This blog post is about what I thought about the article
“How to Be a Genius” by David Dobbs. This article appeared in the September
2006 edition of the New Scientist.
In David Dobbs’
article “How To Be a Genius”, his theory and research claim the idea that a genius
is molded, not born. According to his research, to be considered genius, a
person must be an “exceptional person in exceptional conditions,” quoting psychologist
Benjamin Bloom words. Aside from having an innate ability alone, to be a genius
requires being in an environment that infiltrates hard work ethic into a
person’s system and requires the guidance of people or mentors who encourage
and support. So, maybe the typical genius is not a genius after all, but just
your average workaholic, privileged overachiever.
Everybody knows
one. The person in your class who never shows up in sweatpants, whose GPA is
more important to them than their social life and friends, and whose resume is
a laundry list of activities, all of which they show the utmost loyalty to.
This character, or portrait, is that of a classic overachiever. In younger
years, often times overachievers are categorized as the “smartest” or “most
intelligent” because the work they accomplish in and outside the classroom is
done so easily and so profoundly. People whose work ethics mature at a young
age often make difficult tasks for an average student, athlete, musician,
artist, etc. seem juvenile. For a young overachieving student, finishing a
brilliant five-page essay in two hours is a no brainer, because it was the only
way they were ever taught how to finish a five-page paper.
I agree with
Dobbs, geniuses definitely aren’t born, but maybe instead they are molded into
overachievers in the toddler years. Eric Kandel of Columbia University in New
York discovered in his studies that focus and practice literally do “make
perfect.” As Dobbs explains “focused study and
practice literally build the neural networks of expertise. Genetics may allow
one person to build synapses faster than another, but either way the lesson
must still be learned. Genius must be built.” Overachievers strive for perfection, and when
they fall short, they try harder.
Baby
Genius, a company “committed to providing music-based products that are
entertaining, educational and beneficial to the well-being of babies and young
children” is an example of the nurturing of children’s brains at unbelievably
young ages. The company believes that
their programs and DVDs tap into and nourish the innate ability of a child from
an early age, giving them a head start advantage in social skills, academics,
and the arts. Geniuses are built early on by instilling the workings of an
overachiever into their brain. Any athlete would agree, the longer you practice, the
better you become. Would Tiger Woods have been as great of a golfer if he had
not been learning the technique and expertise of the game since the age of 3? If
a student is taught early on how to begin and end a five-page paper
proficiently in elementary school, come middle school their knowledge of
writing a paper should be near perfected from learning the technique early on. Thus,
Baby Genius’ theories apply.
The quote “if it
were easy, everybody would do it” continuously pops into my mind when I think
of the word genius. If being a genius were a simple task, and all you needed
was some brainpower and hard work, why wouldn’t our world be filled with prodigies?
The number of people who are geniuses in our world must be limited because not every
person is given the same opportunities as the next. Anders Ericsson, professor
of psychology at Florida State University, was quoted in the article relaying
this idea in a slightly shocking but candid manner. He says that geniuses “don't necessarily have an especially high
IQ, but they almost always have very supportive environments, and they almost
always have important mentors. And the one thing they always have is this
incredible investment of effort." Without being given these elements, I
truthfully believe geniuses couldn’t exist.
I’m sure that antagonists
to this theory will argue that people from slum cities and horrible upbringings
have utilized their “natural buoyancy,” or ability to always stay on top, to
reach genius levels. From my education and common sense, I would respond to
those adversaries very simply. The further down you are pushed, the higher up
you want to be. A genius can be born into a privileged life and work hard to
gain their success, or a person can be born into a not so privileged life and
search for mentors and environments throughout their life to aid their innate
abilities to gain their success and move up on the ladder. People come from
different walks of life, and people with an incredible ability to become genius
will push their way to the top to find resources to make that option a reality.
This idea communicates to the masses that anybody with a brain and
determination can reach their highest goals and very possibly become genius in
their field or trade. From a marketer’s perspective, this presents that there
are different ways to advertise to the younger generations how a genius gets to
be a genius since a genius is no longer “born” but instead “bred.” Genius!
No comments:
Post a Comment