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I have been pondering the question about genius thinking.  Are some people considered to be geniuses, or do people attain genius-level thinking?  In other words, is genius thinking a genetic gift, or is genius a level of thinking we can achieve?  If it is something to attain, how do we sustain that level of thinking?  Let us dig into these questions and get our minds dirty. 

Merriam-Webster offers some insight.  The definitions of genius (plural genii) are an attendant spirit of a person or place.  A person who influences another (good or bad) can be accused of being his brother's evil genius.  It is a strong leaning or inclination; a peculiar, distinctive, or identifying character or spirit.  For example, consider the genius of our democratic republic government.  Also, genius is a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude; extraordinary intellectual power, especially as manifested in creative activity.  And finally, it is a person endowed with exceptional mental superiority, a person with a very high IQ.

Genius can be an influence, idea, or ability.  Now we are getting somewhere. Let's start with the latter.  You can attain genius-level thinking.  The duration of that high level of thinking is variable.  In other words, genius-level is unsustainable.  It is not constant.  People with higher IQs seem to sustain it longer than most.  Albert Einstein must have done some bone-headed things during his lifetime.

Genius as an idea is fascinating.  If we all contribute to the mental ether, this means genius-level ideas can be all around us.  The energy required to conceptualize the electric lightbulb probably did not start in Edison's brain.  It is more likely that something external sparked his brain to conceptualize the incandescent bulb.  To think like a genius...

Finish Reading to Think Like a Genius