By Dr. Bjorn Mercer
Program Director, Communication, Philosophy, Religion, World Languages and the Arts, American Public University
This is the first of a four-part series that examines the concept of genius in contemporary society.
Some say there is no such a thing as a genius. But we modern humans, from the 19th century through today, like to call the highest-achieving person in each field a genius. We use the word casually and yet at the same time with divine reverence. The reality of genius is much more common and down to earth than how people rhetorically use the word and even more banal than how it is used in public discourse for virtually every highly talented action.
To start this discussion of genius, I will reference Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Human, All Too Human” from 1878. Within this work, Nietzsche has a frank and tangible discussion of the word genius. He starts by stating: “Thus the cult of genius fosters our vanity, our self-love, for it is only when we think of it as very far removed from us, as a miraculum [miracle, a wonder], that it does not wound us.”
What Nietzsche is saying is that we humans like the concept of a genius because it protects our vanity, our constantly battered self-image and our all- too-obvious shortcomings. For those who think geniuses are superhuman and miracles of birth, the concept gives them an “out.” A genius’s abilities are unattainable by normal people, and so there is no reason to try to compete with these supposed geniuses because it is impossible.
Further on, Nietzsche states: “Do not talk of gifts, of inborn talents! We could mention great men of all kinds who were but little gifted. But they obtained greatness, became ‘geniuses’… They all had that thorough earnestness for work which learns first how to form the different parts perfectly before it ventures to make a great whole; they gave themselves time for this, because they took more pleasure in doing small, accessory things well than in the effect of a dazzling whole.”
This quote is interesting because it does two things. First, it discounts natural talent to a point; more importantly, it focuses on hard work. There is an inclination to exalt natural talents when people exhibit an ease of skill proficiency and eventual mastery. Although this natural talent might appear effortless to others, a great deal of work goes into mastering anything.
The long, transitioning art of Picasso is but one example. This overlaps with Nietzsche’s focus on hard work, allowing time to develop, and taking pleasure in that process.
It takes time to do anything in life. It takes time to improve your skills, and it takes time to learn a difficult skill. Two common examples of difficult, long-word skill development are writing and music.
Many People Freely Admit They Are Not Good at Writing
People freely admit that they are not good at writing. This self-imposed limitation is understandable, because it takes years of reading (especially careful reading), study and intense focus to learn how to write well.
I really learned how to write effectively only by the time I turned 40. Before that I could write passably, but what I wrote was not terribly good or effective. To the world, my writing achievement was nothing special; a 40-year-old academic had found his voice and confidence through words…nothing special?
My Writing Achievement Was the Culmination of a Decade-Long Struggle to Become Better
Nevertheless, my achievement, both personal and professional, was the culmination of a decade-long struggle to become a better writer. Hard work, taking the time, and finding pleasure in trying to improve allowed me to improve my writing and to persevere.
I could easily have given up because there are many people who develop their writing talents by the time they are 20. They are viewed as naturally talented and successful, and they are sometimes called prodigies or geniuses.
There is something unique about high-achieving young people that allows them to be extremely productive early on. Along with good study habits and tutelage, they create an environment in which they can develop much quicker than everyone else.
How can I compete with a writing “genius” half my age? Easy. Admire other writers for what they produce, constantly learn from them, and focus on my own art by practicing and not limiting creativity because of self-doubt and vanity.
At the same time, a young prodigy might achieve a great deal of fame at 20 and still have the rest of his life to write and try to be unique and creative. Academics tend to agree that Shakespeare wrote his first play, “Henry VI, Part One” around 1589 to 1590 when he would have been about 25 years old. Look at the career he had subsequently!
Music Is a Skill that Many People Often Do Not Even Try to Master
Music is another skill that people often do not even try to master. Adults who cannot play the piano or guitar after a few months usually give up trying.
But the reality is that when we try to learn a musical instrument, we are like children in our ability to acquire proficiency. Music takes time, lots of time. In addition to practicing, adults who learn music have to find pleasure in their music making or else they will just give up because there are many, many eight-year olds who play better than they do!
For me, my musical journey was always focused on the long term. At 18, I knew I was a moderately talented musician at best, so I focused on continuous improvement. Thanks to years of study, I slowly improved. And although I was not able to truly master my first instrument, the bassoon, I was exposed to the wide array of orchestral literature.
In parallel with my performance study on the bassoon, I started writing music at 14. However, my first mature composition — a work that I felt was good and communicated my ideas and emotions — came when I was 30.
It took me 16 years to develop my musical writing skills. It took me 16 years to get to a place where I felt confident to write and to know that it was good. As with writing, there is nothing especially exciting about a 30-year-old finding his voice and writing music in his own, mature style for years afterward.
Accepting Our Abilities as They Are Is One of the More Difficult Things to Do in Life
One of the more difficult things to do in life is to accept our abilities as they are. For 99.9% of us, we are not a Mozart, a Yo-Yo Ma or an Einstein. But we can still achieve, we can do amazing things and we can affect people.
The concept of genius allows some people to stop trying and be content with average. It allows others to rightfully admire young talent, who worked hard to get there, while often expecting too much from these people as they age.
Bobby Fischer “became one of the greatest chess players the world has ever seen.” He was the youngest player to win the U.S. Chess Championship at 14. Fischer reportedly had an I.Q. of 181.
Yet decades later, after winning classic chess matches against the world’s best players, he lived in obscurity. He ultimately settled in Reykjavik, Iceland, after renouncing his American citizenship and died on January 17, 2008.
So, look with admiration, not jealousy, upon those who have developed their talents. Look upon them for inspiration, if possible for collaboration, and try to find your own path and voice in whatever you do. Do not let your own vanity and jealousy stop you from achieving.
In the next article in “The Genius Delusion” series, we will go over more of Nietzsche’s “Human, All Too Human” work and discuss the “The Danger and the Gain in the Cult of Genius.”
About the Author
Dr. Bjorn Mercer is a Program Director at American Public University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Missouri State University, a master’s and doctorate in music from the University of Arizona, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He writes about culture, leadership, and why the humanities and liberal arts are critical to career success. Dr. Mercer also writes children’s music.
