--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Genius is an overused word. The world has…" description: "\"Genius is an overused word. The world has known only about a half dozen geniuses. I got only fairly near.\" — Fritz Kreisler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/fritz-kreisler-31765_dozen_genius-is-an-overused-word-the-world-has_1872125.jpg" --- # Genius is an overused word. The world has known only about… ![“Genius is an overused word. The world has known only about a half dozen geniuses. I got only fairly near.” quote by Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/fritz-kreisler-31765_dozen_genius-is-an-overused-word-the-world-has_1872125.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/fritz-kreisler-31765_dozen_genius-is-an-overused-word-the-world-has_1872125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/fritz-kreisler-31765_dozen_genius-is-an-overused-word-the-world-has_1872125.jpg) > “Genius is an overused word. The world has known only about a half dozen geniuses. I got only fairly near.” [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The term “genius” is often exaggerated; true exceptional talent is rare and only a few are universally recognized. **In simple terms:** Genius is rare and overused. Key Takeaway Recognize true talent without hype. Themes talent recognition humility Mood reflective critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - artistic evaluation - career assessment - education - media criticism Key Concepts psychology exceptional ability Questions to Reflect On - How do we fairly identify exceptional talent? - What impact does overusing “genius” have on society? A Different Perspective The label can discourage effort and create unrealistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen/) [Dozen Geniuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen-geniuses-2589282/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Genius Overused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius-overused-2589280/) [Geniuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geniuses/) [Geniuses Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geniuses-got-2589281/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Overused Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overused-word-305867/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I think 'genius' is an overused word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wilson/i-think-genius-is-an-overused-word/) [Steven Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wilson/) > [Well Socrates is 70 when he dies. He's been allowed to philosophise freely in the city for almost 50 years. He clearly was -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/well-socrates-is-70-when-he-dies-he-s-been-allowed-to-philosophise/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [“Beautiful. Jules once thought he’d understood what the word meant. He now believed it overused. Some word needed to be kept in reserve for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-long/beautiful-jules-once-thought-he-d-understood-what-the-word-meant-he/) [Julie Anne Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-long/) > [ I suppose with any good writing and interesting characters, you can have that awfully overused word \[...\] - a jouuuuuurney. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rickman/i-suppose-with-any-good-writing-and-interesting-characters-you-can-2/) [Alan Rickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rickman/) > [When you know what you like and what you want and you're able to nudge things in the right direction, that's more profitable than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-trak/when-you-know-what-you-like-and-what-you-want-and-you-re-able-to/) [A-Trak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-trak/) > [I suppose with any good writing and interesting characters, you can have that awfully overused word: a journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rickman/i-suppose-with-any-good-writing-and-interesting-characters-you-can/) [Alan Rickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rickman/) > [I have had periods when I've overused a word, 'candent' being one example, but I'm trying not to do that any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-asher/i-have-had-periods-when-i-ve-overused-a-word-candent-being-one/) [Neal Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-asher/) > [Worldwide is an overused word. But it's true that being known has given me new ideas and a chance to get to know new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-saab/worldwide-is-an-overused-word-but-it-s-true-that-being-known-has/) [Elie Saab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-saab/) > [Cyber-bullying is an overused word that is defined differently by anyone you ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-zarin/cyber-bullying-is-an-overused-word-that-is-defined-differently-by/) [Jill Zarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-zarin/) > [A trite word is an overused word which has lost its identity like an old coat in a second-hand shop. The familiar grows dull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/a-trite-word-is-an-overused-word-which-has-lost-its-identity-like-an/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [The great spiritual geniuses, whether it was Moses, Buddha, Plato, Socrates, Jesus, or Emerson… have taught man to look within himself to find God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-holmes/the-great-spiritual-geniuses-whether-it-was-moses-buddha-plato/) [Ernest Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-holmes/) > [All children are born geniuses, and we spend the first six years of their lives degeniusing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/all-children-are-born-geniuses-and-we-spend-the-first-six-years-of/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Messi and Ronaldo are certainly the best in the world. They are both unbelievable. I am very happy to be a contemporary of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radamel-falcao/messi-and-ronaldo-are-certainly-the-best-in-the-world-they-are-both/) [Radamel Falcao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radamel-falcao/) > [The art music of the West has developed through out its history by means of individual geniuses, and out of the soil supporting them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toru-takemitsu/the-art-music-of-the-west-has-developed-through-out-its-history-by/) [Toru Takemitsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toru-takemitsu/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## More by Fritz Kreisler > [Life that only a few hours before had glowed with enthusiasm and exultation, suddenly paled and sickened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/life-that-only-a-few-hours-before-had-glowed-with-enthusiasm-and/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [Although I had resigned my commission as an officer two years before, I immediately left Switzerland, accompanied by my wife, in order to report…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/although-i-had-resigned-my-commission-as-an-officer-two-years-before/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [Human nerves quickly get accustomed to the most unusual conditions and circumstances and I noticed that quite a number of men actually fell asleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/human-nerves-quickly-get-accustomed-to-the-most-unusual-conditions/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [The earlier days of the republic went into the acquisition of money and the provision for material things is now finding an outlet in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/the-earlier-days-of-the-republic-went-into-the-acquisition-of-money/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [My wife volunteered her services as Red Cross nurse, insisting upon being sent to the front, in order to be as near me as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/my-wife-volunteered-her-services-as-red-cross-nurse-insisting-upon/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [I saw a great many men die afterwards, some suffering horribly, but I do not recall any death that affected me quite so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/i-saw-a-great-many-men-die-afterwards-some-suffering-horribly-but-i/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [IN trying to recall my impressions during my short war duty as an officer in the Austrian Army, I find that my recollections of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/in-trying-to-recall-my-impressions-during-my-short-war-duty-as-an/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [We started at once to dig our trenches, half of my platoon stepping forward abreast, the men being placed an arm's length apart. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/we-started-at-once-to-dig-our-trenches-half-of-my-platoon-stepping/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [What impressed me particularly in Vienna was the strict order everywhere. No mob disturbances of any kind, in spite of the greatly increased liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/what-impressed-me-particularly-in-vienna-was-the-strict-order/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [Courage, energy and patience are the virtues which appeal to my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/courage-energy-and-patience-are-the-virtues-which-appeal-to-my-heart/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [Signs of fatigue soon manifested themselves more and more strongly, and slowly the men dropped out one by one, from sheer exhaustion. No murmur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/signs-of-fatigue-soon-manifested-themselves-more-and-more-strongly/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [The outbreak of the war found my wife and me in Switzerland, where we were taking a cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/the-outbreak-of-the-war-found-my-wife-and-me-in-switzerland-where-we/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [One gets into a strange psychological, almost hypnotic, state of mind while on the firing line which probably prevents the mind's eye from observing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/one-gets-into-a-strange-psychological-almost-hypnotic-state-of-mind/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [The moral effect of the thundering of one's own artillery is most extraordinary, and many of us thought that we had never heard any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/the-moral-effect-of-the-thundering-of-one-s-own-artillery-is-most/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) > [Suddenly, at about ten o'clock, a dull thud sounded somewhere far away from us, and simultaneously we saw a small white round cloud about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-kreisler/suddenly-at-about-ten-o-clock-a-dull-thud-sounded-somewhere-far-away/) [Fritz Kreisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) [Explore all 16 Fritz Kreisler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-kreisler/) ## More Dozen quotes > [One should never forget that by actually perfecting one piece one gains and learns more than by starting or half-finishing a dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/one-should-never-forget-that-by-actually-perfecting-one-piece-one/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [Saiman picked up a coffee mug, stared at it, and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into a dozen pieces. We looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/saiman-picked-up-a-coffee-mug-stared-at-it-and-hurled-it-against-the/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Foolish tongues talke by the dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/foolish-tongues-talke-by-the-dozen/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Well. We’ll just have to hope that this wasn’t a loup-garou, I guess.” “If it was a louper, you’d know,” Bob said wisely. “In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/well-we-ll-just-have-to-hope-that-this-wasn-t-a-loup-garou-i-guess-if/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [One death to a man is a serious thing: a dozen neutralize one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-francis-burton/one-death-to-a-man-is-a-serious-thing-a-dozen-neutralize-one-another/) [Richard Francis Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-francis-burton/) > [My favourite song of Elton's is... it's a tricky one for me. I'm a proper fan and I've probably seen him in concert about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/my-favourite-song-of-elton-s-is-it-s-a-tricky-one-for-me-i-m-a-proper/) [Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/) > [Osama Bin Laden is dead. Killed not by a massive troop deployment but by a commando raid carried out by a few dozen highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/osama-bin-laden-is-dead-killed-not-by-a-massive-troop-deployment-but/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [I've talked to dozens of Chicagoans who will only go off the record in talking about the manufactured mythology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-malveaux/i-ve-talked-to-dozens-of-chicagoans-who-will-only-go-off-the-record/) [Julianne Malveaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-malveaux/) > [Protecting dozens of major coastal cities from future flooding will be challenging enough-rebuilding major coastal cities destroyed by super-hurricanes will be an almost impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/protecting-dozens-of-major-coastal-cities-from-future-flooding-will/) [Joseph J. 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And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/perhaps-it-s-true-that-things-can-change-in-a-day-that-a-few-dozen/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“Triump is just a little umph added to try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-owens/triump-is-just-a-little-umph-added-to-try/) [Tim Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-owens/) > [Oh senseless man, who cannot possibly make a worm or a flea and yet will create Gods by the dozen!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/oh-senseless-man-who-cannot-possibly-make-a-worm-or-a-flea-and-yet/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [While I was pregnant, I had dozens of checkups. They covered everything from blood tests to ultrasounds, and I even had the option of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/while-i-was-pregnant-i-had-dozens-of-checkups-they-covered-everything/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) [Browse all 974 Dozen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Genius is an overused word. The world has known only about a half dozen geniuses. 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