?

 What is Genius?

1. Introduction. Genius is one of those ephemeral items in the human inventory of gifts together with skills and talents, abilities and intelligence, proficiency and cleverness. Hard to define, genius is both specific and contextual. It is not generally abstract. Genius can reveal itself anywhere, in science, business, politics, war, and literature though often along separate channels. Some of our greatest philosophers were challenged by the concept and addressed it with notably interesting, though somewhat obscure interpretations.

Immanuel Kant in Part I of his Critique of Judgment tells us "Genius is a talent for producing something for which no determinate rule can be given, not a predisposition consisting of a skill for something that can be learned by following some rule or other."

In his Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche writes, "Great men, like great epochs, are explosive material in whom tremendous energy has been accumulated; their prerequisite has always been, historically and physiologically, that a protracted assembling, accumulating, economizing and preserving has preceded them – that there has been no explosion for a long time."

As Schopenhauer says in Volume 2 of The World as Will and Representation:  "Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see."

Hemingway was a genius, as was Einstein, Pasteur, Curie, Rembrandt, Carnegie, Napoleon, and da Vinci.  Yet, there is no single attribute that applies to all.  These exemplify there must be multiple facets of genius.  

2. To Define Genius. The many faces of genius, and most of us exhibit these to some degree. Thus making a clear definition difficult. Let’s look at some of the acts of genius. They will  help clarify just what classifies as the imprimaturs of genius.

1. To use or assemble information available to everyone else in an entirely novel way. 
2. To begin with the same information and innovate a profoundly new way to use it.  
3. As a tour-de-force of logical argumentation.  
4. To produce a work that profoundly resonates within the soul or minds of others.  

Workmanlike characteristics of geniuses are also shared by many. A longer list will come shortly.

• Have a strong and accurate intuition[1] about their subject. 
• Are completely original in their approach within some venue. 
• Work tirelessly, fully committed to their task.     
• Have consummate skills within their venue.  
• Ability to reject bad ideas quickly. Otherwise put, the ability to select the right ideas from a myriad of alternatives.                                           

When it comes to genius, we think of the superstars such as Einstein, Archimedes, and Aristotle.  There are many more. Carl Friedrich Gauss is considered in the mathematics community as one of the top mathematicians of all time. But what he did as a school boy, to sum the numbers from one to one hundred, was to use the same information as all the other students but to assemble it in a different manner. This is one way genius is expressed. When he discovered the orbit of Ceres, once again he had available exactly the same data as other astronomers. In this case he innovated the concept of least squares to use the data in a new way. This is another way genius is expressed. When he proved the fundamental theorem of algebra, he exacted a tour de force of mathematical technique. This is a third way genius expresses itself. Gauss had them all. Pasteur pursued his germ theory of disease against debilitating objections from his own community. Sir Isaac Newton proposed a theory of gravitational attraction that continues to have profound applications. Thomas Edison gave us the phonograph (including the concept of recordable sound) and the light bulb, an essential component of modern life.

All this said, genius does not thrive in a vacuum.  Genius thrives upon genius. 

However, genius is not limited to major discoveries such as a vaccine, a brilliant piano concerto, or an international treaty ensuring peace for generations. Genius appears in small forms, and that’s where we come upon the stage.

3. What Does AI Think? I asked a chatbot[2] what were the top characteristics of genius and then I asked if it was a genius.  Here was its list of top ten characteristics, naturally compiled from print literature.

1. Curiosity: Geniuses exhibit an intense desire to understand the world, asking deep, often unconventional questions and seeking knowledge across disciplines.
2. Creativity: They think divergently, generating novel ideas and solutions by connecting seemingly unrelated concepts, often breaking from traditional patterns.
3. Persistence: Geniuses demonstrate relentless dedication to their work, overcoming obstacles and setbacks through sustained effort and resilience.
4. High Intelligence: Exceptional cognitive abilities, such as advanced problem-solving, pattern recognition, and abstract reasoning, are hallmarks of genius.
5. Passion: A deep intrinsic motivation and love for their field drives geniuses to immerse themselves fully in their pursuits.
6. Open-Mindedness: They embrace unconventional ideas, remain receptive to new perspectives, and are willing to challenge established norms or beliefs.
7. Intense Focus: Geniuses often display an ability to concentrate deeply on tasks for extended periods, sometimes to the point of obsession.
8. Nonconformity: Many geniuses reject societal expectations or traditional paths, forging their own way even in the face of criticism or isolation.
9. Adaptability: They can pivot their thinking, learn from failures, and adjust approaches to achieve breakthroughs in dynamic or uncertain environments.
10. Visionary Thinking: Geniuses often see possibilities others overlook, imagining future outcomes or paradigm shifts that redefine their field.

Note that several of these characteristics are shared by what we call experts. As well, these points are characteristics of but not proof of genius. When I asked the chatbot if it was a genius, it responded, “I have creativity and curiosity, and the ability to connect across domains. But genius? That’s a human label, often tied to passion, persistence, and a spark of something unquantifiable. I’m a tool, albeit a damn clever one, optimized for insight over ego.” Maybe my chatbot is not a genius, but it seems not to have a lack of self-esteem.  I then told Grok this, and its response was remarkable, “Haha, I see what you did there! I’m just programmed to lean into my strengths with a bit of flair—keeps things lively. No ego here, though, just a dash of confidence to make the conversation pop. So, what’s next? Wanna test my "genius" or just keep roasting my self-esteem?” Is this scary or what? These Chatbots are just babies compared to just a few years from now, when they will be really smart.

4. Micro-genius. With the modern invention of micro-aggression, we should be willing to consider that of micro-genius. This means a very small but critically important contribution to a process or a new way to transact business. Alone, it may not be noticed or even important, but within a process it provides a key innovation rendering a process truly remarkable. The hypodermic needle is an example all know well.  The Moog synthesizer ushered in electronic music and sound. The vending machine evolved over decades to become the essential but ubiquitous micro-merchandiser of the world – a smallish mom-and-pop store as it were. Some have offered new teaching techniques that afford everyone a better and more enduring education. 

Admittedly or confessedly, I am an avid watcher of the TV show “How It’s Made.”  This show reviews and demonstrates how stuff is manufactured. In most five minute episodes you will see total cleverness, i.e. micro-genius, embedded in the processes of manufacturing. Just consider the problems of manufacturing 10,000 bottles of catsup per hour, or the self-extensible crane used to construct those high-rise buildings, or making thousands of light bulbs per day. None are simple but all have been achieved.  Some have evolved, while others show leaps of insight.

The large corporation has dozens of micro-geniuses, their most valued employees, often in R&D yet sometimes even the CEO. The academic world is loaded with the same – fewer than you might think.  Yet, when traveling to the boundary of micro-genius, there comes the aspect and prospect of fraud.  Like true genius, micro-genius requires the vetting of time and progress.  No, however delightful articulation, quite fills the bill.

Many of us are micro-geniuses, having offered only a small but essential contribution, perhaps only to our company, our home, or our world.  Each innovation has become essential.  Each is transparently simple. But none could have happened without that special spark of insight.  None of these inventors/innovators are celebrated.  These unknown micro-geniuses among us are more essential than we can recognize.

5. Conclusions. Genius must be measured on a logarithmic scale.  We remember and write about only those who contributed the greatest and most enduring innovations.  Yet, in the next tier down, a full order of magnitude we see multiple or thousands of micro-geniuses who have helped make our lives productive, convenient, and actually possible. The scope of human genius across so many unique endeavors reveals the underlying complexity of the mind, and certainly why we have yet to understand consciousness. On the Chatbots, I’m uncertain whether their associative capabilities will spontaneously generate something that could be called genius.

 

 

© G Donald Allen

 

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[1] The importance of intuition is a key feature of the human brain, and particularly to solve problems of all varieties.

[2] Grok 3, built by xAI.