
The Problem of Excess Genius (1997) - jseliger
http://www.monad.com/sdg/Journal/genius.html
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jseliger
This complements some of pg's essay, especially "Cities and Ambition"
(<http://www.paulgraham.com/cities.html>; "Practically every fifteenth century
Italian painter you've heard of was from Florence" ) and "The Word 'Hacker'"
(<http://paulgraham.com/gba.html>; "I lived for a while in Florence. But after
I'd been there a few months I realized that what I'd been unconsciously hoping
to find there was back in the place I'd just left. The reason Florence is
famous is that in 1450, it was New York").

I think the real question is always the same: where are the excess geniuses
gathering now? Where _will_ they gather tomorrow? And is there even a reliable
way to answer these questions?

~~~
olympus
I think there probably isn't a reliable way to answer those questions unless
it is after the fact. The problem is that true geniuses usually aren't
recognized until after they are long gone, so you won't identify an excess
until after the excess has disappeared. Most people who are hailed as geniuses
in our own time (any famous startup founder) probably aren't on the level that
the article was mentioning. They are smart businessmen, but I don't think they
compete with the ancient Athenians.

------
IsaacL
Is genius born, or made?

Clearly, it's a combination of both, but which factor is more important?

Are geniuses the genetic elite, the 0.00001% of humanity? They appear only
rarely, but their genius shines through wherever they appear?

Or are potential geniuses more common -- maybe the top 0.01% -- but need the
right conditions in which to flourish?

One way to find out would be to look for _failed geniuses_ \-- those who
showed great potential, but had it nipped in the bud. I suspect a big genius-
killer -- bigger than early death or jealous elders -- is access to pleasant
career opportunities.

If you're living in Tsarist Russia, writing might be the only interesting
pastime. If you're living in 21st century California, starting a me-too
consumer web app is a lot more inviting than working on groundbreaking new
technology.

