5 ms·

How to Get to Genius

86 points by espeed 16y ago

hammock 16y ago
This is a great read, not your typical HN amateur blogger overblown post. Understanding intelligence to be the recognition of patterns illuminates why and how things like perspective, experience, solitude, and creativity all play into "genius." Also a great quote which I had not seen from Galileo: "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." This notion is something I struggle with when revealing insights to others, because people are so often willing to say "well duh, that just makes sense" without realizing that it's actually a novel insight to them.
- espeed 16y ago
  You know when you're writing a proposal, an executive summary, or pitching something it's a good idea to lead with the problem first, or lead with a question that gets the person you're engaging to try and think of a "solution" for what you are about to present to them? (http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/04/the_art_of_the_.html http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/04/the_art_of_the_.html) Getting them to try and think about the problem ahead of time will help them realize that may not have a solution for what you are about to present so they are in better position to understand the significance of what you are about to say.
  - hammock 16y ago
    Good tip! The problem-solution framework is a classic obviously but I will give you all the credit because I wasn't really thinking about it in this context! Thanks.
tammam 16y ago
very interesting article. It's good to look at the brain from a scientific, hardware/software perspective. I think it's also important for us to observe our thought process to improve, as some call become more aware.
kristofferR 16y ago
Great read. Just a quick note though, you have not installed Disqus correctly. The same two comments are showing on all pages for me.
- espeed 16y ago
  Thank you -- brand new site and first blog post -- still working some bugs out :)
  - kristofferR 16y ago
    Any reason why you don't use Wordpress?
    - espeed 16y ago
      I prefer Python over PHP, and I wanted to experiment with the Flask framework -- and Flask BTW has been really nice to work with.
solson 16y ago
The article is thought provoking. I'd say genius is a habit. The habit of thinking about things most people don't think about and thinking about them in ways most people won't think about them. But I believe anyone can acquire the habit with practice. The reason few people do, is that it is risky. Unless the individual is extremely socially adept, this habit is social liability. Why, by definition the habit makes you odd and most of us want to 'fit in.' So we tend to think about things the same way as our peers.
sunjain 16y ago
This article provides a very good insight into what makes someone a genius (and certainly it is not just the talent). I think perspective/vision is a key thing here, combined with passion and hard work.
Tycho 16y ago
I've got a theory about ideas/inspiration. Basically, if you ask a question that has no follow-up/dependent questions, then magically your brain will supply the answer (in a short time-frame). You just need to drill down to that terminal node. Most people stop further up the tree. In fact usually you're not trying to find answers, just to learn something that's already documented. Perhaps also you need the sister/cousin nodes to be in place/known, so that when the idea comes you get that final-piece-of-the-puzzle 'chink,' the Eureka feeling. Granted I've never worked on deep research problems but whenever I need a good new idea to proceed, it tends to come easily. Just by identifying where the missing link should be, you are gifted what it is.
- espeed 16y ago
  Will you give us an example?
  - Tycho 16y ago
    Until I think of one from my own life - those guys that were making the phone app for nearby people at tech events to view each others 'profiles' (with a view to striking up conversations with the right people), but had to figure out a way to get into these tech events/conferences and use the crowd to test their app. Their solution was a cracker (and eventually a spin-off business): Once live, we got like 5 users, since no one really knew about it. To promote this product, we decided to target events, since we thought that events is where people would like to meet each other. We locked ourselves in a room and asked this question over and over: “What is something valuable we can provide to event organizers so that they can promote our product?” Zac finally came up with an idea. He proposed that we could build a kiosk where attendees can type in their name, and a name badge would instantly print. (& while they're there, register for the phone app)
flipside 16y ago
Change in perspective: check, fundamentally even Insight from weak associations: check, from more sources than I can easily count Tight mental framework: getting there as fast as I can Hardware and software in the brain: check, dots have been connected Thoughts are things: vision, check; reality, in progress Path to genius: check for eureka moment from plug and play Genius?: TBD
- MarkPNeyer 16y ago
  good luck, sir!
espeed 16y ago
This is interesting. Key Robinson says that we are born with more creativity, but modern education systems are killing it: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_...
sayemm 16y ago
Great read and I think it's spot-on. It reminds me of this excellent essay by Charlie Munger (Buffett's partner in BRK), "The Art of Stockpicking": http://www.grahamanddoddsville.net/wordpress/Files/Gurus/Charlie%20Munger/Charlie%20Munger%20_%20Art%20of%20Stock%20Picking.pdf http://www.grahamanddoddsville.net/wordpress/Files/Gurus/Cha... In there, he stresses the need for having multiple models in your head, or different mental frameworks that coalesce to form a unique perspective in your field.
- espeed 16y ago
  "And the models have to come from multiple disciplines because all the wisdom of the world is not to be found in one little academic department. That's why poetry professors, by and large, are so unwise in a worldly sense. They don't have enough models in their heads. So you've got to have models across a fair array of disciplines. " This is analogs to "Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie" (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2287213 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2287213) "It can be hard to believe a true strength coach the first time he tells you that by pressing and dead-lifting on even days, squatting and doing chin-ups on odd days, avoiding all other exercises, and adding a little to the bar each time, you’ll be stronger than you’ve ever been in only a month’s time. Thanks to the fitness industry, we’re so conditioned to equate sophistication with complexity — and to think we’ve got to “work each body part” — that our gut just says, No way; that can’t work. But it works like magic, and the entire body hardens up in unison." The common principle is that you grow in balance -- if one part is deficient, it can hinder the growth of the whole. http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness-is-a-lie/print/ http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness...

86 points by espeed 16y ago

This is a great read, not your typical HN amateur blogger overblown post. Understanding intelligence to be the recognition of patterns illuminates why and how things like perspective, experience, solitude, and creativity all play into "genius." Also a great quote which I had not seen from Galileo: "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." This notion is something I struggle with when revealing insights to others, because people are so often willing to say "well duh, that just makes sense" without realizing that it's actually a novel insight to them.

espeed 16y ago
You know when you're writing a proposal, an executive summary, or pitching something it's a good idea to lead with the problem first, or lead with a question that gets the person you're engaging to try and think of a "solution" for what you are about to present to them? (http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/04/the_art_of_the_.html http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/04/the_art_of_the_.html) Getting them to try and think about the problem ahead of time will help them realize that may not have a solution for what you are about to present so they are in better position to understand the significance of what you are about to say.
- hammock 16y ago
  Good tip! The problem-solution framework is a classic obviously but I will give you all the credit because I wasn't really thinking about it in this context! Thanks.

tammam 16y ago

very interesting article. It's good to look at the brain from a scientific, hardware/software perspective. I think it's also important for us to observe our thought process to improve, as some call become more aware.

kristofferR 16y ago

Great read. Just a quick note though, you have not installed Disqus correctly. The same two comments are showing on all pages for me.

espeed 16y ago
Thank you -- brand new site and first blog post -- still working some bugs out :)
- kristofferR 16y ago
  Any reason why you don't use Wordpress?
  - espeed 16y ago
    I prefer Python over PHP, and I wanted to experiment with the Flask framework -- and Flask BTW has been really nice to work with.

solson 16y ago

The article is thought provoking. I'd say genius is a habit. The habit of thinking about things most people don't think about and thinking about them in ways most people won't think about them. But I believe anyone can acquire the habit with practice. The reason few people do, is that it is risky. Unless the individual is extremely socially adept, this habit is social liability. Why, by definition the habit makes you odd and most of us want to 'fit in.' So we tend to think about things the same way as our peers.

sunjain 16y ago

This article provides a very good insight into what makes someone a genius (and certainly it is not just the talent). I think perspective/vision is a key thing here, combined with passion and hard work.

Tycho 16y ago

I've got a theory about ideas/inspiration. Basically, if you ask a question that has no follow-up/dependent questions, then magically your brain will supply the answer (in a short time-frame). You just need to drill down to that terminal node. Most people stop further up the tree. In fact usually you're not trying to find answers, just to learn something that's already documented. Perhaps also you need the sister/cousin nodes to be in place/known, so that when the idea comes you get that final-piece-of-the-puzzle 'chink,' the Eureka feeling. Granted I've never worked on deep research problems but whenever I need a good new idea to proceed, it tends to come easily. Just by identifying where the missing link should be, you are gifted what it is.

espeed 16y ago
Will you give us an example?
- Tycho 16y ago
  Until I think of one from my own life - those guys that were making the phone app for nearby people at tech events to view each others 'profiles' (with a view to striking up conversations with the right people), but had to figure out a way to get into these tech events/conferences and use the crowd to test their app. Their solution was a cracker (and eventually a spin-off business): Once live, we got like 5 users, since no one really knew about it. To promote this product, we decided to target events, since we thought that events is where people would like to meet each other. We locked ourselves in a room and asked this question over and over: “What is something valuable we can provide to event organizers so that they can promote our product?” Zac finally came up with an idea. He proposed that we could build a kiosk where attendees can type in their name, and a name badge would instantly print. (& while they're there, register for the phone app)

flipside 16y ago

Change in perspective: check, fundamentally even Insight from weak associations: check, from more sources than I can easily count Tight mental framework: getting there as fast as I can Hardware and software in the brain: check, dots have been connected Thoughts are things: vision, check; reality, in progress Path to genius: check for eureka moment from plug and play Genius?: TBD

MarkPNeyer 16y ago
good luck, sir!

espeed 16y ago

This is interesting. Key Robinson says that we are born with more creativity, but modern education systems are killing it: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_...

sayemm 16y ago

Great read and I think it's spot-on. It reminds me of this excellent essay by Charlie Munger (Buffett's partner in BRK), "The Art of Stockpicking": http://www.grahamanddoddsville.net/wordpress/Files/Gurus/Charlie%20Munger/Charlie%20Munger%20_%20Art%20of%20Stock%20Picking.pdf http://www.grahamanddoddsville.net/wordpress/Files/Gurus/Cha... In there, he stresses the need for having multiple models in your head, or different mental frameworks that coalesce to form a unique perspective in your field.

espeed 16y ago
"And the models have to come from multiple disciplines because all the wisdom of the world is not to be found in one little academic department. That's why poetry professors, by and large, are so unwise in a worldly sense. They don't have enough models in their heads. So you've got to have models across a fair array of disciplines. " This is analogs to "Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie" (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2287213 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2287213) "It can be hard to believe a true strength coach the first time he tells you that by pressing and dead-lifting on even days, squatting and doing chin-ups on odd days, avoiding all other exercises, and adding a little to the bar each time, you’ll be stronger than you’ve ever been in only a month’s time. Thanks to the fitness industry, we’re so conditioned to equate sophistication with complexity — and to think we’ve got to “work each body part” — that our gut just says, No way; that can’t work. But it works like magic, and the entire body hardens up in unison." The common principle is that you grow in balance -- if one part is deficient, it can hinder the growth of the whole. http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness-is-a-lie/print/ http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness...