--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is such a thing as genius, and…" description: "\"There is such a thing as genius, and these are people who do not have a formal disability, DSM-IV-type. They may have liberal eccentricities or quirks ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7c/darold-treffert-20114_disability_there-is-such-a-thing-as-genius-and-thes_2452821.jpg" --- # There is such a thing as genius, and these are people who… ![“There is such a thing as genius, and these are people who do not have a formal disability, DSM-IV-type. They may have liberal eccentricities or quirks in their personality, but they don't rise to the level of a disability.” quote by Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7c/darold-treffert-20114_disability_there-is-such-a-thing-as-genius-and-thes_2452821.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7c/darold-treffert-20114_disability_there-is-such-a-thing-as-genius-and-thes_2452821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7c/darold-treffert-20114_disability_there-is-such-a-thing-as-genius-and-thes_2452821.jpg) > “There is such a thing as genius, and these are people who do not have a formal disability, DSM-IV-type. They may have liberal eccentricities or quirks in their personality, but they don't rise to the level of a disability.” [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genius exists without formal disability; eccentricities may appear but don't constitute a disability. **In simple terms:** Genius isn’t a disability. Key Takeaway Recognize diverse talents. Themes genius neurodiversity disability Mood analytical empathetic Type educational informative When to use this quote - education - workplace inclusion - talent scouting Key Concepts psychology cognitive science Questions to Reflect On - How do you support unconventional thinkers? - What defines a disability? A Different Perspective Labeling can stigmatize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disability/) [Eccentricity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentricity/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Quirks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quirks/) ## Related quotes > [To some extent, we all have quirks or idiosyncrasies, and some geniuses, because of how bright they are and how focused they are, may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/to-some-extent-we-all-have-quirks-or-idiosyncrasies-and-some-geniuses/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Dwelling on someone's imperfections will just blow them out of proportion -- and that goes for you too. Besides, being flawless is just boring.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dwelling-on-someone-s-imperfections-will-just-blow-them-out-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That's the thing about writing for a lot of the villains is that, as a writer, you kind of have to put the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dini/that-s-the-thing-about-writing-for-a-lot-of-the-villains-is-that-as-a/) [Paul Dini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dini/) > [The real genius to make a marketplace flourish doesn't come from the government. It comes from the individual genius of its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-real-genius-to-make-a-marketplace-flourish-doesn-t-come-from-the/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [If we will maintain our hope and confidence in the genius of our people, they will work out this problem, and their ability and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-kellogg/if-we-will-maintain-our-hope-and-confidence-in-the-genius-of-our/) [Frank B. Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-kellogg/) > [Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgard-varese/everyone-is-born-with-genius-but-most-people-only-keep-it-a-few/) [Edgard Varese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgard-varese/) > [We reserve the term 'genius' for people who are creative, who are innovators, who think in ways that are entirely new. In the Middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/we-reserve-the-term-genius-for-people-who-are-creative-who-are/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [The genius of the people will ill brook the inquisitive and peremptory spirit of excise laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-genius-of-the-people-will-ill-brook-the-inquisitive-and/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [The nation blest above all nations is she in whom the civic genius of the people does the saving day by day, by acts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-nation-blest-above-all-nations-is-she-in-whom-the-civic-genius-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [I think that all the Mel Brooks' company of actors is just tremendous. It was a crazy group of genius people. All of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-gelman/i-think-that-all-the-mel-brooks-company-of-actors-is-just-tremendous/) [Brett Gelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-gelman/) > [While legislation can stimulate and encourage, the real creative ability which builds up and develops the country, and in general makes human existence more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/while-legislation-can-stimulate-and-encourage-the-real-creative/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [You're called a genius by people, and then your whole life you become the part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/you-re-called-a-genius-by-people-and-then-your-whole-life-you-become/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) > [An art form requires genius. People of genius are always troublemakers, meaning they start from scratch, demolish accepted norms and rebuild a new world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-langlois/an-art-form-requires-genius-people-of-genius-are-always-troublemakers/) Henri Langlois > [Stupid people words are Mind your own Business But Genius people words are Mind others' Businesses first realize their weakness then modify ur business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyakallo-lets-ela/stupid-people-words-are-mind-your-own-business-but-genius-people/) [Nyakallo Lets'ela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyakallo-lets-ela/) > [And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-while-some-may-see-them-as-the-crazy-ones-we-see-genius-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Darold Treffert > [The ways in which acquired savants show up are usually the same ways that congenital, or non-acquired, savant syndrome shows up. They tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/the-ways-in-which-acquired-savants-show-up-are-usually-the-same-ways/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Not only when one does meditation one is getting into a different realm, cognitively, but if you look at the imaging that's done on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/not-only-when-one-does-meditation-one-is-getting-into-a-different/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [When I met my first savant in 1962, I was impressed by the abilities in these youngsters who had severe disabilities. They appeared to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/when-i-met-my-first-savant-in-1962-i-was-impressed-by-the-abilities/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [I have a fairly strict definition of early infantile autism. That is not to say that people who don't meet that classic description don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/i-have-a-fairly-strict-definition-of-early-infantile-autism-that-is/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [What happens is most of us are so busy in our lives with our families and our vocation which we should be, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/what-happens-is-most-of-us-are-so-busy-in-our-lives-with-our-families/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [With respect to why some acquired savants are musical, and some are good at the arts, and some are mathematical, why aren't they all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/with-respect-to-why-some-acquired-savants-are-musical-and-some-are/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Savant syndrome and autism, I think, are not disorders of brain structure, but they're disorders of brain function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-not-disorders-of-brain/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Savant syndrome, characteristically, consists of left hemisphere dysfunction coupled with right hemisphere emergence, and what you see in the savant are basically right brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-characteristically-consists-of-left-hemisphere/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [I think one of the problems with the definition of autism is we keep expanding it. It started as "early infantile autism", and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-definition-of-autism-is-we-keep/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names in research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/the-beginning-of-wisdom-is-to-call-things-by-their-right-names-in/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [We should probably start searching around a little earlier in our lives for what I call parallel activities, because most of us get entrenched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/we-should-probably-start-searching-around-a-little-earlier-in-our/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Sometimes along the way, when people are actively working, they will start to do a search for their roots and maybe get really interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/sometimes-along-the-way-when-people-are-actively-working-they-will/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [To some extent, we all have quirks or idiosyncrasies, and some geniuses, because of how bright they are and how focused they are, may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/to-some-extent-we-all-have-quirks-or-idiosyncrasies-and-some-geniuses/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [When we come to research, if we want to find out the cause of autism, we're going to have to be much more specific,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/when-we-come-to-research-if-we-want-to-find-out-the-cause-of-autism/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [When you first try to learn to ride a bike, you work very carefully at keeping your balance, and trying to keep one pedal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/when-you-first-try-to-learn-to-ride-a-bike-you-work-very-carefully-at/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) [Explore all 31 Darold Treffert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) ## More Disability quotes > [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/) [Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/) > [“She would prove to everyone she could do everything. She wouldn’t let her disability be an excuse, wouldn’t give anyone reason to pity her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-grace-davis/she-would-prove-to-everyone-she-could-do-everything-she-wouldn-t-let/) [Liz Grace Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-grace-davis/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [“Consider this: the US economy created 2.4 million jobs in the three years beginning in June 2009. In the same period, 3.3 million Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-ferguson/consider-this-the-us-economy-created-2-4-million-jobs-in-the-three/) [Niall Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-ferguson/) > [“Every EDS patient knows that one of the hardest parts of our day is the moment we open our eyes and waken into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bihovsky/every-eds-patient-knows-that-one-of-the-hardest-parts-of-our-day-is/) [Michael Bihovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bihovsky/) > [I'm just a man on a mission, to prove my disability hasn't won](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hensel/i-m-just-a-man-on-a-mission-to-prove-my-disability-hasn-t-won/) [Robert M. Hensel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hensel/) > [I love my disability. It is the best thing that ever happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-alcott/i-love-my-disability-it-is-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me/) [Dylan Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-alcott/) > [“He took the teapot and poured two cups. She was grateful. And also frustrated. Not being able to walk was annoying, and that emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-took-the-teapot-and-poured-two-cups-she-was-grateful-and-also/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [When people say there are people who are faking it, if I had a choice I wouldn't want to have a disability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadeena-cox/when-people-say-there-are-people-who-are-faking-it-if-i-had-a-choice/) [Kadeena Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadeena-cox/) > [We think we know what it's all about; we think that disability is a really simple thing, and we don't expect to see disabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/we-think-we-know-what-it-s-all-about-we-think-that-disability-is-a/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [“I wanted to share the realities of living with a disability since birth. 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