Genius vs Prodigy
The long game of becoming something better.
I constantly stop and can’t help myself from thinking about how grateful I am for everything I’ve been able to do, the people I’ve been able to meet, and not only being able to do these things once but also experiencing them daily. It becomes clearer every day that I’m on the right path. The things I love become more evident, reinforcing how valuable all of this is.
I really wish I could put all of it into words, and maybe one day I’ll do a better job of explaining it. I found a quote from Vincent Van Gogh that I think perfectly describes the pursuit—it’s a constant journey that never truly ends unless I don’t wake up in the morning. But until then, it will continue.
“[A man] does not always know what he can do, but he nevertheless instinctively feels, I am good for something!… There is something inside of me, but what can it be?”
Interestingly, Vincent Van Gogh didn’t become what he is known for until he was 29. Before that, he spent his time as a gallery curator, a teacher, a bookseller, and a minister. So I guess there’s something to this—I’ll continue to embrace the opportunities and experiences that come across my path and help others do the same. To keep striving for something so far out of reach that it may seem impossible.
Some days, that goal feels just a few steps ahead; other days, it seems a million miles away. But that’s the cool part—if the pursuit never ends, we get to experience it forever. Not just alone, but alongside our “team”—our loved ones.
It’s also important to define what exactly we are striving for. In my last writing, I talked about the pursuit of greatness being this arbitrary target—essentially having no meaning, or perhaps too much meaning. In The Hidden Habits of Genius by Craig Wright, he distinguishes between a genius and a prodigy. A genius partakes in creative acts, while a prodigy excels at something. For example, Albert Einstein was a genius. A 7-year-old violinist who can play exceptionally well is a prodigy—but they haven’t necessarily changed the game.
Prodigies shouldn’t be confused with athletes like Michael Jordan, the Williams sisters, or, in CrossFit, Mat Fraser. These athletes redefined what it means to be great in their respective sports.
After reading this distinction, it became clear to me that I wouldn’t particularly want to be a prodigy, nor would I place my value solely on being able to shoot a basketball well or do burpees faster than the person next to me. That’s not to say prodigies should be dismissed—many geniuses start as prodigies and eventually evolve, turning what they do into something greater. That’s the point I’m making: once you can do something well, what else can you do to make it better?
Of course, not everything needs to change just for the sake of change, but that doesn’t mean we should be content with a stagnant world.
THINGS I’VE BEEN READING/REVISITING
The Hidden Habits of Genius by Craig Wright - I do have to say there are some things that I don’t like about this book. Specifically chapter 2, but besides that he makes some interesting points.
$100 Million Offer by Alex Hormozi
Just Six Numbers by Martin Rees - I’ve been having trouble reading this one becasue I feel like it’s a simplified version of the book I recently finished Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark.
THINGS I SAVED
Tom Robbins// "The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion, and the tyranny of the dull mind forever threatens…but our lives are not as limited as we think they are, all things are possible, laughter is holier than piety, freedom is sweeter than fame, and in the end it’s love and love alone that really matters."
Rainer Maria Rilke // "Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them...the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
Hayao Miyazaki // "In my grandparents’ time, it was believed that spirits existed everywhere...in trees, rivers, insects, wells, anything... I like the idea that we should all treasure everything because spirits might exist there, and we should treasure everything because there is a kind of life to everything."
**the image used for the preview of this blog is not mine.**