Genius vs. Scenius
Do you believe that genius is rare, high talent is in short supply, and that ordinariness is the norm?
Or do you believe that under the right circumstances “ordinary” people can do extraordinary things? In other words, do you believe in scenius?
“Scenius is like genius, only embedded in a scene rather than in genes. Brian Eno suggested the word to convey the extreme creativity that groups, places, or ‘scenes’ can occasionally generate. His actual definition is: ‘Scenius stands for the intelligence and the intuition of a whole cultural scene. It is the communal form of the concept of the genius.’
“Individuals immersed in a productive scenius will blossom and produce their best work. When buoyed by scenius, you act like a genius. Your like-minded peers, and the entire environment inspire you.”
Kelly goes on to say that he doesn’t think scenius can be created, but I’m not so sure about that. After all, he even names the design principles:
The presence of the right early pioneers (ie, “early adopter” thinkers).
A place that is open, but not too open (ie, permeability with protection).
A buffer that is tolerant of outlaws (ie, a culture of positive deviance).
And some flash of excitement to kick off the virtuous circle (ie, a vision of a better future).
Without having realized it, we have been adhering to those design principles, first through the social entrepreneurship program at Malvern, then through Expeditionaries. In our “pop-up” sceniuses, we:
Bring together students with an early adopter mindset (ie, they believe that social entrepreneurship can make a dent in the world and they don’t need to wait for proof before they try).
Take them out of classrooms and move them into an open and networked space (either physical or digital).
Create a “strengths-based” buffer in which their differences aren’t the qualities of being outlaws but rather superpowers that they can contribute on behalf of a noble goal.
Inspire them through the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of CEOs.
Time and time again, we have found that “ordinary” students can act like geniuses in such a setting. And it takes very few resources to make happen.
It starts with giving up the belief that genius is rare.
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