| Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "To the dull mind all | | | | At six, he could mentally calculate any date in history; |
| nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole | | | | learned Gray's Anatomy well enough to pass a |
| world burns and sparkles with light." | | | | student medical examination; started grammar school, |
| Ironically, we are all much brighter than we think. And | | | | moved to the third grade in three days, and |
| the dullness of mind that we often claim for | | | | graduated in seven months. |
| ourselves or observe in other people is only a result | | | | Between the ages of four and eight he wrote four |
| of how much stimulation the brain has been exposed | | | | books. |
| to. | | | | At seven, he passed Harvard Medical School |
| The human brain is a highly fuel-efficient organ. All it | | | | anatomy. |
| needs is a little oxygen and a little glucose and it | | | | At eight, he passed MIT entrance exam; and |
| becomes a remarkable instrument capable of learning | | | | corrected E. V. Huntington's mathematics text galleys. |
| virtually anything and designing unique solutions to any | | | | Before 10, he avidly read Albert Einstein's theories. |
| pressing problems. | | | | At 10, in a single evening, he corrected Harvard logic |
| The brain can process up to 30 billion bits of | | | | professor Josiah Royce's book manuscript. |
| information per second. 100,000 miles of nerve fibers | | | | At 11, he mastered higher mathematics and planetary |
| are in constant communication. The reaction in one | | | | revolutions, and lectured Harvard Mathematical club |
| neuron can spread to hundreds of thousands of | | | | on "Four-Dimensional Bodies." |
| other neurons in less than 20 milliseconds. Blinking | | | | It may be argued that William was an exceptional |
| your eye, by contrast, is ten times slower. | | | | child. But there are many other stories in history of |
| Why, then, are some people obviously brighter than | | | | the same phenomenon. When a child is nurtured with |
| others? They know more, show more competence, | | | | knowledge at any early age beyond the cultural |
| and accomplish much more. Some even exhibit such | | | | expectancy, the plastic brain quickly adapts and |
| unique and compelling thoughts that we label them | | | | responds to the exceptional stimulation. |
| geniuses. | | | | Here is another quick example. |
| The answer is that the bright people believe that | | | | John Stuart's feats as a child were as astonishing as |
| they are bright and the dull people believe that they | | | | William Sidis. |
| are dull. Their behavior then corresponds to this belief | | | | At age three, he knew the Greek alphabet and their |
| and they nurture and stimulate their intellect | | | | English equivalents. |
| according to the dominant preconception. | | | | By eight, he was conversant with Aesop's Fables, |
| It is not nature, but nurture that makes the | | | | Xenophon's Anabasis, all of Herodotus, Lucian, |
| remarkable difference in people. | | | | Diogenes, Isocrates, and the six dialogues of Plato. |
| It has been established over and over that a young | | | | He was also an expert in History and arithmetic. |
| child exposed to a heavy volume of study can | | | | Our brains are capable of remarkable things, and the |
| become an astonishing genius. | | | | earlier it is nurtured, the more it is capable of doing. |
| A classic example is William Sidis. | | | | However, due to strong cultural biases against |
| His parents decided that their child should be exposed | | | | intelligence, most people are not exposed to positive |
| to a fearless love of knowledge. | | | | mental influence. |
| According to the North American Review, (1907, | | | | It is attitude and belief that creates the difference |
| #184, 887-888), Sidis accomplished the following | | | | between people. |
| remarkable feats. | | | | Over time, the brain itself changes, much like the |
| At six months, he said the word, "door." He later | | | | body of an athlete becomes much more muscular |
| explained to his mother that he liked the word | | | | and agile than that of a sedentary person. The neural |
| because "door moves; people come." | | | | pathways become denser and more interconnected. |
| At seven months, he pointed to the moon and said | | | | The brain, like the muscles of the body, grows the |
| "moon." | | | | more it is stimulated. |
| At eight months, he fed himself by spoon. | | | | The good news is that just as anyone can learn to |
| At one, he learned to spell efficiently. | | | | become fitter and healthier, so too anyone can learn |
| At 18 months, he started to read the New York | | | | to become smarter and sharper. All it takes is |
| Times. | | | | consistent stimulation. |
| At three, he typed his first letter, writing to Macy's | | | | As Rene Descartes said, "It is not enough to have a |
| to order a toy. | | | | good mind; the main thing is to use it well." |
| At four, he read Caesar's Gallic Wars in Latin; learned | | | | It's never too late to create an enriched environment |
| Greek alphabet and read Homer; learned Russian, | | | | for your brain! |
| French, German, Hebrew, Turkish, and Armenian. | | | | |