The quintessential definition of “genius” usually includes something about being incredibly good and knowledgeable in a certain subject. Indeed, based on the idea that genius is related to work rather than brains, it seems that if one works long enough in a certain subject, one can develop a focused genius in that area. This is not what I want to do. My interests are too broad to allow me to focus solely on one subject. Instead of becoming a focused genius in a single, vertical, field of knowledge, I want to become a genius in all areas.
To clarify, I do not realistically believe I can be recognized as a genius in many different fields. Rather, I would like to attain the kind of intelligence that is a genius at combining the many aspects and professions of life to create something new and exciting. I call this type of genius “lateral genius,” and it is my developmental goal in life.
Achieving Lateral Genius
Well, I’m not really sure, I haven’t reached that point yet. It seems to me though, that the best way to become a genius at integrating life is, as in all things, practice. Simply, every thought, idea, or piece of knowledge that enters my mind should be integrated with as many other aspects of thought as is possible. As time goes on, this skill of integration will progress to the point where every piece of knowledge becomes a part of a fully connected mind.
Example
Differential equations deal with relating the rate of change of a quantity to the amount of the quantity present. In a drawing, the rate at which I change from one color to the next is related to the amount of that color already on the page. Detective Sam Shady notices that the rate of the latest string of murders is increasing based on the number of deaths that have already taken place. Obviously the killer is growing bolder, but now Detective Shady is able to predict quite accurately the times of the next few deaths as a function of the previous murders.
The preceeding paragraph contains a random train of though relating to differential equations. The key point is to take a skill or piece of knowledge and apply it to as many different situations as possible. Practicing this one skill constantly will yield interesting and seemingly spontaneous insights that would not be apparent to other observers. Such a flash of inspiration is wonderful to experience and may be called… a flash of genius.
Other Reading
These posts helped stimulate and clarify my thinking.
How to Live a Rich Life Portfolio of Passions [Life Optimizer] – Maintaining many different interests in harmony.
How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying [Scott H Young] – Combining and integrating your knowledge.
