“This newsletter serves a demographic of highly intelligent readers, deep thinkers, life hackers, preppers, entrepreneurs, and survivalists. I especially focus on those with a passion for ideas, critical thinking, strategic game theory, and a desire to understand the world around them. Readers of my posts are usually tired of being patronized elsewhere by fact-less, opinionated know-nothings, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news.
The Life Strategies Playbook & Mentoring Program is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
“Knowledge is power, wisdom brings meaning, contentment, and happiness!”
The Life Strategies Playbook & Mentoring Program is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. (Sign up for free at the end of this newsletter)
———————————————————
———————————————————
On a personal note: Please excuse grammatical errors, typos, repetition, and any general nonsense, and such in this post. I am getting a bit older now, and I have about 20,000 pages of information that must get published before I leave the mortal coil. I simply write and publish more than my humble editors are able to correct. If you find enough errors you are welcome to contact me about being an editor of my work.
Thanks for sharing this newsletter with your friends and associates -
Join us for daily tips on personal development at our free Self-Improvement for Beginners Community and Forum on Facebook
Click Below or cut and paste the URL to Join
https://www.facebook.com/groups/455029215769173
———————————————————
A 3 - Minute Read
In recent months some of my friends have observed my interest in preppers, survivalist culture, and simple living and proclaimed that I am a genius or mentally ill.
This got me thinking. I know I’m not mentally ill. Eccentric? Yes! Mentally ill? No! But what defines a genius?
I’ve been reading a lot lately about the strange and even dysfunctional behavior of people generally considered to be creative geniuses. I’m specifically speaking of Elon Musk and Kanya West who often say and do strange things.
So what does it mean to call someone a genius?
According to Wikipedia, genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabilities of competitors. Genius is associated with intellectual ability and creative productivity. It may refer to a polymath who excels across diverse subjects.
Of course, there is no scientifically precise definition of a genius. The term is also defined as exceptional ability itself, as simply genius without the article. In that sense of the word, sometimes genius is associated with talent, but several authors such as Cesare Lombroso and Arthur Schopenhauer systematically distinguish these terms. Walter Isaacson, the biographer of many well-known geniuses, explains that although high intelligence may be a prerequisite, the most common trait that actually defines a genius may be the extraordinary ability to apply creativity and imaginative thinking to almost any situation.
So let’s look at the flip side of this. If we can’t really define genius, can we define what it is to be “normal?”
The dictionary defines normal as a behavior that is consistent with the most common behaviors of most people in common situations. In other words, normal, can be used to describe individual behavior that conforms to the most common behavior in society. For example, a man wearing high heels, and a bikini in the middle of a snowstorm would not be considered normal. It might not necessarily be dysfunctional but it is definitely not normal Kanya West spouting anti-Semitic nonsense is not normal.
Consider the fact that normal behavior is often only recognized in contrast to abnormality.
The truly visionary and creative artist or the innovative thinker is seldom what we might call “normal!” One of the key challenges for passionate creators is to develop habits and patterns that will provide them with highly functional lives. It isn’t easy to create a functional reality when you are living on the emotional edge, and mentally out of the box a good part of the time.
With this in mind the question must be asked, “What is normal, and what does it mean to be functional?” There really is no rigid definition for either word. Of course, we can speak of behavior that is considered normal or functional for an individual when it is consistent with acceptable standards within some small defined community of painters, singers, dancers, sculptors, or inventors.
Normal or functional is also used to describe individual behavior that conforms to the most common behavior in a creative group or the larger society. Of course, definitions of normality, and functionality vary by person, time, place, and situation — it changes along with changing societal standards and norms. Normal and functional behavior is often only recognized in contrast to abnormality, and dysfunctionality.
“Before I start carving the idea must be almost complete. I say ‘almost’ because the really important thing seems to be the sculptor’s ability to let his intuition guide him over the gap between conception and realization without compromising the integrity of the original idea.”
……………………..Barbara Hepworth
In its simplest form, normality is seen as good while abnormality is seen as bad. Of course, in a dysfunctional society, a person who refuses to act “normal’ may be viewed as abnormal though they might be more emotionally healthy than most of the population. For the extraordinary person, there is less of an interest in being normal and more in being functional. Being able to live in ordinary society, and make a positive contribution without drawing negative reactions towards themselves from common thinkers.
It is not always easy for extraordinary thinkers to act normally. This is especially so being that normality has been functionally and differentially defined by a vast number of disciplines, so there is not one single definition. In general, ‘normal’ refers to a lack of significant deviation from the average. The challenge for the extraordinary person is that someone who is seen as normal, or not normal can have social ramifications, such as being included, excluded, or stigmatized by a group or the larger society. Why is this a challenge? Who would want to be normal if being so reduced your ability to be creative, innovative, and visionary? Who wants to be average?
The Takeaway
The French sociologist Emile Durkheim understood and indicated in his Rules of the Sociological Method that we could not function as a society if the concept of “normal” was defined too rigidly.
.….and remember, life is not a dress rehearsal!
——————————————————————————————————————
Author: Hey there. My name is Lewis Harrison, and I am a transformational coach, teacher, and prepper. I am a proponent of entrepreneurism and also a writer and seminar leader. The author of over twenty books, and numerous self-improvement, business success, and personal development courses, I am the former host of a talk show on NPR Affiliated WIOX91.3 FM.
“I believe to be more effective, efficient, precise, productive, successful, and more self-aware we need a coach or mentor. I have always had coaches and mentors, usually more than one. If you are ready, willing, and able to give up your unnecessary struggle, consider contacting me about becoming your coach-mentor. We can begin with a fifteen-minute call to see what your needs and challenges are and how I can help you address them”.
———————————————————
The Course
I will soon be offering a 2 1/2 hour - five-part course on How to Find Happiness through the Best Self Improvement Tips. The tuition for the course is $47. Enrollment will begin in just a few days. The course will include tips on emotional healing, personal finance, simple living, and non-dogmatic spiritual practices. This low-cost, content-rich course will be fun, informational, motivational, and inspirational. Get ready for a life-changing experience!
Lewis
———————————————————
I can be contacted directly about the course, business and life coaching, and more advanced training in how to win the game of life, at LewisCoaches@gmail.com
To get regular tips, techniques, life hacks and prepper shortcuts join our Self Improvement for Beginners Facebook community of creators and innovators. It’s free. Click just below the arrow to join!
The Life Strategies Playbook & Mentoring Program is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
