Everyone is a Genius
Article published on 08/11/2010
I think everyone was born with potential to do great things.
To become a genius.
But unfortunately only a few select people retain their genius and fulfill their potential. They never loose sight of their inherent and otherworldly wisdom. In spite of everything, they remain legit.
More often, people forget their brilliance. They become discouraged and are talked out of their genius. They second guess their natural intuition and eventually give up.
Have you given up?
You used to be a genius.
What happened?
Life happend. Slowly. The opinions, egos and conflicting desires of others eventually cause you to, one compromise at a time, lose track of your vision. You cave to the pressures and expectations of the world. You become *gasp* just like everyone else.
This is an easy way to live because you simply follow the current. You float happily along and hold no responsible for where you wash up.
Honestly, this is understandable. Living with genius in a world without it is difficult because it requires you to take a stand. It requires that you live with responsibility for your actions and influence. It requires you to stand out and become a target for haters who are subconsciously uncomfortable with your independence.
Whatever. Accept the challenge. Let the haters hate.
All babies are geniuses. They don’t give a fuck about your negative theories or accumulated self-doubt.
Are you really going to forget your genius and be outdone by a baby?
Well are you?
I believe sincerely that every man has consummate genius within him. Some appear to have it more than others only because they are aware of it more than others are, and the awareness or unawareness of it is what makes each one of them into masters or holds them down to mediocrity. I believe that mediocrity is self-inflicted and genius is self-bestowed.
-Walter Russell
James McCrae is a creative strategist, culture addict and writer broadcasting from Minneapolis. 
One Comment
Loving it James, I think you hit the nail on the head when you say that it’s fear of responsibility that keeps people from accepting and acting on their genius. To deny it allows the excuse of “oh well I’m not all that smart anyway” or “I’m doing as well as the average person” or “What do you think I am, a genius or something?” The thing I see people hold onto more dearly than anything else in this world is their excuses, and rejecting the natural genius that lies within us all allows for a world of excuses that most of the world is too scared to function without.