ReThinking: The myth of genius with Helen Lewis

19 Aug 2025 • 33 min • EN
33 min
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33:01
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What does it mean to be a genius? Journalist Helen Lewis is the author of the new book The Genius Myth, which offers a provocative analysis of how we put brainiacs on a pedestal. In this episode, Helen and Adam unpack our cultural myths about geniuses and explore the dangers of treating them like demigods. They also discuss what Helen learned from the wives of male geniuses and how child prodigies can avoid struggling as adults. Follow Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/) Guest: Helen Lewis (Website: theatlantic.com/author/helen-lewis/)  Links The Genius Myth Subscribe to TED  Instagram: @ted YouTube: @TED TikTok: @tedtoks LinkedIn: @ted-conferences Website: ted.com Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna TEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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