The trouble with geniuses, or some…the burden of the lone wolf
A gift so great, yet on its own… a different tale altogether
Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers is an interesting read, no, even more than that it is a thought provoking read
Two chapters in particular stood out for me, The trouble with geniuses, part 1 and 2.
Malcolm ends the chapter with the words that no one ever made it alone. And that is what we forget. What happens to the lone wolf?
What happens to the kid who can not, yet, speak for himself and respectfully challenge authority?
Often we brush off kids and others of our age or perhaps older as expecting them to have a certain set of skills, yes, the world can be a harsh place, but, where is the love?
What prompts or stops me from taking time with my little brother and teaching him to avoid the pitfalls of over-encumbering restraint by urging him to put himself out there?
What inspires me to try and interact more with strangers and put in effort to overcome a disdain for over-encumbering authority and misplaced motivations of guardians and soar?
Where is the rage to want a piece of the cake, bigger than what I have been served? To pursue rightful confrontation instead of passive complaining?
As I write this, I remember a story I wrote about seeing others implement ideas I once had. And perhaps one of the answers to it is based in a combination of some or all of the following. The discomfort of sticking up for myself, being expected to fall in line just because someone was being generous. Voicing an opinion apologetically because the people who mattered felt threatened or too bothered. Too bothered to take a moment of reflection and either seek more opportunities where I would flourish or refer me to someone else who could mentor me, they sought to exert their over encumbering authority.
Lone wolves know how to care for others and more easily see the pain others go through because they have been there.
But who will guide the lone wolf?
Who?
You, dear reader, could be a lone wolf, you have learnt to fend for yourself. You clawed your way out. You are proud of yourself, as you should be.
The butterfly effect, what combination of experiences and are needed to push the lone wolf out of this place.
In Malcolm’s book, a great factor that separates the outcome of geniuses in their later years is culture.
So, for the unlucky ones, the ones who find themselves in a culture that does not give them the opportunity to grow the extra set of skills that they require to be well prepared to navigate the world beyond books.
I do not know who needs to read this, but if you have an idea, pursue it relentlessly. Do not tire.
Also, read the book, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
For the one with a way to help bring the lone wolves into a nurturing pack, reach out. We can do this, one at a time.
An English teacher told me there is might in words, perhaps this was what he meant. Thank you Waiganjo Ndirangu.
To Erick Kariuki, provoked me to read this book, thank you.
