I think what people mean by "genius" is some innate ability which is much way superior (~10x) to general population.
Example: Terence Tao attending university level math courses at age 9 [1]
This cannot be explained by any checklist or regimen.
Example: Terence Tao attending university level math courses at age 9 [1]
This cannot be explained by any checklist or regimen.
There is a story of Terence where at 4 or 5 years old or so explained math to his cousins who were 9 or so years old, but my memory may not serve me right.
I share a similar experience and I am certainly not a genius. By 4 I was doing long division and multiplication, and playing with negative and parentheses; this was the consequence of attentive parents. As I grew older my environment became significantly less supportive and even hostile. At 16 I was deep in depression and almost failed math at precalc, only for the next year to have the highest scores in honors and I was against people who also did A-levels for a year and therefore had well over a year more experience.
I genuinely believe we are a) not asking enough of our brains, and b) not providing the right environment for children to grow as school is often treated as baby sitting for parents to ~~slave away at~~ work.
and that ability allows them to produce work in some field dependent on that ability that is innovative and clearly superior to other works in that field. At least that's part of my definition.
>Example: Terence Tao attending university level math courses at age 9
that's a prodigy, when they achieve breakthroughs when adult is when I start to talk about genius.
Also, the wikipedia talks about his research contribution and it is highly impressive. He is one of the top mathematician in the world.
... But the site never claimed that you'd become a genius by following the checklist. Just that you'd make a lot of progress.
The items on the checklist also do seem to be associated with many of the people that I've met who I'd call geniuses. (I've been lucky to meet a few, at least online.) For example, intellectual curiosity, stress free life, solid sleep schedule, general happiness.
It's very difficult to find an instance of a miserable genius. Misery, for unknown reasons, seems to undercut one's ability to apply their genius traits.
So although I don't think this checklist is going to transform you into a genius, it does seem to be a checklist of qualities that geniuses tend to share. I just wish it was presented in a clinical, dispassionate way, rather than a "you can too!" style.
Isaac Newton?
I imagine that pg's bio might have similar things to say, but those who knew him remember how snappy and full of energy he is. His online persona and writings give a very different impression.
So its a mix of genetics and experience in my opinion.