The Traits of a Genius

by Irene Helen Zundel

We all marvel at great accomplishments, and admire men and women with brilliant minds. Haven't we all gaped in wonder at the magnificence of the Great Pyramids in Egypt? Don't we appreciate the great inventions of Thomas Alva Edison?

When we learn of these geniuses and witness the physical results of their inspired ideas, we tend to see their abilities as far beyond anything we ourselves could accomplish. In our minds, these people and their creations are somehow miraculous and rare.

Would it surprise you to know that genius is latent within all of us?

Contrary to popular belief, talent is not inherited like the color of your eyes and the dimple in your chin. Intelligence is not bestowed in the womb and carved in stone. It can be nurtured, developed, and expanded. It is the natural function of the human brain to learn, and to explore and enlarge it's own mental powers. Humans use generally less than ten percent of their brain's capacity. The task at hand then, is to unleash the vast untapped potential lying dormant within all of us.

There are three important concepts to remember when educating children:

First, realize that children are susceptible to both positive and negative reinforcement. They tend to adopt the characteristics that significant people in their environment ascribe to them. Pronouncing children, dull, lazy, or incapable of succeeding is uttering a prophecy that they will seek to fulfill. Calling them bright, talented, and creative produces a self-induced Pygmalion Effect. Children that have the attitude they can turn "rags to riches" will be likely to succeed in life.

Second, tell your child that "failure" is an inherent part of learning. It takes persistence and practice to master a skill. Once it is learned, it then becomes a habitual part of our physical and intellectual repertoire. The key is not to give up before the task is learned.

Take, for example, learning to ride a bicycle. At first it is difficult to acquire the balance, coordination and reflexes needed to successfully start, ride, maneuver, and stop the bike. Our first efforts are tentative, and our errors and mishaps are frequent. As our skill and confidence increases our performance improves greatly. Our movements have become well-executed, fluid, and second nature to us. Even if we don't bike ride for a very long time, once we have learned, we can pick up the skill needed to ride in a matter of moments.

The reason this occurs is because riding a bike, or learning any other new thing by repetition and persistent practice, causes the brain to build new neural pathways to remember the activity and send the myriad of messages needed to the various nerves and muscles in the body. Each time an activity is repeated, the neural pathways are strengthened, the body memory is enhanced, and a habitual pattern is formed in the brain. If this were not so, EVERY activity would have to be constantly relearned, and life on even the most basic level would become very cumbersome!

"Failure" is not a sign of stupidity. It is not something to be feared or to be ashamed of. It is merely an indication that a skill has yet to be completely mastered by the brain and body, and some more work needs to be done.

The antidote for apparent "failure" is always encouragement to persevere!

Third, make your child aware that the brain is an amazing instrument, far more capable than even the most sophisticated computer. Remind them that no matter what he or she wants to learn and achieve, the goal is always attainable. They already possess within their own skull everything they need to succeed!

Ponder this marvelous fact about the brain:

There are an estimated one hundred BILLION neurons, or nerve cells in the human brain. In your brain or mine, the possible number of connections and interactions between one neuron and all the others outnumbers the number of atoms in the universe! If one brain cell has such awesome potential, what is the entire brain capable of? In a nutshell, the human brain is virtually unlimited in what it can do, and no human being can possibly exhaust all of it's possibilities!

There are many ways to keep your children's minds sharp, and their intelligence growing:

Have them engage in sports. Physical exercise increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. Oxygen is the fuel used by the brain cell to carry out all of it's intricate functions. Increasing the oxygen supply gives the brain a "high-octane" performance.

Teach them to play mind games such as chess, checkers, Scrabble, backgammon, bridge, and poker, and to do various kinds of jigsaw, verbal, and mathematical puzzles. They increase the mind's ability to think abstractly and strategically.

Be sure they learn some memory enhancement techniques.

Encourage the use of imagination in learning and problem solving.

Provide opportunities for your children to nurture their creativity.

Expose them to classical music and encourage them to play a musical instrument. Studies indicate that playing classical music in the background during study periods can facilitate both learning and recall. Musicians tend to score considerably higher than their peers on standardized achievement tests.

Instill in your child a curious attitude about life and encourage them to continue to read, learn, and try new things.

To learn more about the brain and how to tap into it's limitless potential, read these books:

The Three Pound Universe

by Judith Hopper and Dick Teresi

Putnam Publishers, 1986

The Amazing Brain

by Robert Ornstein and Richard F. Thompson

Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984

The Secret Language of the Mind

by David Cohen

Chronicle Books, 1996

And visit these websites:

www.buzancenter.com — the homepage of author and genius Tony Buzan.

www.mensa.org — the homepage of Mensa International. Challenge yourself and try the Mensa Workout!

www.syvum.com — a wealth of information about online education, interactive learning and much more.

This article is an excerpt from my 2001 book, Make Your Kid A Genius! (Tools to Maximize Your Child’s Potential from the Womb Through College.) You can obtain a free copy in the "downloads" section of my website at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com