The spectrum of brilliance
When I was younger I sought brilliance. In myself and in others. I respected Brilliance. In my head objectively brilliant people had specific, set traits. According to me they were:
- Articulate
- Smart
- Cool
- Witty
- Kind
- Empathetic
In.that.order.
In my head, if a person had the first few traits, others would automatically follow.
Smart formula, right? Wrong
People, I found, can very well be amazingly articulate geniuses with absolutely shit personalities. This although, a real shocker, helped me revise my definition of brilliance. It also made me realise who truly deserves respect.
I still seek the same traits — But — In a different order and with one addition. Brilliant people are:
- Kind
- Empathetic
- Hardworking
- Smart
- Articulate
- Cool
- Witty (This is a fun plus)
There’s also a catch. 1 & 2 now act as filters. Here’s how:
Traits 1 through 7 make people an asset.
Traits 1, 2 and any combination of the rest makes them a worthy association.
Traits 3 though 7 make people liabilities and assholes.
A lesson learnt over 26 years now acts as a first principle. i.e. Brilliance comes in different shades, not all are worthy. Be mindful of whom you let into your head and in your life.
