3 ms·
The Polgar sisters are not geniuses in any general sense of that word. Interesting enough as that "experiment" may have been, it only proved that certain perso
by armitron 10y ago
The Polgar sisters are not geniuses in any general sense of that word.
Interesting enough as that "experiment" may have been, it only proved that certain persons of a certain background that includes genetic history unknown to us, can reach high degrees of competence in one __specialized__ field. Chess is also particularly well-coordinated with years of repetitive practice and dedication, but genius? I think not.
You could replace chess with playing the piano even, and the outcome would be the same.
- jacobolus 10y agoAfter having interacted with many people who were called “geniuses” in various settings (e.g. Nobel Prize winners, Fields medalists, best-selling novelists, at least a half dozen MacArthur “genius” grant recipients ...), I don’t consider “genius in any general sense” to be a real thing. YMMV.
- armitron 10y agoLook at my previous post for a definition of genius that makes more sense and a possible explanation for its current debasement.