Antitheses

What is genius? The blandest, and possibly earliest definition states a quantifiable measurement of someone with an IQ exceeding 140 and suchlike. Yes, like that. Blah. Then you also have the more generous "an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.: the genius of Mozart." definition, which I would tend to agree with more. Except, I hate the fact that genius has to be defined, when it really is such a lovely, malleable word! And one that I've always considered to be entirely subjective. I hate tying 'genius' down to measurements, when the beauty of the word is that thinking that someone is a genius is the most empowering, inspiring thing in the world. I've always found it comforting to find people I genuinely admire. Especially in such a putrid world.

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Am reading Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene now. As expected, very, very interesting reading, even though I had a good idea beforehand of what the book's about. Yet, to actually read the reams and reams of text that basically punch the whole we-exist-for-a-reason and there-is-a-greater-purpose schools of thought mercilessly in the guts is fuel for considerable introspection. For as long as the human race has existed, we've looked for the answer to the ultimate question, or as Douglas Adams would baldly correct, the ultimate question itself. And yet, if Dawkins is right, the only purpose we serve is that of being vehicles to carry forward through time our 'selfish' genes, the primary units of evolution. If so, however, why do we insist on believing, so stubbornly, that we mean more? Why do we so desperately seek a greater cause? I suspect we're engineered by our genes to think and function that way. I doubt we could consciously live each day with the knowledge that we're all merely highly sophisticated containers, and it would seem that that is ultimately the reason why we continue to pretend that it must all add up to something more. After all, we're of no use to our genes dead, now, are we?

There's a reason the hamster mill was a human invention built for scientific research. Subconsciously, we've always known why we need keep busy and live and marry and reproduce and work and vote and watch television and donate to charities. And why some of us claim to find meaning in driving buses our entire lives.