The Hidden Habits of Genius Summary 2023 - Deepstash

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The Hidden Habits of Genius Summary

About The Hidden Habits of Genius Book

“An unusually engaging book on the forces that fuel originality across fields.” --Adam Grant

Looking at the 14 key traits of genius, from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession, Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University's popular “Genius Course,” explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world. 

Einstein. Beethoven. Picasso. Jobs. The word genius evokes these iconic figures, whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society.

Yet Beethoven could not multiply. Picasso couldn’t pass a 4th grade math test. And Jobs left high school with a 2.65 GPA. What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today? Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules, when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite? And what is genius, really?

Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course,” has devoted more than two decades to exploring these questions and probing the nature of this term, which is deeply embedded in our culture. In The Hidden Habits of Genius, he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses,” past and present.

Examining the lives of transformative individuals ranging from Charles Darwin and Marie Curie to Leonardo Da Vinci and Andy Warhol to Toni Morrison and Elon Musk, Wright identifies more than a dozen drivers of genius—characteristics and patterns of behavior common to great minds throughout history. He argues that genius is about more than intellect and work ethic—it is far more complex—and that the famed “eureka” moment is a Hollywood fiction. Brilliant insights that change the world are never sudden, but rather, they are the result of unique modes of thinking and lengthy gestation. Most importantly, the habits of mind that produce great thinking and discovery can be actively learned and cultivated, and Wright shows us how.

This book won't make you a genius. But embracing the hidden habits of these transformative individuals will make you more strategic, creative, and successful, and, ultimately, happier.

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The Hidden Habits of Genius by Craig Wright
ALBERT EINSTEIN

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”

ALBERT EINSTEIN

204

ISAAC ASIMOV

“Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.”

ISAAC ASIMOV

172

Curiosity

Curiosity

We are born curious. Children learn from their surroundings by touching, smelling, and looking at everything. It is our best and most effective tool for discovering new things. However, some people are born with a deeper sense of curiosity that allows them to learn constantly.

We can also cultivate curiosity. Whether traveling, reading, or finding yourself in a new situation, be curious and present. It is a great first step in your journey to becoming more knowledgeable and accumulating new and innovative perspectives. 

159

Embrace Childishness And Look At The World With New Eyes

Embrace Childishness And Look At The World With New Eyes

Picasso himself said, “It takes a lot of time to become young.”

A fresh, young, and somewhat childlike view of the world is often closer to genius than a grown-up perspective.

199

Cultivate Curiosity

Cultivate Curiosity

What distinguishes rare geniuses like Leonardo from the rest of us is that they seem to be curious about almost everything.

To develop a sense of curiosity try things you would not normally try. New topics in books and magazines. Wonder unknown areas of the city. Explore life in a multifaceted way as curiosity makes life richer.

190

Focus Your Undivided Attention

Focus Your Undivided Attention

The ability to concentrate and focus to develop deep thinking is a key feature of genius.

Concentration can come naturally or you might need to devise rituals that enable you to concentrate. Deep thinking is fundamental to develop your ideas and you need to seek ways to focus your attention for long amount of times.

182

Let there Be Childishness

Think like a child. Be grateful lik a child. Happy like a child. Embrace a kind of childishness. View the world from the eyes of a child.

53

It takes a lot of time to become young.

PABLO PICASSO

44

Be Curious

Take, for example, the entries on Leonardo’s to-do list for a single day in Milan. His tasks included calculating the area of the city and its suburbs; finding a book describing the area’s churches; learning how to square a triangle mathematically; examining a crossbow; finding out how to repair a canal lock; and asking a man about the measurement of the sun.

Be curious in everything you see around you. What is the house made of?the towels? This device? What are you made of? Why are you feeling sleepy?

50

The genius always be productive to herself. He never thinks about losing/who will win he only do his work.

ANUJ

1

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