Show notes
This week, Scott sits down with acclaimed journalist and Atlantic staff writer Helen Lewis to explore her latest book, The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea. Together, they examine how society defines—and often distorts—the concept of genius. Helen argues that there’s no universal, objective definition of genius, and that the people we anoint as such often reflect what a culture values, rather than any absolute measure of brilliance.
Highlighted moments
I think it's quite hard for people who are living with mental illness to be told constantly that it is this thing that should be improving their lives or there's some kind of nobility and grace in it. When for lots of people that isn't their experience, it is just a wholly negative one
“there is no objective definition of genius and there never can be. Societies anoint exceptional people as geniuses to demonstrate what they value. We call some people special to demonstrate what we find special.”
Transcript
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