EVERYBODY IS A GENIUS

 

 “Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it’ll spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

The quotation above is one of the quotations attributed to Albert Einstein, himself a genius. How often do we refer to some people as geniuses while we don’t see ourselves as one? We usually think a genius knows everything and is almost always right but if some facts about him (which are presented below) are critically considered, he should not be considered a genius. The main thrust of this piece is that we can all be outstanding, if only we concentrate on our strengths and ignore our weaknesses and distractions.

I want you to consider the following facts about Albert Einstein and see if they are fitting for not just a genius but Time Magazine Person of Century.

1.    Einstein was a very late starter.  He began to talk at four and had to try out entire sentences in his head or muttered them under his breath until he got them right before speaking aloud. He did this until he became fluent at 9.

2.    He failed his university entrance exam. He passed the math and science aspects of the exam but failed in history, languages and geography. He had to go to a trade school before taking the exam again the following year.

3.    He had a poor memory and often forgot birthdays of relatives and his home address. He did not know his phone number. There is a story that when he was working in Princeton University, one day he forgot his home address on his way home. The driver of the cab did not recognise him. Einstein asked the driver if he knows Einstein’s home. The driver said “Who does not know Einstein’s address? Everyone in Princeton knows. Do you want to meet him? Einstein replied “I am Einstein. I forgot my home address, can you take me there? The driver took him to his home and did not collect his fare from him. It is also said that it was not uncommon to see Einstein wandering around the Princeton area in the afternoon because he could not remember where he lived.

4.    Though he was a genius in physics, he was bad at spelling and he never learned how to drive a car. He was often seen riding a bicycle or walking.

5.    When he was offered the presidency of Israel, he declined the offer and stated in his official letter of refusal he lacked the “natural aptitude and the experience to deal properly with people,” and that he was getting old.

6.    He was estranged from his wife; had a difficult relationship with his first son and allegedly had an illegitimate daughter. He was also a serious smoker.

So what is your conclusion after reading the foregoing facts? Einstein was a late starter but the general assumption is that geniuses can be recognised from childhood. He failed his university entrance examination. Do geniuses ever fail in their studies? Einstein had a poor memory and even forgot his home address! A genius who forgets things easily seems unheard of. He was also not good at spelling. What kind of genius is that? I thought geniuses had photographic memories!

So what was Einstein’s secret? From his quote above, I can conclude that he knew very well to concentrate on his area of strength. He knew his limitations and that was why he rejected the offer to become the president of Israel. How many of us can turn down such an offer of a lifetime? That Einstein had marital and family challenges, and that he was a chain smoker shows that geniuses are also humans who have their own frailties.

Let me state here before you misconstrue my submission: I strongly believe that Einstein was a genius. In fact, I believe he was one of the brightest minds to have ever lived and that he deserves to be called a genius. Yes, he deserves to be called a genius.

The point I am driving at is that a genius is not someone who is perfect but someone who knows how to exploit his strengths (and understands his limitations). I believe all of us can reach the level of a genius, if only we can concentrate on our strongest areas.