RS 1 How To Be A Genius

 “How to Be a Genius” by David Dobbs. This article appeared in the September 2006 edition of the New Scientist. This is my reaction to How to Be a Genius.

This was a very interesting article to me and I believe the main point is something everyone can learn from. I think the main point of this article is that, even though we are all different and have different abilities, genius' are built or created and not born. Throughout the article Dobbs references famous people such as Tiger Woods, Steven Hawking, Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Yo-Yo Ma and Mozart. Although we know these people as superstars or genius' or masters of music today, they had a long road to get to where they are. 

Another part of Dobbs' point is that even though these people may have been born with talents that helped them, they still had to work extremely hard and for a lot of years to get to the top. This holds true for Dobbs story as well. He explained how he easily excelled in school in the beginning, but because of that began to develop a sense of entitlement. He soon realized that rising to the top is not a matter of "natural buoyancy" as he thought it was. His writing talents didn't extend beyond his education at first and he was left wondering why. He eventually realized the key when he started putting in the extra hours of work.  

Although talent can help in becoming great in something, it can also impede your progress. It is easy to become cocky when things come very easily to you. Drive and will to work hard are very important because those are the things that keep you going and keep you focused on your goal. Things like talent and IQ can help but they can also get in your way. Steven Hawking said "people who boast about their IQ are losers". Statements like that show why Hawking was able to eventually takeoff and achieve what he has. It took him until his mid twenties to get his breakthrough, but he did.   

Taking years of hard work and practice to achieve something may seem intimidating, but I think that what separates those who want to get to the top and those who don't. This reading definitely shows through many examples that hard work is just as important as any physical or mental gifts one may possess. The talent will go to waste if you are not willing to work with it and master it. Although it takes years to master one's craft, getting there is the ultimate reward.