Like all young men I set out to be a genius, but mercifully laughter intervened.
Lawrence Durrell
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What constitutes being a genius? What are the qualifications? You can take a Mensa test and pass it. You can have your IQ measured. You can out think and out talk your friends. You can flash your Phi Beta Kappa key across the over stuffed vest of your three piece suit. And you can brag to yourself about how intelligent you are. But do any of those things qualify you as a genius? On the other hand if you can make a healthy patch of squash grow where no one else could you may have the right to the title.
Einstein said he wasn't a genius but that he was just very curious. And he had a good sense of humor.
It took me many years before I was able to look at myself with a comedian's eye. I got offended when friends laughed at the things I said and did which I considered important and serious. They told me I was too sensitive. They were being kind, although I didn't realize it. But eventually the subjective gave way to the objective and I was able to see the clown's nose on my face. Then I was on the door step of seeing how humorous the world is and particularly the human race. We can smirk at the antics of babies and some animals but to really get that down in the rib cage laugh we have to see an adult human acting like an idiot. Things we do are worthy of a good French farce or a Neil Simon comedy, and that's why they've been written.
In theatre, one of the definitions of farce is " a passion carried to a ridiculous extreme." Even after the awakening to my own foolishness I would sometimes get caught up in such a passion. I could say to myself "Come one, DB, you're being ridiculous." But I knew the farce had to play itself out and that one day the "comedia" would be "finite" and I could then laugh at myself for it.
Now I get to laugh at the self-important antics of our politicians and TV personalities. Who's wearing the clown's nose today and at whom is she or he thumbing it? It's very entertaining. I once queried if the Congress was ever going to be comprised of grown ups. But the fact is they are all grown ups. That's what makes them so funny. Are there any geniuses in the group? It's hard to tell considering the muddy playing field they're on. But mud wrestling has always been an amusement for some.
So what constitutes a genius? I don't know, but a very curious, intelligent person with a sense of humor gets my vote.
DB - The Vagabond
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AUTUMN QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
At what event of the past do you wish you could be present? Why?
5 responses so far.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
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5 comments:
Very good post. I think someone with an emotional IQ is important as well. I heard the average person only laughs five times a day. Gosh, I laugh more than that at my computer in the morning, and I live alone. Does this show intelligence or madness or both? LOL Love the post, Dana. xox
Liked your response to what makes a genius, sounds good to me along with someone who has a caring heart and just doesn' think about just themselves. DB, have a good day your way.
I look for emotional intelligence in a person also.
You can quote Socrates to me & still have no emotional vocabulary whatsoever.
I prefer a mix.
What's so funny?
I have deleted amost all the blogs I was following.
Why am I laughing?
I am still here!
I think evidence of a genius is only possible after they have done something that is leaps and bounds above what has been done before, otherwise, they are just good at what they do. If you have to whip out a card or credential, then you just don't get it. I say humility is an ingredient as well.
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