The smartest people I personally know teach themselves
They create their own solutions
I’ve noticed people often assume those considered a ‘Genius’ are those who have the most knowledge.
Sure, knowing a lot of information does help as you have more information to draw upon when trying to solve problems. However, I don’t think this is the main factor when concluding what makes a genius.
The smartest people I personally know are those who can teach themselves. They do not rely on one specific person to provide them with information they can just go copy and paste. They have a problem they need to solve, and they can go and find the necessary information to solve that problem, whether that be on the internet, through asking questions to mentors and key people of influence, or through trial and error.
Quite often that problem has never been solved. There is no current solution that they can just copy and paste. They therefore create new knowledge by finding a solution that has not been done before.
An obvious example of this is Steve Jobs. He envisaged how people should use technology before it became commonplace in society. He aimed to solve the problem of making technology user-friendly and more accessible so it can contribute more to everyday tasks and communication. He drew inspiration from other companies such as Xerox and LG to solve problems that many people had yet to consider a problem.
To find a solution to unresolved problems you need high levels of creativity. How else would you formulate the questions and find the methods to be able to solve the problem without being highly creative?
How has knowing this helped me?
I don’t claim to be a genius, but I have been lucky enough to work alongside people who have these qualities. This is what I have learned:
I can learn anything. Learning anxiety should not exist. Some topics may take me longer to learn but that does not mean I cannot learn them. My perseverance for problem solving has increased dramatically.
Ask questions. Constantly. Some questions might not even make sense, but out of the hundreds of questions you develop, the key few will resonate with you. This provides better direction for your problem solving.
Give yourself space for creative play. Encourage trial and error. You don’t learn by getting it right the first time.
Don’t copy and paste what you learn. Combine ideas. Add your own twist.
Patience. Teaching yourself takes time.
Be hyper-focused. This may come naturally to you. If not, do everything you can to remove distractions.
So, when you need to find a solution to a problem you have, just remember the above.
Keep embracing creativity
Dr Phil Price
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