Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.
I really enjoyed this talk. From 2005, Simon Singh: Perhaps humility, more than anything, is the mark of true genius.
From last May, see Geniuses and the Men Hidden Inside Them. From last July, Stephen Burt on Philip K. Dick: Where other SF writers ask whether made-up entities (aliens, androids, emoting computers etc) deserve the respect we give real human beings, Dick more often asks whether we ought to view ourselves as fakes or machines.
From last December, Malcom Gladwell: We should be lowering our standards, because there is no point in raising standards if standards don’t track with what we care about.
Also, here's Gladwell from October: Genius, in the popular conception, is inextricably tied up with precocity—doing something truly creative, we’re inclined to think, requires the freshness and exuberance and energy of youth.
Elizabeth Gilbert on genius |