WHAT IS GENIUS?

Evening Star, Issue 22273, 26 February 1936, Page 7

WHAT IS GENIUS?

MAN'S POTENTIALITIES The world has always been accustomed to look upon the geijius as a “ rare bird but Mr W. ShakespeareBinks, in his lecture in the Town Hall Concert Chamber last night, assured his audience that every member of it was a potential genius, and that it needed unly a knowledge of the marvellous powers of the sub-conscious mind in order to bring forth from the depths of that mind the necessary qualities. This was an intriguing thought, and it is safe to say that the hundreds of people who filled the hall to its utmost capacity went heme thoroughly convinced that, despite the fact that they had, in many cases, readied middle-age or had even travelled further along life’s highway, their visions of the “ might have been ” were still capable of being materialised into fact. That is one or the many beneficial effects which these leathers have upon the community—they give renewed hope to those who had reached the “ too late to mend ” stage as well as acting as an incentive to the younger generation to utilise to the full the gifts with which they: had been endowed. Mr Shakespeare-Binks dealt very fully’ with the functions of the sub-conscious mind. Indeed, ho attributed to it practically’ unlimited powers and insisted that it was only our ignorance of its potentialities that prevented our realising our very highest ambitions. The sub-conscious mind, he said, contained all the wisdom of the ages, consequently if and when we were able to tap this marvellous storehouse we had at dur disposal powers which were capable of changing us from just ordinary, average men and women into individuals with a strong purpose in life and the ability to excel. Genius, the lecturer explained, had many facets; it might be the outcome of failure, poverty, idleness, incorrigibility, even of stupidity or crime. Indeed, instances were quoted of men who had been distinct failures in their earlier lives at length striking the right note, filling the right niche, and thereafter rising to fame and fortune. Edison was named as an example of a stupid boy’—or a boy’ whom his school teacher regarded as stupid—struggling through the stages of “ misfit occupations ” to that in which his genius was given full scope. Madame Melba was another example. The prima donna was, it appears, expelled from her school because her teachers regarded her as dull and incorrigible. Elenry Ford, too, was a “ misfit ” until, at the age of 4.5, he found his right vocation. Marie Dressier, the great scree/i actress, only’ became so at the age of 60 and after she had met with rebuff after rebuff. These and other less widely-known people were quoted by’ Mr Shakespeare-Binks to point his moral and to adorn his tale;, and as a still more encouraging note he added: “No man is ready for success until he has failed.” And all this was for the purpose of proving the wonderful potentialities which existed in the mind of man. Genius, the lecturer contended, wqs not abnormal; it was, on the contrary, a flowering of the normal; it was, in most cases, the survival of self against the world, an expression of self as Nature intended it should be expressed. Mr Shakespeare-Binks was emphatic in his opinion that the existing systems of education in the English-speaking world were entirely’ on the wrong lines. Instead of drawing out from the pupil or student thoughts and ideas which were his own, it would appear to he the object of the system to cram everyone into the same mould of mediocrity’. The brilliant pupil in the schools must be restrained to keep pace with the dullest, while the dullest was urged to keep up with the cleverest—an impossibility in both cases. All this, said Mr Shake-speare-Binks, tended to the perpetuation of mediocrity’. And when the natural genius persisted and went forth into the world and made good, what happened? asked the lecturer. Generally speaking, his fellow-townsmen “ could not understand what people saw in that chap,” while others fell back upon the regulation - explanation of abnormality. * The lecturer voiced a special and very earnest plea on behalf of the child. Parents were warned against checking self-expression in the young. There were elements of genius, he said, in every child, and it the power of suggestion along the right lines were exercised upon the plastic mind of the child, tremendous benefits would accrue. Depression was too commonly practised by parents, with the result that all originality was crushed ami the child taught to act along conventional lines, and to be content to march along with the army of mediocrity. And so, later in its life, the chilli fell into the ranks of the great and inglorious army’ of “ average persons.” The lecturer pleaded with parents and teachers to he patient with the wayward child as well as with the backward child, for in each case there was obviously a striving ior sellexpression. Often the wayward child could he guided along the path upon which his waywardness led to activities which were of benefit to his fellows, while ■ the backward child, or what was regarded as the backward child, often proved to be one who, while assimilating knowledge more slowly than his fellow scholars did, retained that knowledge and developed into a far more useful and worthy citizen than the brilliant scholar, who absorbed his lessons quickly but just as quickly forgot them. Genius, then, said the lecturer, was within the reach of all, at any rate each of us could he a genius in something, in that thing which fitted best out temperament, our nature, our desires. -Deep down in that marvellous sub-conscious mind of ours jvas the power which would carry us 1 to that land of desire. But no casual thinking, or longing, would bring about the consummation of that desire; concentration, enthusiasm, determination to succeed, these were the qualities which were necessary- to success, added, of course, to the knowledge of how to subordinate the sub-conscious mind to our requirements. At each evening session many’ questions which have been placed in the question box are answered by Mr Shakespeare-Binks, and this part of the proceedings is by no means the least interesting. Problems which perplex the mind of the average person are, naturally, of interest to other average persons. The subject of to-night’s lecture, the fourth of the second series, will be ‘ Your Predominant Mental Attitudes: What They Are Doing To Your Life.’ There will he lectures on Thursday and Friday evenings; on Saturday afternoon and evening (in the Main Town Hall), and on Monday evening next.