The definition of genius varies depending on who you ask and when. A genius in the Renaissance may not be a genius in the 21st century. But if we ask Craig Wright, a music historian who has studied the brightest people in history for more than two decades, “a genius is a person with extraordinary mental powers whose original works or concepts change society in a significant way for the future”, for better or worse, in all cultures and as “over time” He explained to the BBC.
Wright is a professor at Yale University, where he teaches ‘Exploring the Nature of Genius’ and has written a book called ‘Exploring the Nature of Genius’.Secret habits of geniuses‘. “IQ and academic grades are overrated,” according to the expert, and in his book he details the common characteristics of geniuses, and it turns out that this list does not include some characteristics erroneously associated with humanity’s exceptional achievements. tremendous talent. Even if we do not have any special talents, we can still achieve great professional success..
There are some quirks that the smartest people have that have a scientific explanation. This does not mean that you are not smart if you do not have them, or on the contrary, if you have them all, you are smart; but they are smart. Four habits that highly talented people often display.
They are obsessed
As Wright explains in his book, genius does not appear suddenly. “This ‘eureka moment’ is actually the culmination of a long period of brain gestation, the culmination of work driven by a persistent obsession in the smartest people,” Wright said in an interview. on BBCHE “Passion is a driving force that manifests itself as hard work and can range from love for something to obsession.”. It is this obsession that gets them to where they are.
Moreover, the expert assures in one chapter of his book: “Parents who force their children to focus on one activity in order to become the best Olympic swimmer or the next Nobel Prize winner in Physics are making a mistake.” fable of the fox and the hedgehog: the fox knows a lot about different things, the hedgehog knows a lot about one thing. “What most of these people have, in one way or another, is lateral thinking. They see different things at the same time because they have a multitude of experiences, and as a result, they can combine different elements that others cannot because they are seemingly different.” Encouraging different passions is the best way to develop what we want to develop.
They bite their nails
Onychophagia, according to Psychology TodayIt is considered a pathological oral habit and grooming disorder characterized by chronic and seemingly uncontrollable nail biting. Nail biting is often associated with anxiety because the act of chewing nails relieves stress, tension, or boredom, but it is merely synonymous with irritability or anxiety. This study He suggests that people with this craze may be more likely to be perfectionists. Perfectionism, according to professor of Cognitive Development at UNIR Faculty of Psychology Sylvia Sastre-RibaIt is one of the conditions that contribute to excellence in very intelligent people. “It is clear to all of us that motivation is needed to develop potential, but the idea that perfectionism is also required to move potential from seed to tree does not seem to have been established yet,” he explains. In addition, perfectionism is a psychological structure associated with perfection and Optimal manifestation of high intellectual capacity.
Nail biting can be a form of self-stimulation and concentration that provides mental relaxation and helps stimulate creativity. in intelligent people. Despite being careful, it can occur without symptoms of another psychiatric condition, and it can also be associated with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, separation anxiety, enuresis, tic disorders and other mental health problems. experts explain.
They prefer to work alone
According to various studiesMany people with high abilities also have greater sensitivity to stimuli; The opposite of this situation does not happen. This study was from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. found a correlation between higher sensory sensitivity and higher intelligence; This suggests that smarter people process sensory information more deeply, which explains why feeling overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, and crowdsand why they choose to work in solitary and quiet spaces.
They are talking alone
Albert Einstein repeated these phrases out loud all the time, and it turns out geniuses do this often, too. Talking to yourself can be a sign that you have more advanced thinking, memory and perception skills According to a study from the universities of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The study found that when participants were instructed to remember and find objects, they were more successful if they said the names of the objects out loud; because, according to the researchers, “We activate the visual features associated with these objects in our brain, which in turn activates them.” It helps us find them more easily.” Well, Talking alone helps organize thoughts, and voicing problems helps us solve them..
In psychology, this is called self-directed speech or private speech and According to experts at Élice PsicologíaIn addition to encouraging memorization, increasing motivation, clarifying our goals, and improving the reflection process, it “makes one capable of producing much more intelligent and organized responses.” If this internal dialogue is positive, it also strengthens our self-esteem.
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