“A genius is someone who can find joy in living even stuck out in the middle of nowhere”
~ Tin Peng
This was my cousin’s definition of a genius, and it’s by far my favorite. We were headed to dinner with some of her parents’ friends, and—as often happens when being introduced to new families—my aunt got to talking about how outstanding their son was. Usually, this means how well he did in school, what school he went to, or how successful he has been in his career. My cousin, seated in the car beside me, remarked that yes, she thought their son was a genius too, but that it wasn’t just that he did well in school and was very smart. She thought he was a genius because he did great in school without having to try very hard, and because he was the kind of person who could find something interesting no matter where he was.
I never forgot her comment. Most people probably wouldn’t lot “enjoying life” in with the usual qualities of genius, but I think that it makes a lot of sense in its way. After all, being able to enjoy life isn’t always as simple as it sounds, and being able to do so no matter where you are is truly a gift in itself.
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