Genius Is As Genius Does 
Posted by Black Fives in Basic, Being, Featured, History, tags: Claude’s Thought for Today, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoughts
One of America’s greatest philosophers, Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his classic 1841 essay “Self-Reliance,” said, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.”
This quote by Emerson helps reinforce my own beliefs, and provides further inspiration for my original series of inspiring, motivational, and consciousness-provoking daily messages and reminders called Claude’s Thought for Today.
Does this make me a genius? Well, genius is as genius does.
Beyond this, let’s answer that question by examining Emerson’s quote.
Apparently, all it takes to be a genius is to “believe your own thought” and “to believe that what is true for you in your own private heart is true for all men.”
This also requires knowing “what is true for you” and, what is often the most difficult part, knowing “your own private heart.”
So, if you can do these things, then you must be a genius.
This of course means that anyone can be a genius.
Now that you know you’re a genius too, why not go ahead and do like a genius by sharing your thoughts with “all men?”
That’s what I do, with the Claude’s Thought for Today series. You can sign up for it here — signing up is easy, and it’s free!
Meanwhile, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
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Happy Thanksgiving Claude!
I came by to absorb your recent post. Life is a process and it takes process to become a genius. Our lives are non-linear and we must always be mindful to pause, reflect, consider, and tune in to our hearts ….I am grateful that you inspired me to do ..just that!
Feeling Chills of Gratitude about Life.
claude—happy thanksgiving to you and your family–the thought of the day is very profound–i miss talking to the boy wonder –i know he has a comment of the day for you-you keep on keeping on–cc/i think the president could use this..
Hi Claude:
Thanks for the email. While Emerson may be a gifted writer, I consider him a weak thinker so perhaps that could be why I disagree. Here in Orange County there are three skinheads presently on trial for common assault with a deadly weapon. Their purported defense against the hate-crime enhancement is that since they love what they do, it’s shouldn’t be classified as a hate crime. They believe their own thought, they believe it in their hearts, and they believe their beliefs are universal, or at least should be universal. Clearly they are not genius. While that may be an extreme case, you know how I like to test theories at the edges. (One could rightfully assert that there is a thin line between genius and stupidity, but how would one prove that?)
I really have strong opinions on genius and think people throw that word around much too carelessly. Having met quite a few really, really smart and/or talented people and at most four geniuses, I think we need to be careful about calling anyone or anything “genius” simply because so few of us have ever experienced true genius. It diminishes the word. Genius is a rarity and if everyone was a genius or had the capability to be considered a genius under the strict definition of the word, then genius has no elevated meaning.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Are you sure you want me back? (smile)
Thank You for the Thanksgiving wish Claude; I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season as well.
Personally, rather than having genius, I’d prefer to have overwhelming perserverance, the ignorance of not knowing when to quit, and the guile to believe that I can succeed regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Karen, you’re a genius. :-) One of the key aspects of this quote that you may be overlooking is this. People who hate are out of touch with “their own private heart.” Instead, they have been taken over by their ego, which means they are only able to be in touch with their own private uncontrolled and uncontrollable thinking. If you really believe that “so few of us have ever experienced true genius” then perhaps you have not looked in the mirror lately. There’s more genius in your (or anyone’s) pinky finger alone than in all the brains of humans past and present combined. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. :-)