Genius and Attitude

The famous Michelangelo once looked at a piece of crude-looking marble and remarked, “In there is an angel crying to come out.” As “crude” as you may appear, in you there is an “angel” of genius longing to be birthed, and attitude stands fully ready to render the necessary midwifery service.

The worst enemy of genius is bad attitude. Similarly, the worst enemy of a good opportunity, is a bad attitude.  Quite familiar is the adage: “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”  Attitude is a critical component in character development and a major determining factor in one’s destiny. Attitude is essentially the way one behaves towards a situation or cause. There are numerous factors which influence attitude, including thoughts, feelings, emotional state, perception, self-esteem, socioeconomic status, ego, knowledge, experience and environment. Therefore in order to develop and influence healthy attitudes, we will  have to positively affect these areas. This would require objective self-evaluation, with the view to making meaningful attitude adjustments, where necessary. Somewhere, in every one of us, there is that desire for genius status. We all admire those who display an unusually high level of artistic ability, skill or intelligence and there is a yearning in the inner recesses of our souls, to possess same. Who won’t like to be an Einstein? And I’m sure there are countless hearts with the craving to be a Shakespeare, Homer, Virgil or Beethoven. 

The psychologist may define a person with genius capability as one having an IQ of 140 or more. But, as reality and practical living have evidenced, real genius goes beyond mere IQ potential. Attitude, which of course will directly affect discipline, commitment and focus, is imperatively necessary. (Your attitude, not your aptitude...) In dealing with success keys and dynamics, PMA (positive mental attitude) and FOF (fear of failure) are usually projected as elements to which particular attention should be given. We are told that, generally, a positive mental attitude will neutralise the fear of failure. Attitude! Attitude! Attitude! If we can only value this precious commodity for what it’s worth! It is widely believed that genius is within the reach of many more people than the average person imagines. In fact, several respected authorities espoused the view that real genius has to do more with attitude than IQ. The tragedy we face is that too many people, with a passion for genius (or true excellence) fail in pursuit, simply because they seek to achieve the desired product by circumventing the required process. 

Everybody keeps running to seminars, conferences, workshops, the bookstores and websites, seeking quick-fix formulas and shortcuts to success. And surely, we have the modern sociological phenomenon to support the fad. We are becoming more and more accustomed to instant coffee, instant cures, fast food on every corner, tomorrow’s newspaper the night before and the world news in eighty seconds. Everything from vitamins to the global news is capsulated. The truth is, in many instances, shortcuts are really just that — they cut everything short, including our chances for authentic success, and indeed, our very lives. So many times we hear the sad expression, “Basically, he/she is quite good, very skillful but there is an attitude problem, so we cannot use him/her.” The world of sports is a common example. It’s amazing how much damage a repulsive attitude can do to the image and personality of an otherwise attractive individual. 

A bad attitude is reflected in selfishness, arrogance, vexatious complaining and undue pessimism. It can be quite capricious and vacillating, and sees almost every task or challenge as being “too hard” or “too difficult.” This negative disposition is also poor at communication skills, inter-personal skills and negotiating skills. It is usually found deficient in terms of coping skills and resents discipline, as well as correction. The healthy attitude, on the other hand, is just the opposite in all of the outlined areas. The student with the healthy attitude will always secure the competitive advantage. To a large extent, this student will be success-bound and failure-proof. The same applies to the workplace. The worker with the more positive attitude will always gain the advantage in terms of meaningful performance and upward mobility. No employer on earth — or any other planet! — likes an employee with a bad attitude. 

There is evidently an abundance of genius in the current West Indies team, for example. But, remember, the worst enemy of genius is a bad attitude! Lara’s captaincy may well be a significant part of the problem, but the real disaster (as this writer has repeatedly stated) resides in a serious attitude dysfunction which pollutes the entire team. The failure is rooted in the laissez-faire attitude and the joke that passes for discipline, which pervades the whole team, and to a considerable degree, the upper-level management. Whatever your dreams, goals, aspirations, call or calibre in life, just remember to keep attitude — along with the good Lord, of course — as your best friend. The famous Michelangelo once looked at a piece of crude-looking marble and remarked, “In there is an angel crying to come out.” As “crude” as you may appear, in you there is an “angel” of genius longing to be birthed, and attitude stands fully ready to render the necessary midwifery service.