The Geography Of Genius Analysis
The author of The Geography of Genius, Eric Weiner, communicates the idea that geniuses are in fact by-products of their culture, rather than cocktails of extraordinary genetics. Furthermore, Weiner believes that there is a close connection to the geniuses’ setting and its innovations. An excellent example is Vienna’s musical golden age, in which masterful composers such as Mozart and Beethoven flourished. Weiner perfectly captures the essence of what made the talented composers into the Viennese geniuses they are recognized as today in an ironic analogy referring to the biological ecosystem. His exact words are, “We see the ‘organisms’ -- Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden -- engaging in selective migration, moving to the ecosystem where they are most
likely to thrive, Vienna. We see them depleting resources… shaping their environment... ” (237). The key to their success did not lie in the encoding of their DNA, but in the demand for great music the culture placed on its people. Vienna understood the significance in music, thus its emperor, Joseph II, willingly spent a handsome amount of money to encourage this creativity. Similarly, the audience appreciated and rewarded worthy compositions with praise; however, they made their opinions known when a piece of music was less than satisfactory. This, in return, propelled musical innovators to continue creating. Moreover, to prove that genetics do not contribute to creative geniuses, one may look at Mozart’s father. He too was a composer, yet lacked the degree of creativity which thrusted his son to fame and history. As you can see, when it comes to the creation of geniuses, it is not a matter of lucky genes, but in truth, the seed planted within a culture which nurtures such creativity.
likely to thrive, Vienna. We see them depleting resources… shaping their environment... ” (237). The key to their success did not lie in the encoding of their DNA, but in the demand for great music the culture placed on its people. Vienna understood the significance in music, thus its emperor, Joseph II, willingly spent a handsome amount of money to encourage this creativity. Similarly, the audience appreciated and rewarded worthy compositions with praise; however, they made their opinions known when a piece of music was less than satisfactory. This, in return, propelled musical innovators to continue creating. Moreover, to prove that genetics do not contribute to creative geniuses, one may look at Mozart’s father. He too was a composer, yet lacked the degree of creativity which thrusted his son to fame and history. As you can see, when it comes to the creation of geniuses, it is not a matter of lucky genes, but in truth, the seed planted within a culture which nurtures such creativity.