OT: The Genius Famine

[Laeeth Isharc via Digitalmars-d-learn]

Since there are some highly creative and intelligent people here, 
self-selected to be those who enjoy working on problems that are 
intrinsically interesting, I thought one or two people might 
enjoy reading some extracts from a forthcoming book on the topic 
of creative accomplishment and the endogenous personality by 
Professor Bruce Charlton, Professor of Medicine at Newcastle 
University.

If it's not your bag, then no need to read it!

http://geniusfamine.blogspot.co.uk/

This book is about genius: what it is, what it does, where it 
comes from.[1]

And about geniuses: especially why there used to be so many and 
now there are so few; what was the effect of an era of geniuses, 
and what will be the consequences of our current Genius Famine.

This book describes the genius as an Endogenous personality; that 
is, a person of high intelligence combined with a personality 
driven from within, an ‘inner’ –orientated personality: that is, 
a dominated by the Creative Triad of (1) Innate high ability, (2) 
Inner motivation and (3) Intuitive thinking.

When high intelligence and this type of personality are 
confluent, a potential genius is the result. But to fulfil this 
potential the Endogenous personality must find and accept his own 
Destiny, and must undergo the trials and tribulations of a Quest 
before he is likely to be rewarded by an Illumination: a 
breakthrough.

Even then, the breakthrough must be noticed, understood, 
accepted, implemented by society at large; and we describe how 
past societies were much better at recognizing and making a place 
for the potential genius. Because the problem is that the 
Endogenous personality is usually an awkward and asocial 
character at best; and often an actively unpleasant person and a 
disruptive influence.

Geniuses are altruistic, in the sense that their work is 
primarily for the good of the group; and not for the usual social 
rewards such as status, money, sex, and popularity.

Therefore many geniuses need to be sustained in a long-term way; 
and their work demands careful attention and evaluation.

We argue that modern societies, by means both indirect and 
direct, have become hostile to genius and indifferent to the work 
of those relatively few remaining geniuses.

However, because the work of a genius is necessary and 
irreplaceable, we argue for a change of attitude. Modern society 
needs geniuses for its own survival in the face of unfamiliar, 
often unprecedented, threats. Therefore, we must in future do a 
better job of recognizing, sustaining and accepting guidance from 
as many geniuses of the highest quality that can be found.