Vadim Cheshirsky - The problem of capacity. The genius of tomorrow

© Vadim Jurevich Cheshirsky, 2020

ISBN 978-5-0051-1851-6

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Numerous attempts to prove that genius and talent have something to do with the shape of the skull and brain size did not somehow receive serious and credible evidence.

There are quite a large spread between brain size and skull shape among the talented people. Usually extreme variants are given.

One of the biggest volumes of brain belongs to Turgenev – 2012.

The smallest amount (one of the smallest) of the brain volume and consequently the skull belongs to Anatol Frans – 1017.

However, such a difference from the average value of brain volume (1450, specify) did not prevent this (and other) very talented people to achieve very bright brilliant results.

In the same way as in other areas of basic science, art (all genres), politics, technology, sports and others – some difference in the volume and size of the brain is neither an obstacle nor an advantage.

Attempts, after the death of prominent people, to preserve their brains, followed by the study of at least some correlation between professional outstanding achievements and at least some features of brain structure have not led to any significant results.

Flashed “sensation” that (supposedly) gene of talent and genius has been opened turned out to be “somewhat exaggerated” and not confirmed. Numerous (I would say endless) attempts to trace and prove how talent and genius are inherited, do not clarify the situation. So whether capacities, talent, genius are inherited or not. If not, then where do all these talents and geniuses come from?

In the scientific and popular science literature devoted to the problem of capacities, the genius of so many well-known names is analyzed in great detail. Two mutually exclusive conclusions are made.

Talents are inherited (in Bach’s family, Mozart and so on). And there is “the famous truth” that nature rests on children of geniuses. At the same time, it is possible to give numerous facts that prove both one tendency and the opposite. In the sum of these two big trends, a large zero is obtained. That is, only the cultural professional background, the tradition of respect for professionalism, some conditions under which a young representative (representative) of a creative family can develop as a creative person is inherited… And may not develop!..

The question of origin of talent remains open.

To the author of these rows, it appears that it is not necessary to waste time proving that talent is inherited. Almost 200 years since the time of Sir Galton there have been attempts to consider how in the families of wealthy well-born aristocrats, many active professionally successful people have been born for several centuries.

These aristocrats again have children and again they are successful. In this basis, the talent is inherited. At the same time, in the same families children are born, which are difficult to suspect of any significant talents. That is to say that talents are not guaranteed to be inherited. (“Nature is resting…”)

And on the other hand, many people, having no support from relatives (and the state), achieved outstanding results in various fields of science, politics, all kinds of arts, sports, technology, etc.

So, talented and capable people can manifest themselves not only due to the fact that they were born and brought up in very comfortable and favorable financial conditions. Talents are just as likely to appear in very underprivileged families living on the verge of poverty. One or both parents die very often in early childhood of the future prominent figure.

He/she can be brought up by very distant relatives and even then not in the most mild conditions. Many examples of these options can be given. The author of these lines deliberately does not want to elaborate on numerous examples of “from what rubbish verses grow…”.

Examples of education and “lack of manners” of the future “winner”, “capitalist competition” (and socialist, too) are in thousands of serious scientific literature and numerous periodical press of various “yellowness” and authenticity.

The author deliberately does not dwell on the various theories of heredity of talents capacities.

Firstly, over the past almost 200 years of studying the inheritance of talents from the time of Galton’s no significant evidence of inheritance of talents was revealed.

Secondly, it seems to the author that the ordinary average person has all the necessary biological formations – “makings”, from which it is possible to “pull out” any capability with the help of appropriate techniques “from nature” in the stage of predisposition.

Since childhood, we used to believe that there are types of jobs, occupations and educational disciplines that require appropriate capacities and those that do not need any special talent.

Traditionally, it is believed that in order to become a politician, musician, actor, artist, scientist, etc., one must necessarily have appropriate inborn aptitude.

However, to be a fitter, plumber, cleaner, driver, loader, janitor, etc. – no “natural” special capacities are required. Here it is enough of some formal non-long training – and the professional is ready.

In order to become an artist, a musician, a poet, an actor, a singer and other representatives of an art – of course, it is necessary to study the profession, but… It is clearly not enough. In addition to professional education, it is necessary to have a certain natural gift. A kind of gift from above, which, regardless of your labor efforts, will necessarily lead you into people. That is, into those people whose portraits are printed in school textbooks, encyclopedias, scientific reference books. Or even are made a monument. In the center of the large square. In the center of the big city.

To let the fog around the talent and capacities, representatives of various kinds of arts, literature, painting, music, in the theatrical and cinematographic environment like very much. The notion of talent, of special capacities is surrounded in this environment by a halo of special occultness and mysticism. Talent is something unknowable, unstudied in principle. It is always a gift from above. Some are rewarded by the heaven, others – not.

Talents are “distributed” by the providence (?) … It’s the Lord God!.. (God has awarded you-me-his-her talent… That is destiny… That is nature… Mother Nature has awarded generously… this person). They called him Genius during his lifetime, he had several sons. But Mother Nature decided to rest on them…

In the theatrical and artistic environment, you can often hear the word “genius”. For every reason and without reason.

In the environment of the exact sciences of mathematics, physics, natural science (geology, biology, medicine, chemistry, etc.) the word “genius” sounds less often. The terms “genius” and “talent” are used somehow more sparingly and strictly.

In order for someone to be called so, one has to open something at least, it is better to have students and preferably – more of them!

And one more thing.

Several decades must pass, so that the person can steadily be called a “genius”.

So, there are also lifetime variants. But less often. If you exclude the elements of sheer toady, you must be a very bright star in your profession and field, so that you can be called a “genius” during your lifetime.

Genius, as a rule, is ahead of his time. Therefore, for the ideas, concepts, plans, solutions, theories that he expressed, to designate (or, on the contrary, refute) his truth or falsity, it is necessary that some time has passed. Some years? A few dozen years? A few hundred years? This is how it will turn out!