Genius is a term hard to define, though we all have a more or less
clear idea as to what is meant by a genius. He is a man who stands
apart from his fellows, head-and-shoulders above them, mentally or
artistically. But what is it that thus causes him to rise above
others? Is it vision? Is it originality? clever anticipation? breadth?
constructiveness? concentration? patience? common-sense? Doubtless
genius is all this, but it is also more! A genius can perform feats
which another man can not, try as he will; and more than that, he
performs them without effort or without training, very often! A certain
type of genius amounts to what we term a “prodigy,” and then we have
cases of musical, mathematical or artistic genius. These gifts are
often exhibited very early in life, for no apparent reason; they last
for a few years, and then disappear. Few youthful prodigies retain
their gifts into adult life. Often, their possessor is not even
normally gifted with reason and common-sense in other directions. Such
cases as these are unusually difficult to account for. Theosophists are
apt to turn to the doctrine of “reincarnation” for an explanation; but
we must endeavor to seek its explanation upon more naturalistic lines.
Ostwald has contended that there are two main types of genius; the
one which is emotional, erratic, temperamental, artistic, etc. This
type acquires its genius without “elbow grease.” The other is the
intellectual type, and hard work is essential for the creation of
genius of this type.
Nordau, Lombroso, and others, have endeavored to prove that genius
is closely allied to insanity. In a sense, this is true; but so are
dreams, and yet perfectly normal and healthy people dream. Because
certain marks of _resemblance_ may be found, this does not prove
_identity_, by any means! A yellow ball may resemble an orange; but it
is not identical with it--certainly not in its most essential part--its
interior, and its utility.
Genius is probably hereditary, to a certain extent. Ribot has gathered
together a mass of data, in this connection, which he has published
in his work on “Heredity.” An interesting study of this and allied
questions may also be found in N. K. Royse’s book on “Genius.”
Frederic Myers has advanced the idea that genius represents an “uprush
from the subliminal consciousness” (subconsciousness) of ideas matured
below the threshold. These ideas burst upon the surface, much as
bubbles might be said to break upon the surface of water. When the
stratum of the mind from which these ideas originate is _diseased_, we
have insanity; when, on the other hand, it is _healthy_, we find the
products of genius. Some such theory as this is doubtless true; but
the study of genius, from the scientific point-of-view, is yet in its
infancy, and the final solution of its mystery has yet to be found.