Genius... Yes, We All Have Genius

The term “genius” often conjures images of extraordinary intellects —Einsteins and Mozarts whose brilliance feels untouchable. There is no scientifically precise definition of genius. And while extraordinary talent is usually what comes to mind when we speak of geniuses, what if genius wasn’t about IQ scores or once-in-a-generation brilliance? What if we could accept that genius is something we all have, something inherent in our creativity, curiosity, and refusal to give up?

Walter Isaacson, a biographer, explained that although intelligence may seem like a prerequisite, the trait he found most important in “geniuses” was an extraordinary ability to apply creativity and imaginative thinking to almost any situation.

When we chose the words “Super Genius” for our brand, we weren’t thinking about the elite few. We were thinking about... Wile E. Coyote.

Yes, that Wile E. Coyote. The cartoon Super Genius whose elaborate plans to catch the Road Runner almost always fail in spectacular fashion. But here’s the thing: Wile E. doesn’t quit. He creates, adapts, rethinks, and persists. He’s not just a genius because of his inventions (although they’re pretty clever); he’s a genius because he embodies what it means to be creative, determined, and resilient. He’s a little bit brilliant, a little bit flawed, and, honestly, a lot like the rest of us.

As Lawrence Kurnarsky put it, “Consider W. Coyote’s character: Is he hard-working? Does he stick with it? Is he focused? Is he courageous? Is he analytical? Is he inventive and creative? If you were a high school teacher and you needed to assess him, how would you rate such a student? … Isn’t Wile E. Coyote an exemplary role model?”

Now, I could write an entire series about Wile E. Coyote — his existential dilemmas, his misunderstood villainy, his mythical endurance. But I’ll spare you and stick to the point: genius isn’t about perfection. It’s about creativity and the courage to keep trying, even when we fail.

When we look at it this way, it becomes clear: we’ve all got genius.

What Does It Mean to Be a Genius?

The root of the word “genius” might surprise you. It doesn’t start with intelligence or talent, it starts with spirit.

In ancient Rome, a genius (from the Latin *gignere*, meaning “to beget”) was a guiding spirit assigned to each person at birth. This spirit wasn’t about intellectual prowess; it was about character, growth, and inspiration. Your genius was there to protect you, to help you through hard times, and to spark your imagination when you needed it most. We see this blend of divine inspiration and human talent in The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project, which describes genius (génie) as “he whose soul is more expansive and struck by the feelings of all others; interested by all that is in nature never to receive an idea unless it evokes a feeling; everything excites him and on which nothing is lost.”

Fast-forward to the 18th century, and the word “genius” shifted. It came to describe extraordinary talent or intelligence, a label reserved for a select few. Francis Galton and James McKeen Cattell began developing the idea of assessing intelligence, analyzing reaction time and sensory acuity to determine “neurophysiological efficiency” — what they believed to be intelligence. In 1869, Galton published Hereditary Genius, marking a major shift. He argued that genius wasn’t universal but an inherited trait passed down from eminent ancestors. This dismissed the ancient view of genius as a shared, mystical spirit and narrowed it to a privileged few.

Galton’s ideas even influenced the development of fields like eugenics (so, ew). While not all notions of genius led to such horrifying conclusions, they often reinforced the belief that genius is something only certain people possess.

Consider IQ tests, which tangentially borrow from Galton’s hereditary theories. The Stanford-Binet Test, developed in 1916, labeled the highest classification “near genius” or “genius.” This label was dropped in 1937, and David Wechsler, an American psychologist, stated in 1939 that "we are rather hesitant about calling a person a genius on the basis of a single intelligence test score.” Historical evidence backs this caution: the Terman longitudinal study tested pupils for genius but rejected two individuals whose IQ scores were too low. Those individuals? William Shockley and Luis Walter Alvarez, both Nobel Prize winners. Even Richard Feynman, another Nobel laureate, reportedly had an IQ of 125 — not high enough by conventional genius standards, and yet he is a true genius, not just for his academic and scientific achievements, but his creativity and empathy made him extraordinary.

Even in philosophy, the genius is often depicted as an exception. Kant’s genius has to be utterly unique, for Schopenhauer he has an intellect that predominates over will. Thomas Carlyle sees it as divine favor. These ideas, while fascinating, still position genius as an exclusive trait.

Reclaiming Genius for Everyone

But what if we returned to the earlier meaning? What if we saw genius not as rare brilliance but as something everyone is born with? Carl Rogers, a founder of humanistic psychology, explained that genius often stems from trusting oneself. He wrote: “El Greco, for example, must have realized as he looked at some of his early work, that ‘good artists do not paint like that.’ But somehow he trusted his own experiencing of life, the process of himself, sufficiently that he could go on expressing his own unique perceptions. … It was as though he could say, ‘Good artists don’t paint like this, but I paint like this.’”

Thomas Armstrong, in his book Awakening Genius, writes: “The word genius derives from Greek and Latin words meaning ‘to beget,’ ‘to be born,’ or ‘to come into being.’ … Combining these definitions comes closest to the meaning of the word genius used in this book: ‘giving birth to one’s joy.’”

Think about that: genius as joy. Genius as the ability to create, explore, and keep going. Genius as something inborn, not bestowed.

Genius at the Super Genius Society

David Hume once observed that society perceives geniuses much like it perceives the ignorant: as disconnected from society. When we consider someone a genius, we often put them on a pedestal, focusing on their achievements while ignoring their humanity. But Bertrand Russell offered a more inclusive view: he believed genius entails unique qualities and talents that, given the right environment, make the individual especially valuable to society. However, he also warned that unsympathetic surroundings can crush these traits in youth.

When I created Super Genius Society, it was with the belief that everyone has genius — not because everyone can solve complex equations or compose symphonies, but because everyone is born with a natural spark. That spark looks different for each of us. For some, it’s an eye for design. For others, it’s a knack for storytelling or a love of solving puzzles.

But no matter what form our genius takes, it thrives on one thing: the joy of learning.

As Armstrong reminds us, “From the standpoint of education, genius means essentially ‘giving birth to the joy in learning.’” That’s why we’re here — to help rediscover that joy, to remind ourselves that failing is just another step toward figuring it out, and to celebrate the creativity and curiosity that make us human.

Wile E. Coyote, Da Vinci, Mozart, El Greco, Richard Feynman, and You

I like to think that Wile E. Coyote was self-taught. Maybe he had a teacher once — a great one who encouraged him to experiment and embrace lifelong learning. Or maybe Wile E., like Leonardo da Vinci, he taught himself by observing, trying, and trying again. Either way, he reminds us that genius isn’t about always getting it right. It’s about showing up, experimenting, and refusing to give up or let it get crushed in us.

We’re all super genius.