28-06-2025
From Elon Musk to Paul McCartney – who can we really call a genius?
In her new book, Helen Lewis makes a persuasive case for why we need to focus on great ideas and not the egos of 'geniuses'
Most people believe geniuses exist, but we prefer to keep the concept at arm's length. Calling someone in our social circle a genius – especially if they claim to be one – feels laughably excessive. The myth survives by keeping it at a distance.
Helen Lewis, journalist for The Atlantic and author of Difficult Women, isn't out to debunk genius itself. The 'myth' in the title refers to the myth-making that bolsters someone to the status of a genius. Her scepticism is less about the concept than those who embrace and propagate the label.
