Every now and then we hear about someone in school who is considered a genius. Or we may read in the papers about someone who has done something so exceptional that he is described as a genius. And, of course, in studying history, we have learned about many famous men whom we recognize as geniuses.

Exactly what is a genius, and what does it take to be one? The word “genius” is used to describe someone who possesses extraordinary intelligence. The way the world can recognize a genius is by knowing what he has accomplished.

There may be geniuses who have never accomplished anything extraordinary and who never became famous, but their I.Q.’s are, nevertheless, on a par with those who have. It may be too, that an unrecognized genius’ accomplishments are unrecognized by average standards. Many recognized as geniuses today died in poverty, believing they had failed because their work was not acknowledged during their lifetimes.

Genius is not the same as talent. To have talent, a person has to be able to do some special type of work especially well. It means he is able to acquire a certain skill very quickly and easily. For instance, a person may have a talent for playing the piano, or ice-skating, or painting.

But genius is more than talent. A genius usually contributes something to the world which we would not have had without him.

Now, it’s true that men of genius have usually specialized in some field such as chemistry, literature, music, or art. But unless the general intelligence of such a person is exceptional, too, he would merely have talent.

It is now believed that a person is born a genius. Training and opportunity bring out genius, but a true genius usually has tremendous drive which enables him to work hard and long and to overcome obstacles that would stop ordinary people.