Robert Peters writes:

>What is a genius? What is the difference between a great composer and
>a genius? Is Mozart a genius and Prokofieff not? Why? Is John Lennon a
>genius? What, then, is a genius? (Serious questions.  I studied literature
>and know the Goethe definition of genius.  But who can for sure state that
>Goethe and Shakespeare were geniuses and Guenter Grass and Iris Murdoch
>are none?)

Since I started the thread, am an artificial intelligence scientist, and
like John Lennon I feel compelled to reply to this interesting question -
What is a genius? I won't bore you with Webster's definition.

First, I distinguish between a genius and a very knowledgeable person.
Having an incredible amount of knowledge, as such, does not make one a
genius.  Also, one can be a genius at one thing and not another.

For me a genius posses two qualities

1) a keen insight into a subject so as to understand it well enough to have
the confidence to challenge contemporary thinking on the subject - this is
what they are a genius at (usually.as a result of having the courage to
cast away everything one was taught, and look at something entirely
differently i.e.  creativity, especially its fundamental axioms.)

2) a willingness and deeply felt obligation to risk their reputation by
asserting ideas that go against contemporary opinions, especially those
held by the establishment and their peer group.  "Talent does what it can,
genius does what it must".  Geniuses are not concerned by what people
think.  They know they are right about their ideas on the subject, or will
be ultimately proven right - ultimately being right is the key distinction
between geniuses and arrogant fools.

Having #1 without #2 makes one a latent genius - no courage, usually
due to a high value placed on a sense of propriety and authority instilled
into them during a strict upbringing and a great desire (need) to be accepted
by others.  Geniuses are ultimately rebels like Beethoven who reportedly
refused to use the servant's entrance, Chopin who refused to be told how
to finger the piano and John Lennon who refused to be told how to express
himself in music.  Others include Freud (it took guts to publish those
ideas), Darwin who told us we came from apes, Copernicus and Galileo who
bravely challenged the Church, and Picasso, et.  al.  who challenged
conventional thinking about art.  This caused Oscar Wilde, also a genius,
to say "The public is wonderfully tolerant.  It forgives everything except
genius." What the public, often a mass of sycophants, really doesn't
forgive is someone's having the courage to rebel.  The A student is fine
as long as he knows his place.

This is the distinction, for me, between geniuses and really smart,
intelligent, knowledgeable, and even creative people, of whom there are
many.  This is why those who have nothing to lose (reputation-wise) often
become geniuses.  Liberace was a genius at show business.  Those with much
to risk, like reputation in their profession and status in society, are
very hesitant in expressing strange ideas, which may be correct, and that's
too bad as they may be giving up their place in history as a genius for a
place as a really smart person.  Oscar Wilde also said "Any idea that is
not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all" (dangerous to
established thinking, of course) Geniuses have many such ideas.

Smart people have good ideas, know they are correct, and consider how the
ideas are likely to be received and what people might think to determine
whether or not to assert them.  Geniuses have good ideas, know they are
correct, and don't care what people think.  The resentment of a genius
usually comes from their not caring what people think which is ultimately
an insult to the people.

To determine if a person is (was) a genius, one must not only look at their
work (accomplishments) but what they had to cope with from their peers and
the establishment.  Did they have the courage of their convictions? IMHO

I know this is a really controversial subject and offer these as my
thoughts on it.  As such, it would be more productive to hear others
thoughts than a critical analysis of mine.  Its one of those words like
"good music" that everybody has a right to their own definition.

Bill Pirkle