Why there are no "geniuses" anymore

Helen Lewis swung by JOETowers to chat if anyone is actually a genius - and what who we label "geniuses" tells us about society.

She argues that "genius" is a romanticised idea: the notion that extraordinary talent excuses bad behaviour or moral failings. Think, Elon Musk.

She unpacks how celebrated (almost always male) figures like Edison, Einstein, Picasso, Tolstoy (and even Elon Musk) benefit from a halo effect that glosses over serious flaws such as abuse, neglect, misogyny, and selfishness.

She traces the historical roots of the term “genius,” linking it to hierarchy-driven ideologies and the eugenics movement, arguing that intelligence testing and the “innate talent” narrative come with harmful baggage.

Helen Lewis is a journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic. She is a former deputy editor of the New Statesman, and has also written for The Guardian and The Sunday Times.

Her new book "The Genius Myth" is out now.

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