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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Genius Myth summary
Helen Lewis
A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea
21 mins
Brief summary
The Genius Myth challenges the traditional notion of individual genius by highlighting the importance of collective intelligence and collaboration. It suggests redefining success through creativity and shared contributions within communities, fostering a more inclusive cultural narrative.
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The Genius Myth
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The making of a myth
The word genius comes into English straight from Latin, but in the days of ancient Rome it meant something quite different. Back then it referred to a deity, or guardian spirit of an extended family or place. It gave a group or a region a sense of continuity and character. If a person had sudden insight or inspiration, they would be said to have possessed a genius, meaning they were inspired by this spirit in a particular endeavor or situation.
It wasn’t until the Renaissance that individuals came to be called a genius, meaning someone vastly superior in intelligence, talent, or creativity. It was the artist Georgio Vasari who is credited with coining the term Renaissance, though he used the Italian rinascita to describe the rebirth of the classical tradition he witnessed in Florence in the first half of the sixteenth century. He also wrote some of the first and most enduring narratives around genius that still influence culture today.
Like superheroes, the concept of individual geniuses didn’t emerge without an origin story. Giorgio Vasari published The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects in two volumes, in 1550 and 1568, featuring names that may now seem synonymous with genius, like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Categorizing geniuses as secular saints is no exaggeration: the book was based on the earlier Greek tradition of hagiography, or writings on the lives of the saints.
Vasari chose to write the book in the common language, a Tuscan dialect, and not Latin. He further broke from tradition by writing about the lives of artists instead of aristocrats or nobles, even though artists and architects were considered lowly manual laborers.
He crafted their stories carefully – he turned Michelangelo into a kind of artistic monk, for instance. One so dedicated to art that he had little care for food or wine, often slept in his clothes, and wore the same boots for so long that when he finally removed them, the skin of his feet came off as well. Such an intertwining of suffering and art has become so commonplace that calling someone a “tortured artist” is cliche.
In his accounts of the life of Leonardo da Vinci, we encounter even more genius stereotypes. Leonardo’s story is the archetype of the absent-minded polymath, a person so talented in so many areas that he rarely completed anything beyond sketches. In his youth, we are told, Leonardo showed such advanced abilities that he quickly surpassed his teachers – a prodigy archetype echoed in figures from Mozart to Bill Gates.
Finally, by dying relatively young and leaving so much unfinished, Da Vinci is an early example of the “genius gone too soon.” Dying young leaves society forever wondering what else a genius might have accomplished had they lived longer, and adds the implication that genius itself exerts a high price. From Keats to Curt Cobain, this dark side has endured for centuries, too.
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What is The Genius Myth about?
The Genius Myth (2025) traces how Western culture transformed genius from a collective spirit into an individual trait. From Renaissance artists to tech pioneers, it reveals the hidden forces behind iconic success stories – and urges a more nuanced view of intelligence and its limits.
Who should read The Genius Myth?
- Art and history lovers seeking the hidden forces behind cultural narratives
- Psychology buffs intrigued by the power of archetypes
- Curious readers exploring how modern myths fuel ego, exceptionalism, and cruelty
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