Little Book of Genius: Omniscience, Sophistory and Talent

The problem is not our inadequate genetic assets, but our inability to tap into, and develop, what we already have.

Genes are not a 'blueprint' that bless us with some greatness; how we are raised determines how smart we become. Nurture and experience reshape our genes, and our mental capital.

Certainly it is important to have good genes, but that is at most 50 per cent of what we become. Genius is also in our intelligence, which is the skills that we develop through hard work. Intensity of motivation, ambition, persistence, and self-discipline are not just products of genes, but are shaped by nurture and environment.

No matter who you are, if you would like to be smarter — the road upward is open for you.

'One is not born a genius; one becomes a genius.' — Simone de Beauvior