What Makes a Genius – Thinking Outside the Box

(This is a portion of one of my speeches at Toastmasters International. I hope you enjoy it!)

At an early age, Jacob Barnett was “different” from other kids. At age 2 he was diagnosed with autism. The specialists told his parents he would not be able to read, write or speak.

• At age 5, Jacob was behind in speaking and socialization skills. Daily therapy and special education seemed to make him more distant and less happy.
• Hi mother Kristine Barnett (a nursery school teacher) made 2 decisions that would forever change their lives:
o She decided to homeschool Jacob.
o Se allowed him to indulge in 3 activities he loved: drawing, solving puzzles and mathematics.

• At age 6, while playing with shapes, Jacob built a series of mathematical formulas involving multiple shapes. A review from a physics professor concluded he was developing his own mathematical model for astrophysics.

• At age 10 he finished the entire state of Indiana curriculum for grades 6-12 in a little over a year. He was then accepted at Indiana Purdue University where he studied astrophysics and earned money by tutoring fellow students in advanced mathematics and working as a research assistant.

• Before starting college he started to work on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Princeton University professor Scott Tremaine looked at his papers and discovered he was using his photographic memory and his IQ of 170 to expand Einstein’s theory and develop his own. His first paper was published at age 13.

• At age 12, Jacob Barnett’s presented a speech at TEDx called “Forget What You Know”. It explained how the current traditional learning process curbs thinking outside the box. It was a brilliant presentation, once you are able to accept the fact he breaks most of the rules of public speaking. The volume of voice is too high or too low, he can’t stay at the same spot, sometimes he talked too fast and dressing code is not great. However, this is not relevant. His speech is.

• At age 15, he was the youngest person admitted at the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada where he finished his Master’s Degree in one year and started his PHD studies. The patron of the Perimeter Institute is no less than Stephen Hawking (former Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University for 30 years– a chair occupied by Isaac Newton).

What is unique about folks like Jacob? Maybe the best way is to look at other similar examples in history:

Example 1:

• Had difficulty with social interactions.
• Tactile sensitivity.
• Difficulties learning in school, including difficulty speaking.
• Social interaction issues.
• Difficulty holding jobs.
• Married, had 3 children for which he showed love & concern but he could not stand being touched by them.

(Albert Einstein)

Example 2:

• Unintended facial expressions and constant motion of his hands.
• Sensitivity to intense and high sounds – making him sick.
• Excessively active.
• Impolite and prone to mood changes. Lack of ability to handle social queues.

(Mozart)

Example 3:

• Solitary Child.
• Very interested in gadgets.
• Avoided interactions with people as much as he could.
• Difficulty having face-to-face communications. Letters were his preferred means to communicate.
• Obsessive compulsive.

(Charles Darwin)

Example 4:

• Very shy. Inability to relate to others.
• Difficulties in public speaking.
• Sensitive to loud noises.
• Obsessive in remodeling his home and eccentric.
• Showed abnormal tendencies such as using slippers on important meetings and a mocking bird on his shoulder when interacting with others.

(Thomas Jefferson)

Let’s imagine how many more geniuses were lost simply because they did not fit in the mold that society imposed to them. Do not judge or label - “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Being different does not mean problematic. See the potential instead of a problem. Reality is relative. Is the status quo on a subject the ”reality “ or simply our own inability to accept different ideas? Are we able to accept that we don’t know what you don’t know?
A long study from Nature Magazine on exceptional children analyzed what it takes to produce the scientists who will lead the 21st century.
In 1968 professor and Researcher Julian Stanley from John Hopkins University started his (now famous) Study of Mathematically on Precocious Youth (SMPY). It contains recommendations to encourage achievement and happiness in smart children:

● Expose children to diverse experiences.
● When a child exhibits strong interests or talents, provide opportunities to develop them.
● Support both intellectual and emotional needs.
● Praise by effort, not ability.
● Encourage children to take intellectual risks and to be open to failures that help them learn.
● Beware of labels: being identified as gifted can be an emotional burden.
● Work with teachers to meet your child’s needs. Smart students often need more challenging material, extra support or the freedom to learn at their own pace.
● Have your child’s abilities tested. This can support a parent’s arguments for more-advanced work, and can reveal issues such as dyslexia, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, or social and emotional challenges.

Maybe the best way to summarize this idea is represented by a portion of the (now) Steve Job’s famous speech:

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”