--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The definition of genius, really, should…" description: "\"The definition of genius, really, should be that that person can do what the rest of us have to learn how to do.\" — James Lipton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/james-lipton-13418_definitions_the-definition-of-genius-really-should-b_465722.jpg" --- # The definition of genius, really, should be that that… ![“The definition of genius, really, should be that that person can do what the rest of us have to learn how to do.” quote by James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/james-lipton-13418_definitions_the-definition-of-genius-really-should-b_465722.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/james-lipton-13418_definitions_the-definition-of-genius-really-should-b_465722.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/james-lipton-13418_definitions_the-definition-of-genius-really-should-b_465722.jpg) > “The definition of genius, really, should be that that person can do what the rest of us have to learn how to do.” [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genius is the ability to master skills that others must learn, highlighting exceptional competence and insight. **In simple terms:** Genius means mastering what others must learn. Key Takeaway Strive to become the expert others look to. Themes excellence skill learning mastery Mood inspirational motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - skill training - leadership - innovation Key Concepts cognitive psychology expertise development creativity Questions to Reflect On - What skill could you master to help others? - How do you define “genius” in everyday life? A Different Perspective Genius can be misunderstood as innate talent only. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) ## Related quotes > [ My definition \[of genius\] would be about being completely involved in your art form. So that's outside of sciences. Within the arts it's about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-crowe/my-definition-of-genius-would-be-about-being-completely-involved-in/) [Russell Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-crowe/) > [I think Berry Gordy is a genius, I really do, and it's not a word I throw around lightly. But with all that comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-de-passe/i-think-berry-gordy-is-a-genius-i-really-do-and-it-s-not-a-word-i/) [Suzanne de Passe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-de-passe/) > [“And, of course, he eventually found it—proving that genius often really is just persistence in disguise. In applying the entirety of his physical and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-of-course-he-eventually-found-it-proving-that-genius-often-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Martin Freeman is a genius, he really is. He gives you every color of the rainbow in every take and it's wonderful just to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-pulver/martin-freeman-is-a-genius-he-really-is-he-gives-you-every-color-of/) [Lara Pulver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-pulver/) > [We can all be geniuses because one definition of genius is the infinite capacity for taking pains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knute-rockne/we-can-all-be-geniuses-because-one-definition-of-genius-is-the/) [Knute Rockne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knute-rockne/) > [Neither can we admit that definition of genius that some would propose--"a power to accomplish all that we undertake;" for we might multiply examples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/neither-can-we-admit-that-definition-of-genius-that-some-would/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [The definition of genius is that it acts unconsciously, and those who have produced immortal works have done so without knowing how or why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-definition-of-genius-is-that-it-acts-unconsciously-and-those-who/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [My definition of genius is not being that person the actual human is a genius, but it's a person that just allows God to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/my-definition-of-genius-is-not-being-that-person-the-actual-human-is/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-definition-of-genius-is-taking-the-complex-and-making-it-simple/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I wish I could tell you that the Children's Television Workshop and Sesame Street were thanks to my genius, but it really was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-ganz-cooney/i-wish-i-could-tell-you-that-the-children-s-television-workshop-and/) [Joan Ganz Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-ganz-cooney/) > [I'm supposed to be this musical genius and everything, but I can't really work the car seat that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-jenner/i-m-supposed-to-be-this-musical-genius-and-everything-but-i-can-t/) [Kris Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-jenner/) > [I think that Tyler Perry's genius really has been to tap into the domestic market. He knows what his audience is based on, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-think-that-tyler-perry-s-genius-really-has-been-to-tap-into-the/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I think there are very few people that I would give the title of genius to, really, but Beethoven unquestionably is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-think-there-are-very-few-people-that-i-would-give-the-title-of/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [The definition of morality: Morality is the idiosyncrasy of decadents having the hidden desire to revenge themselves upon life - and being successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-definition-of-morality-morality-is-the-idiosyncrasy-of-decadents/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/my-own-definition-of-leadership-is-this-the-capacity-and-the-will-to/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) ## More by James Lipton > [What I didn't know that by sticking to craft we would blow open some doors that I never saw opened before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/what-i-didn-t-know-that-by-sticking-to-craft-we-would-blow-open-some/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [The studio is meant to be always a place where, first of all, they can be out of spotlight, and second, where they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/the-studio-is-meant-to-be-always-a-place-where-first-of-all-they-can/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [I may be writing well, I may be writing poorly, but I enjoy the act of writing and sometimes when it turns out okay,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/i-may-be-writing-well-i-may-be-writing-poorly-but-i-enjoy-the-act-of/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [And I thought if I don't pre-interview - first of all, we couldn't afford it - but the second thing was it would force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/and-i-thought-if-i-don-t-pre-interview-first-of-all-we-couldn-t/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [I'll miss it until the day I die, and I'm convinced to this day that I can get on a horse and jump a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/i-ll-miss-it-until-the-day-i-die-and-i-m-convinced-to-this-day-that-i/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [They will take a role that scares them over a role that doesn't. That's another thing I like about actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/they-will-take-a-role-that-scares-them-over-a-role-that-doesn-t-that/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [I thought we would have at most an audience of 5,000 devotees because I made the decision to stick to craft, not to gossip,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/i-thought-we-would-have-at-most-an-audience-of-5-000-devotees-because/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [Our language, one of our most precious natural resources, deserves at least as much protection as our woodlands, streams and whooping cranes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/our-language-one-of-our-most-precious-natural-resources-deserves-at/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [We are the only school in America, drama school in America that trains actors, writers and directors side by side for three years in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/we-are-the-only-school-in-america-drama-school-in-america-that-trains/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [When you're talking about the thing that is most important to someone, they're liable to feel something strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/when-you-re-talking-about-the-thing-that-is-most-important-to-someone/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [I stopped writing at the age of 18. I had written incessantly before that. I read, of course, because I was in university, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/i-stopped-writing-at-the-age-of-18-i-had-written-incessantly-before/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [I was originally going to be a lawyer, and the only thing I remember from the art of cross-examination is - you can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/i-was-originally-going-to-be-a-lawyer-and-the-only-thing-i-remember/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [Olivier was another case of a genius, who couldn't understand why anybody would have any trouble doing this, because for him it came so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/olivier-was-another-case-of-a-genius-who-couldn-t-understand-why/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [I was dealing with craft, and that's the surprising thing, the number of people who have literally broken down on our stage, because when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/i-was-dealing-with-craft-and-that-s-the-surprising-thing-the-number/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [Hackman is able to live in the moment which means there is nothing for him at that split second than what is occurring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/hackman-is-able-to-live-in-the-moment-which-means-there-is-nothing/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) [Explore all 50 James Lipton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) ## More Definition quotes > [“ misgivings , n . 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And don't let your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-griffin/biggest-man-law-be-a-man-simple-be-a-man-definition-of-being-a-man-is/) [Eddie Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-griffin/) > [A lot of the album 'The Definition' was made from two things: Pixar movies and J. Dilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bellion/a-lot-of-the-album-the-definition-was-made-from-two-things-pixar/) [Jon Bellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bellion/) > [By definition, when you make something no one hates, no one loves it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tibor-kalman/by-definition-when-you-make-something-no-one-hates-no-one-loves-it/) [Tibor Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tibor-kalman/) > [Everyone's definition of an open relationship is different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-o-malley/everyone-s-definition-of-an-open-relationship-is-different/) [Sean O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-o-malley/) > [My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/my-own-definition-of-leadership-is-this-the-capacity-and-the-will-to/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) > [ My definition \[of genius\] would be about being completely involved in your art form. So that's outside of sciences. Within the arts it's about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-crowe/my-definition-of-genius-would-be-about-being-completely-involved-in/) [Russell Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-crowe/) > [Everyone has their own definition of a healthy lifestyle, and mine has come to mean making health a priority but not an obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/everyone-has-their-own-definition-of-a-healthy-lifestyle-and-mine-has/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [Definition of a best friend; The person you cant be mad at for even an hour because you have something important to tell them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/definition-of-a-best-friend-the-person-you-cant-be-mad-at-for-even-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Somewhere down the line, the evil ones stole the legacy of hip hop and flipped it to a corporate type of hip hop. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afrika-bambaataa/somewhere-down-the-line-the-evil-ones-stole-the-legacy-of-hip-hop-and/) [Afrika Bambaataa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afrika-bambaataa/) > [Senseless violence is, almost by definition, hard to understand. 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