2024-08-15 15:30:13
It is not raw intellectual power that is important, but the persistent development of ability
“The right person” is a special project of “24 hours” about professional success, career growth, personal development, workplace relations, about good practices of employers, about news from the HR sector and management, about the labor market and vacancies .
Genius is a strong word. When you hear it, you imagine Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci or at least Cristiano Ronaldo – people born with talent and achieved breakthroughs unattainable by others. It never occurs to you that you might be a genius too. If someone tells you that, you’ll think they’re making fun of you.
Yes, but scientists claim that the geniuses they are not born, they are built as outstanding individuals. A born musician, artist, mathematician, manager, etc. are false clichés. Talent, intelligence are not genetic endowments that some have and others don’t. Therefore, there is a genius hidden in everyone. You too.
First you must accept this thought. And why not accept it. “There is no definition of genius. Who we consider a genius depends on our understandings of value and how things of value are created. Genius is a human construct that depends on time, place and culture,” says Craig Wright, a professor at Yale. In his study he concluded that the majority of people believe wrong clichés.
One of them is about the power of genes. It is overstated, and the truth is that everything a person is is due to what they get from their genes and a series of developmental processes. His genes interact with environment and effort. And in the end his abilities are determined by the life he leads.
Raw brain power is not key. “The importance of the intelligence quotient (IQ) is overestimated. Stephen Hawking could not read until the age of 8, Picasso and Beethoven could not cope with the simplest mathematical equations. Jack Ma, John Lennon, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Charles Darwin, Steve Jobs were not good students,” reports Craig Wright.
In his research, Professor of Psychology Dean Kate Simonton also concluded that genius should not be taken as exceptional intelligence. It should be seen as an ability and a habit to be developed in order to achieve exceptional performance. Otherwise and the gifted with a high IQ do not achieve anything special.
A genius himself, Einstein was right in his extremely popular thought: “Genius is 1% talent and 99% hard work.”
Because of genes, people have different kinds of potential. That is why it is important first the parents and then yourself to understand what one can do best. Then he should make the most of his natural interest in drawing, dancing, numbers, entrepreneurship, communication, etc. to develop his abilities. Here already environment matters – the support of the family, the educational opportunities that the state provides, the values that the society professes.
In this sense, the popular understanding that genius is true is true a man who happened to be in the right place at the right time. But the efforts he himself makes for his own development are also of great importance. If you allow yourself to be convinced by the cliché that everyone is born with certain abilities and a certain degree of intelligence, you doom yourself to failure. Either because he considers himself accomplished, or because he thinks that whatever he does, he is doomed to achieve nothing special.
History shows that people considered to be geniuses have a common characteristic – they thought in a way that was different from what the majority of people are used to. That’s how they’ve been able to make connections between things that no one else has done, and they’ve achieved memorable successes.
You may begin to think in a different way than usual, but this does not happen “on a bare meadow”.
At least 4 prerequisites are required.
“All brilliant people are inquisitive and extremely persistent. The ability to relax enough to allow disparate ideas to coalesce and become something new is key to developing genius,” says Wright.
1. You must love to learn new things, persistently seek new information, be passionate about what you do. If you lack curiosity, consistency and passion at the same time, you will not achieve a genius breakthrough or success at work, say personal development specialists.
2. History disproves the popular belief that geniuses have it easy because of their innate ability. Everyone worked tirelessly and around the clock. This increases the chances of success because it multiplies skills and experience. The theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become a master has been proven time and time again. (Read about the myths and realities surrounding it tomorrow.)
3. Brilliant ideas often come in the pursuit of what most people consider insanity. Therefore, be brave to start ventures that no one has dared to do before. Don’t be afraid to question rules, wisdoms, ways that everyone considers unshakable and only possible.
4. Don’t stop listening and stealing from others. Every person is different, every opinion hides a grain of truth, something you can learn from or give you an idea.
All this means that your mind is open to constant change, and even if you don’t do something brilliant, you will be successful in your career and in your personal life.
However, there is at least 4 bad habits that will get in your wayif you do not immediately set about getting rid of them.
1. You don’t think before you speak. This is definitely not a trait that history has remembered for geniuses. They don’t chatter indiscriminately, but think about what they want to say before they say it.
2. You worry about making a mistake. Geniuses admit that they may not be the smartest and fail. They calmly accept their mistakes, and their difference from ordinary people is that they analyze them and learn from them. However, they do not let fear stop them from their intentions and ideas.
3. You are not flexible. Geniuses and smart people in general are always ready to make changes in progress, to take into account new circumstances, to see other people’s logic, to implement different options.
“Cognitive and behavioral flexibility, along with a tolerance for change, sets the stage for success,” emphasizes Prof. Simonton.
4. You don’t think for yourself. This does not mean that you should not consider the true and useful in other people’s opinions. It means allowing others to control your life because you want to please common ideas and attitudes. If you believe that the majority is always right, you will never be able to think differently from others. Ergo, you won’t achieve anything genius.
—— Still 3 important ingredients in the recipe ——
There is no recipe for achieving success and showing genius, admits Prof. Simonton. However, in his research, he has discovered what helps.
It helps the change of activities, activities in different spheres. For example, Einstein loved to play the violin and had epiphanies in physics while playing. “At a certain point, several ideas collide and show a new possible development trajectory,” explains the professor.
The motivation it is of utmost importance to develop potential and reach the peak of ability. Your own choice plays a huge role here. When a person was not forced, but forced himself to do something, then he works with desire and energy. This activity becomes his passion and his chances of achieving extraordinary success become enormous.
Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck adds another ingredient to the recipe. According to her research into the innate abilities and hard work to be developed in highly successful people there is also self-confidence. Those who consider themselves capable of solving difficult tasks accept more complex challenges and achieve higher and more original results.
In “The Right Man” you can read more:
If everyone outsmarts you at work, you’re overdoing it with learned or mental helplessness
64% prefer artificial intelligence to the intelligence of the current boss or how to work with a robot
You are a taker, giver or exchange psychotype and a surprising answer that ensures success
Vacation boredom, who cares? Find out the reason – it also affects success at work
How to deal with a fellow simpleton
Doubt – this killer of professional success
Horizontal and vertical maneuvers to the boss post
How to turn a pessimistic attitude into an engine for success
Why short leave is more dangerous than none and what is SOS
How not to let a nagging co-worker piss you off
A sure path to (failure) – the smart know when to give up, the stupid is endlessly stubborn
10 sentences that are music to the ears of the boss