The Genius Myth
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Summary
Everything you think you know about genius is wrong.
Most discoveries don’t come in a flash of inspiration. Most high achievers aren’t obsessive loners with high IQs. Most ‘geniuses’ have collaborators and well-developed support networks. What is a genius? Very often, it’s the person who takes the credit.
Helen Lewis takes aim at the myth of the solitary genius, exploring historical and contemporary examples to show how a set of stories influence our idea of the word.
This mythology would not matter so much if it didn’t have a human cost. The Genius Myth lays bare the invisible support enjoyed by our most celebrated individuals: their collaborators, their teams, their wives and parents and family wealth and connection, all quietly tidied from the historical record.
By understanding the past and current models for genius, The Genius Myth works towards a possible future of a more egalitarian meritocracy.
Most discoveries don’t come in a flash of inspiration. Most high achievers aren’t obsessive loners with high IQs. Most ‘geniuses’ have collaborators and well-developed support networks. What is a genius? Very often, it’s the person who takes the credit.
Helen Lewis takes aim at the myth of the solitary genius, exploring historical and contemporary examples to show how a set of stories influence our idea of the word.
This mythology would not matter so much if it didn’t have a human cost. The Genius Myth lays bare the invisible support enjoyed by our most celebrated individuals: their collaborators, their teams, their wives and parents and family wealth and connection, all quietly tidied from the historical record.
By understanding the past and current models for genius, The Genius Myth works towards a possible future of a more egalitarian meritocracy.
