What is genius really? I believe it is this forever
thirst to know, to reason and to explore. To always ask, “What if?”
To want to make impactful change and to make a difference in some way, even
small, to the human condition.
I began reading snippets of Aldous Huxley’s work because of
disturbing events going on around us such as Syria (terrible video reports of
chemical warfare), our own government (enough said), Russia (not just Putin,
but the rounding up, arresting, and deaths of 3 suspected gay men in the
Russian Republic of Chechnya), etc. My focus was on human suffering and
how to combat it. I found myself lifted a bit by some of his words of
wisdom on learning. He was an interesting scholar, philosopher, and
author. I have a Wikipedia information recap on Aldous Huxley at the end.
BTW, he also had plenty to say about war and human suffering.
To continue to learn and grow, you must always keep your
childlike curiosity. Doesn’t hurt to maintain a bit of that young
imagination as well. I also believe that keeping those childlike traits
will keep your mind open and empathetic to others. Here is the quote that
led me down this path of thinking young.
“The
secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means
never losing your enthusiasm.” –
Aldous Huxley
Take some time to use your imagination. Think like you
thought when you were young. I remember my conversations with my troll
doll with green hair when I was 5. Amazing how well he listened to
everything I wanted to talk about. We discussed seeing the world and how
we wanted to see lots of different people. I still like meeting new and
different people, at least those with a good and open heart. Assholes
need not apply because in the words of a youngster, “Mean people suck!”
Recap on Aldous Huxley:
Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894
– 22 November 1963) was an English writer, novelist, philosopher, and prominent
member of the Huxley family. He graduated from Balliol College at the
University of Oxford with a first-class honors in English literature. He
was best known for his novels including Brave New World, set in a dystopian
future; for non-fiction books, such as The Doors of Perception, which recalls
experiences when taking a psychedelic drug; and a wide-ranging output of
essays. Early in his career Huxley edited the magazine Oxford Poetry and
published short stories and poetry. Mid-career and later, he published travel
writing, film stories, and scripts. He spent the later part of his life in the
U.S., living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. In 1962, a year before
his death, he was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of
Literature. Huxley was a humanist, pacifist, and satirist. He later became
interested in spiritual subjects such as parapsychology and philosophical
mysticism, in particular universalism. By the end of his life, Huxley was
widely acknowledged as one of the pre-eminent intellectuals of his time. He was
nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in seven different years.
Namaste,
Tom
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