Not a genius but a prodigy

I think the word ‘genius’ is used too liberally in day-to-day contemporary language usage when the word ‘prodigy’ should probably be used in its place. A genius is a person of any age who produces highly original and transformative achievements while a prodigy is a young person who demonstrates exceptional mastery of a specific skill. A genius pioneers new domains while a prodigy is a master of existing domains. Though genius and prodigy are both impressive, I think true genius is rarer than prodigy.

And while there is inherent subjectivity associated with both these words, genius and prodigy are both terms that someone ascribes to another individual, meaning that individuals should not rightfully be calling themselves geniuses due to subjective biases. If you are a particularly accomplished individual, perhaps it is alright to think of yourself as a genius, but what ultimately solidifies a person’s status as a genius is more of a democratic process in which members of a society collectively calls you a genius based on your objective achievements. To call or think oneself a genius is purely an exercise of stroking one’s own ego, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in terms of boosting one’s confidence so long as it’s done in moderation.

A prodigy, on the other hand, is much more common than a genius especially at the younger age levels. I think most people tend to idolize prodigies because there is just something impressive about the ability to truly master a domain that the average person cannot. I think every parent who has any sort of competitive flair to them would want a prodigy, and if they weren’t completely in on the true definitions of the words, they’d probably think they have a genius on their hand.

But to be a genius is to be somewhat of an outcast. After all, the true geniuses of history were in fact outcasts–think Isaac Newton, Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, John Nash–with some even being castigated and labeled as heretics. In this sense, being a genius is sort of the opposite experience of being a prodigy whereas a prodigy has mastered a existing skill that others can comprehend, a genius brings into the world new ideas that society may need time to truly appreciate. To be a genius is to be misunderstood.