--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best thing to do—usually—was to let…" description: "\"“The best thing to do—usually—was to let him play these things out. Who was I to tell a genius it was time to put his clothes back on?”\" — Kristopher J..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/kristopher-jansma-34482_genius_the-best-thing-to-do-usually-was-to-let_26610.jpg" --- # The best thing to do—usually—was to let him play these… ![“The best thing to do—usually—was to let him play these things out. Who was I to tell a genius it was time to put his clothes back on?” quote by Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/kristopher-jansma-34482_genius_the-best-thing-to-do-usually-was-to-let_26610.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/kristopher-jansma-34482_genius_the-best-thing-to-do-usually-was-to-let_26610.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/kristopher-jansma-34482_genius_the-best-thing-to-do-usually-was-to-let_26610.jpg) > ““The best thing to do—usually—was to let him play these things out. Who was I to tell a genius it was time to put his clothes back on?”” [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Allowing a gifted individual to follow their own process respects their autonomy and can lead to deeper insight, even if it seems chaotic. **In simple terms:** Respect creative autonomy Key Takeaway Let geniuses explore freely Themes creativity autonomy process learning expertise Mood curious reflective admiring Type advice observation When to use this quote - mentoring a prodigy - coaching an artist - guiding a researcher - supporting a startup founder Key Concepts self-direction psychology of genius nonlinear problem solving Practical Applications - designing mentorship programs - structuring creative workshops Questions to Reflect On - How might you balance guidance with freedom? - When does intervention become counterproductive? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Genius Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius-time-413739/) [Play Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-things-281928/) [Tell Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-genius-413738/) [Things Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-tell-300193/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Usually Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usually-let-413740/) ## Related quotes > [I can't tell you if genius is hereditary, because heaven has granted me no offspring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-whistler/i-can-t-tell-you-if-genius-is-hereditary-because-heaven-has-granted/) [James Whistler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-whistler/) > [When you're young you believe it when people tell you how good you are. And that's the danger, you inhale. Everyone will tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/when-you-re-young-you-believe-it-when-people-tell-you-how-good-you/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [The unrecognized genius of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-march/the-unrecognized-genius-of-our-time/) [William March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-march/) > [Be Friend with stupid people feel like Genius All the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-friend-with-stupid-people-feel-like-genius-all-the-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You're a Genius all the time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/you-re-a-genius-all-the-time/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I'm not usually driven to go out and find what's next. I usually let it sort of emerge on the street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/i-m-not-usually-driven-to-go-out-and-find-what-s-next-i-usually-let/) [Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/) > [When something comes easy, you usually let it go the same way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/when-something-comes-easy-you-usually-let-it-go-the-same-way/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I usually let my game do the talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lopez/i-usually-let-my-game-do-the-talking/) [Robin Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lopez/) > [I don't usually let my emotions get the best of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andi-dorfman/i-don-t-usually-let-my-emotions-get-the-best-of-me/) [Andi Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andi-dorfman/) > [I don't usually let people see me cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-crahan/i-don-t-usually-let-people-see-me-cry/) [Shawn Crahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-crahan/) > [I don't like depending on people because they usually let me down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-like-depending-on-people-because-they-usually-let-me-down/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can play things, I have a range, I can look trashy and gross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-morrone/i-can-play-things-i-have-a-range-i-can-look-trashy-and-gross/) [Camila Morrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-morrone/) > [You don't need to be criticised to play well or things like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-evra/you-don-t-need-to-be-criticised-to-play-well-or-things-like-that/) [Patrice Evra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-evra/) > [I enjoy things that are so far away from me; that's why, when I play things that are a little bit closer to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-enjoy-things-that-are-so-far-away-from-me-that-s-why-when-i-play/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [Somehow credibility comes into play if you do things that are too familiar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-lee-jones/somehow-credibility-comes-into-play-if-you-do-things-that-are-too/) [Rickie Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-lee-jones/) ## More by Kristopher Jansma > [“Each time it goes around a little bit, a second goes away.” “Where?” I asked, as the pendulum swung again. And again. He winked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/each-time-it-goes-around-a-little-bit-a-second-goes-away-where-i/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“After I charge their brains with my own brand of skeptical electricity, I unleash them—the New Cynics—upon a world that is slowly and happily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/after-i-charge-their-brains-with-my-own-brand-of-skeptical/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“We couldn’t stop following the news. Every ten seconds we refreshed our browsers and gawked at the headlines. Dully we read blogs of friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/we-couldn-t-stop-following-the-news-every-ten-seconds-we-refreshed/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“Does it sting like this because I've been robbed or because it was never mine to steal? ... Maybe an idea, like love, cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/does-it-sting-like-this-because-i-ve-been-robbed-or-because-it-was/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“Everything I write is for her; none of it is ever good enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/everything-i-write-is-for-her-none-of-it-is-ever-good-enough/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“This fountain commemorates Luxembourg’s two national poets—Lentz and Dicks,’” Jeffrey reads. “That had to be a tough name to get through school with.” I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/this-fountain-commemorates-luxembourg-s-two-national-poets-lentz-and/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“The travel sites all describe Luxembourg as a fairy tale come to life, but it feels less like a Grimm land of trolls and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/the-travel-sites-all-describe-luxembourg-as-a-fairy-tale-come-to-life/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“He extends a hand, larger than a dinner plate, and I have no choice but to shake it. I think I can feel my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/he-extends-a-hand-larger-than-a-dinner-plate-and-i-have-no-choice-but/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“We came to the city because we wished to live haphazardly, to reach for only the least realistic of our desires, and to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/we-came-to-the-city-because-we-wished-to-live-haphazardly-to-reach/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“She’s just this character to you. Both of us are! And we always have been. You don’t know what goes on in our heads.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/she-s-just-this-character-to-you-both-of-us-are-and-we-always-have/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“the world.” Jeffrey just shakes his head. “You don’t know what it was like. You weren’t there when things got really bad. That Haslett…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/the-world-jeffrey-just-shakes-his-head-you-don-t-know-what-it-was/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“Evelyn was followed in by a sour-faced woman with long, glamorous dark hair and a stern-looking gentleman in a tuxedo who looked just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/evelyn-was-followed-in-by-a-sour-faced-woman-with-long-glamorous-dark/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) > [“And for this imperfect immortality, what prices have been paid? How many livers, lungs, and veins? Shredded, polluted, shot? How many children deserted, family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-jansma/and-for-this-imperfect-immortality-what-prices-have-been-paid-how/) [Kristopher Jansma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) [Explore all 14 Kristopher Jansma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-jansma/) ## More Genius quotes > [“If people fully understand you, they will think of you as a normal, if they half understand you, will think of you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-people-fully-understand-you-they-will-think-of-you-as-a-normal-if/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The beginning of genius is being scared shitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/the-beginning-of-genius-is-being-scared-shitless/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/mediocrity-knows-nothing-higher-than-itself-but-talent-instantly/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Never try to judge any one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/never-try-to-judge-any-one/) [Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/) > [“genius is a path that we can all take and derive much benefit, happiness, fulfillment, and success from...not a genetic windfall or divine gift.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/genius-is-a-path-that-we-can-all-take-and-derive-much-benefit/) [Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/) [Browse all 5,125 Genius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The best thing to do—usually—was to let him play these things out. 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