A definition of genius I really like is “talent hits the target others can’t hit, genius hits the target others can’t see”. Partly because it is based on actions rather than personality (do something over be someone) and partly because my actions occasionally qualify. 😎
Conversation
The definition is I think the same as Elizabeth Gilbert’s definition of a genius as an external entity, a daemon, that visits some of your actions if you show up everyday. It’s an extrinsic, situationist definition of genius rather than a vanity one. ted.com/talks/elizabet
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On days your genius visits you can hit what others can’t see. On other days you can expect to work at showing off your talent at best. And talent is neither necessary, nor sufficient for genius generally. Mediocrities might get higher frequency genius visits by being more open.
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One reason I’ve been in a bit of a funk for the last few years is that I haven’t felt like I’m hitting targets others can’t see for a while. I don’t think I’ve hit one since Premium Mediocre (note: once you hit it, everybody has always-already seen it).
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This heat signature of a “genius hit” is fairly clear. I sense it in the work of others too. And it’s gone down across the board. Genius recession. Before ~2016, I felt in touch with genius once every few weeks/months at least. A feature of the Great Weirding is genius-blinding.
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This is not specifically about bicoastal elitist blue culture being down or bullshitters getting their comeuppance, though there is definitely some of that. Genius really isn’t visiting anyone, Red or Blue, afaict. Trump is consequence rather than cause of genius recession.
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Fanciful explanation, there is a netherworld of daemons connected to ours via which they transit to visit us. That portal has had, a wall shall we say, built across it. A few still sneak across and visit some of us occasionally, but overall it’s a genius recession.
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I’ll get the ball rolling — retroactive simplicity. Something that makes the whole world (or your whole niche) say “why didn’t I think of that?” Perhaps this is what you mean by always-already

