I perceive genius as exceptional ability in one’s profession.  Francis Galton claimed this to be hereditary.  In addition to the time period’s primitive knowledge of heritability there is a great weakness in his claim.  He used fame as an indication of someone being a genius or not!  Fame is due to chance or contacts and don’t require genius.  One can even inherit fame without being any bit competent.  There are plenty of documented cases of idiots in positions of power.

It has turned out documented geniuses have average parents and siblings.  Children of geniuses can be smart but are not geniuses themselves.  I think individuals with the potential of developing into geniuses arise spontaneously in the population.  Then there is the question of their genius getting the chance to develop.  It is not enough to live in a society where the skill exists.  Someone with the potential has to be educated to develop into a genius.  He or she maybe has easier to learn then others.  However, the person still has to train to acquire the skill.  The opportunity for relevant education can’t be taken for granted.  Especially not in historical context.

The belief in genius being inborn I consider harmful.  At least if it is combined with the belief that it does not need to be trained.  As if complex professional skills would be biologically hereditary.  It fools people with too high a self-esteem to believe they can do whatever they want without any form of systematic training.  When they then try to do it, the result is disastrous.

In addition, genius requires conscious reflection.  Too many believing themselves to be geniuses to the opposite shows a great deficiency in this.  A real genius does not assume words in the same language to mean the same just because they vaguely resemble each other.  Or demand others to prove something to not be in a certain way.  This without asking themselves what such a proof would look like.

Uploaded on the 28th of September 2023.