The Genius Myth with Helen Lewis | 319

This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

In this episode, we unpack the assumptions, the history, the marketing machine behind the myth of being a genius.

Does being brilliant give you a free pass to be an a-hole? Should success in one area automatically make someone untouchable in all others? We’ve been sold a very narrow definition of genius—usually male, usually white, usually arrogant—and it's time we ask harder questions about who gets labeled brilliant, who doesn’t, and what we’re really celebrating when we throw that word around.

Joining us to dissect all of this is Helen Lewis—staff writer at The Atlantic, host of Helen Lewis Has Left the Chat and The New Gurus, and author of The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea. Together, we’re challenging the idea that genius must look like isolation, ego, or cruelty—and exploring what it could look like instead: collaboration, curiosity, and collective brilliance.

Because genius shouldn’t be a party favor handed out with a TED Talk and a net worth. It’s time we redefine what brilliance really means—and who gets to own it. And maybe it’s time we stop obsessing over the genius and start recognizing the value in the collective brilliance all around us.

Connect with Helen:

Substack: https://substack.com/@helenlewis

The Genius Myth Book

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