The psychology of genius




On the power of genius and the need to develop practical psychological models and solutions to nurture geniuses.

I’ve already written a lot about creative genius. However, the psychological profile of geniuses needs a separate discussion because it is very interesting and the traits or attributes of genius are so unique that they need proper identification and delineation. Genius is characterized by high levels of intelligence, an IQ of intelligence greater than 145, exceptionally high levels of independence, and high levels of creativity. Most profound geniuses are very independent in their thinking, very creative, and have very high levels of intelligence. A genius is generally defined by these primary attributes of intelligence, creativity, and independence. However, there are some distinct attributes that differentiate genius from other humans.

Genius and personality: Geniuses have unique personalities and attributes. They are the ones who break the rules, destroy the system, change the world, are visionaries and pioneers. In societies where geniuses are recognized and appreciated, they have better opportunities to use their talents. But geniuses from less developed societies or, say, from conflict zones, may not have the right kinds of opportunities and may tend to withdraw and some may become depressed, schizophrenic, or develop other types of mental illness. Without the right kind of opportunities and channels, some can become antisocial and criminal. The personality of the genius is unique and they are usually very withdrawn and quiet or very outgoing and socially intelligent. Some geniuses can range from being very withdrawn to being very sociable. Some writers, artists, innovators, creative geniuses may be prolific in their creative skills and output, but they may be very quiet or silent in social situations and some may avoid all kinds of social interaction. Geniuses often have very noticeable leadership skills, they will say things that you will remember forever, and they tend to have hard-hitting and impactful personalities that you can’t miss or ignore. Even the quiet ones will have an impact on your social interactions. Most geniuses, even very quiet ones, are also significantly strong-willed, determined, and a bit obsessive.

Genius and power: Geniuses are very powerful and impressive, because they trust their abilities. They are sure of their qualities, they know that they can influence and have a definite impact on people. They attract people with their brilliance and everyone is attracted to a genius. They are like social magnets. Geniuses are also highly intuitive and perceptive, so they understand people, predict responses and reactions, and can see through people’s motives. This keen psychological understanding of people is what makes genius so powerful. Even the most socially withdrawn geniuses are super psychic and understand people very well. They simply know and understand seemingly inexplicable things, and because they are able to predict responses, they know how to deal with people and situations. If a person of average intelligence presents five possible scenarios and options, the geniuses will present 50 different possibilities. This ability to see all angles of a situation makes them powerful because they can better anticipate and handle situations. Geniuses can easily gauge people’s strengths and weaknesses, making it easier for them to spot talents and understand who they can trust for specific tasks. Geniuses are also more knowledgeable and, as various philosophers have said, and Bertrand Russell has re-emphasized that “knowledge is power.”

Genius and sexuality: All geniuses have excessive sex. Period. Sexual urges and libido or life force is what drives genius. The sex drive gives them their ambitions and inspires them to do what they want to do and many geniuses accomplish extraordinary feats due to their life force or the proper channeling of their sex drive. Some like Newton may be afraid of the sex drive and try to suppress it and others like Picasso will openly display it, but all geniuses are constantly haunted and tormented by their sexual desires. Geniuses have equally powerful self-control alongside their explosive sexuality, so self-control helps them channel their desires into more constructive and creative activities. Some may take the route of denying or rejecting their sexuality as a kind of personal challenge and remain celibate for long periods of time. Research studies have indicated that most high-intelligence people become attached to few sexual partners in their lifetime. Some geniuses may consider themselves spiritually, intellectually, or morally superior to having sex with lesser mortals, so there is a level of pride and high self-esteem involved in practicing celibacy. Geniuses are also more mentally androgynous, do not have typical male or female traits, and are not related to typical gender issues, so there is a level of sexual confusion. Some like Van Gogh may get involved in various heterosexual or homosexual relationships without success. Many geniuses become homosexual, asexual, or engage in alternative forms of sexuality. Oscar Wilde, Leonardo da Vinci are geniuses who were arguably more comfortable with the homosexual side of their androgynous personalities. Many are bisexual, although some geniuses come to terms with their androgyny and practice socially acceptable forms of sexuality like heterosexual behavior and marry and have families etc. However, deviant sexual behaviors such as celibacy, bisexuality, homosexuality, alternative sexuality are very common among geniuses.

Genius and creativity: Genius is characterized by an insatiable curiosity about everything, followed by the need to acquire knowledge in many different fields. They can be very technical, they can focus on a subject like computer science, although many geniuses are interested in multiple subjects and are multi-faceted, multi-tasking, and talented or gifted in many areas. They have this magical or supernatural ability to do many things very well. Some may focus on one field and become immensely productive in that specific field. The high level of creativity seen in the genius is usually the product of knowledge, imagination, independence and intelligence. Since the genius is motivated by curiosity and has vast knowledge, this knowledge is used in conjunction with imagination to give them unique and cool ideas. A necessary ingredient for this is independence of thought. Geniuses are very independent in their thinking, they like to think outside the box, they are too proud to trust other people’s ideas, so thinking independently gives them the necessary kick to boost their egos. They are opinion leaders and thinking independently is a requirement to satisfy their creative, sexual or life urges as well. Independence of thought gives them unmatched creative abilities, which is why most geniuses excel in technological innovation, creative fields such as writing, theater, or architecture, or they can invent new types of musical composition or dance methods. Geniuses will generally find an outlet for their creativity and are often very productive and prolific.

Genius and madness: Geniuses tend to be a bit eccentric. In fact, they enjoy the eccentricity, because the insanity helps them release some of that high level of creative tension. In addition, geniuses are capable of predicting responses and foreseeing events, so they are able to analyze many factors quickly and act in ways that most people will find a little “crazy.” So there is usually an underlying method in the madness, along with the apparent madness in the method. But they have great insight, so they know that they are acting crazy and are significantly brave to stretch their imaginations and actually participate in some temporary insanity, knowing full well that they are in full control over their minds. They are not afraid of madness. People of average intelligence are controlled by their thoughts, so they can go crazy. Geniuses and people of very high intelligence actively control their minds, so even if they seem insane on the surface, they have pretty good control over their thoughts, so don’t exactly get mad. Having said that, some geniuses have found themselves battling deep depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. Mental illness can establish itself among socially maladjusted geniuses. When geniuses cannot find opportunities for their creativity or there is some kind of suppression of their creative talents, due to personal circumstances, they can lose their minds, become antisocial, or completely insane. It is essential that we provide adequate opportunities for children and adults who display very high levels of intelligence. Very intelligent children should be assigned additional creative tasks and encouraged to think independently so that they do not become overly frustrated by a lack of appreciation for their abilities.

Psychologists have a good understanding of genius and there are many theoretical models in psychology to explain the phenomenon of genius. However, there are very few practical models and solutions to support, encourage, direct or nurture geniuses. Too many highly intelligent children go crazy as teenagers and with increasing levels of intelligence among children around the world, we need more practical or applied psychological solutions and models to understand and nurture geniuses of all ages and cultures.

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