7 כידעשדיק פאקטן וואָס וועט העלפֿן כאַפּן אַ געניוס

Let’s first of all stipulate who we consider a genius. This is a man whose invention changes the fate of mankind. As Arthur Schopenhauer wrote: “Talent hits a target no one can hit, genius hits a target no one sees.” And how to raise such a person?

The nature of genius is still a mystery, and no one has yet come up with a recipe for how to grow a genius. Basically, parents try to start developing their child almost from the cradle, sign up for various courses and classes, choose the best school and hire hundreds of tutors. Does it work? Of course not.

Suffice it to recall that most geniuses grew up in less than ideal conditions. No one was looking for the best teachers for them, did not create sterile conditions and did not protect them from all life’s adversities.

In the book “Geography of genius. Where and why great ideas are born” journalist Eric Weiner explores the countries and eras that gave the world great people. And along the way, he proves that confusion and chaos favor geniuses. Pay attention to these facts.

Genius has no specialization

Narrow boundaries hinder creative thinking. To illustrate this idea, Eric Weiner recalls ancient Athens, which was the planet’s first hotbed of genius: “In ancient Athens there were no professional politicians, judges, or even priests.

Everyone could do everything. The soldiers wrote poetry. Poets went to war. Yes, there was a lack of professionalism. But among the Greeks, such an amateurish approach paid off. They were suspicious of specialization: the genius of simplicity triumphed.

It is appropriate here to recall Leonardo da Vinci, who was at the same time an inventor, writer, musician, painter and sculptor.

Genius does not need silence

We tend to think that a great mind can only work in the absolute silence of its own office. Nothing should interfere with him. However, researchers at the universities of British Columbia and Virginia have shown that low background noise—up to 70 decibels—helps you think outside the box. So if you need a creative solution, try working in a coffee shop or on a park bench. And teach your child to do homework, for example, with the TV turned on.

Geniuses are very prolific

They literally gush with ideas — but not all of them are fateful. One discovery is preceded by several completely useless inventions or erroneous hypotheses. However, geniuses are not afraid of mistakes. They are tireless in their work.

And sometimes they make their main discovery by accident, in the process of working on something completely different. So do not be afraid to offer new solutions and teach your child to work not only for the result, but also for the quantity. For example, the invention of Thomas Edison — an incandescent lamp — was preceded by 14 years of unsuccessful experiments, failures and disappointments.

Brilliant thoughts come to mind while walking

Friedrich Nietzsche rented a house on the outskirts of the city — specifically so that he could walk more often. “All truly great thoughts come to mind while walking,” he argued. Jean-Jacques Rousseau walked almost all of Europe. Immanuel Kant also loved to walk.

Stanford psychologists Marilee Oppezzo and Daniel Schwartz conducted an experiment to prove the positive impact of walking on the ability to think creatively: two groups of people performed a test on divergent thinking, that is, the ability to solve problems in different and sometimes unexpected ways. But one group did the test while walking, while the other group did it while sitting.

Such thinking is spontaneous and free. And it turned out that it improves while walking. Moreover, the point is not in a change of scenery, but in the very fact of movement. You can even walk on a treadmill. From 5 to 16 minutes is enough to spur creativity.

Genius resists circumstances

There is a saying “Necessity is the mother of invention”, but Eric Weiner is ready to challenge it. A genius must resist conditions, work in spite of everything, overcome difficulties. So it would be more appropriate to say: «Reaction is the main condition for a brilliant invention.»

Stephen Hawking battled a terminal illness. Ray Charles lost his sight at an early age, but this did not stop him from becoming a great jazz musician. Parents abandoned Steve Jobs when he was only a week old. And how many geniuses lived in poverty — and this did not prevent them from creating the greatest works of art.

Many geniuses are refugees

What do Albert Einstein, Johannes Kepler and Erwin Schrödinger have in common? All of them, due to various circumstances, had to leave their native countries and work in a foreign land. The need to win recognition and prove their right to live in a foreign country clearly stimulates creativity.

Geniuses are not afraid to take risks

They risk their lives and reputation. “Risk and creative genius are inseparable. A genius runs the risk of earning the ridicule of colleagues, or even worse, ”writes Eric Weiner.

Howard Hughes repeatedly put his life in danger and got into accidents, but continued to design aircraft and conduct tests on his own. Marie Skłodowska-Curie had worked with dangerous levels of radiation all her life — and she knew what she was getting into.

Only by overcoming the fear of failure, disapproval, ridicule or social isolation, one can make a brilliant discovery.