Saturday, May 8, 2010

Being a Genius

This afternoon I found this quote at John O'Leary's blog, Business Lessons from Rock:

"It is not the business of authority figures to validate genius, because genius threatens authority."

-— Gordon MacKenzie

Worry not about the genius label. Move forward with your brilliant ideas. Validation from authority may never come.

11 comments:

Opaque said...

Yes, moving forward without expecting the fruit of validation is the smoothest and happiest way to go. Nice quote! Thanks for sharing!

Judith Ellis said...

Ah, Ajey, fruit is nourishment and it is good. Unfortunately, if we expect it or wait for it, it may not ever come. So, move forward anyway. Go get it!

Big Mark 243 said...

Eagles soar at lofty altitudes that only other eagles can reach. Finding yourself among the flock is a sign that you aren't testing yourself and getting the most out of your experience.

Judith Ellis said...

I can appreciate that, Mark.

JOHN O'LEARY said...

THAT explains why my ears got red yesterday! Thanks for noticing, Judith. (Which reminds me, I gotta update my monthly quote.)

I highly recommend Gordon MacKenzie's wonderful book, "Orbiting the Giant Hairball," about his career as Hallmark's creative iconoclast. Tom Peters justifiably raves about it.

Dave Wheeler said...

Judith,

"Validation from authority may never come.". You are so correct with that point...as you always are! As I have gotten older, I care nothing about approval or validation from "authority". Validation comes being a part of the change process, taking something and making it better. If one waited for validation, one would be static for some time. What's the point in that?

Judith Ellis said...

John - You should know by now that very little gets passed me. :-) Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll check it out for sure.

Judith Ellis said...

"Validation comes being a part of the change process, taking something and making it better. If one waited for validation, one would be static for some time. What's the point in that?"

This is so true. I love the opening especially and the ending question. That's about everything, eh? :-) Thank you, Dave.

zorro said...

"It is not the business of authority figures to validate genius, because genius threatens authority."

I can't say I'm impressed with such sentiments these days. Its what the tea party and the Glen Beck's and Rush Limbaugh's preach almost daily. We have become a society of self styled rebels. Ironically, this just adds up to a bunch of noise that only reinforces the status quo. Everything can be discounted as 'an authority' even scientific fact or a hard copy printout of Obama's birth certificate .

Judith Ellis said...

Good point, Zorro. But it does not negate the truth of the saying because thoughtless wingnuts spin it for their advantage. If we allow that, they form the argument and debate. No, we can be thoughtful and understand rightly the essence of sayings and move forward in truth and power. Let them fall by the wayside. We shall not.

Judith Ellis said...

Here is a quote by Goethe that I just came across: "It is the property of true genius to disturb all settled ideas."