"Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes"

Every human being arrives in the world with a spark of innate genius, an inherent creative potential untouched by the conventions and limitations imposed by society. Edgard Varese’s insight points to the idea that genius is not a rare and exclusive gift but rather a default condition of the human mind at birth. As infants and very young children, people display remarkable openness, curiosity, and originality. In those early moments, there are no internalized rules to restrict imagination, no stifling self-doubt, and no fear of failure to silence experimentation or divergent thinking.

As life unfolds, however, socialization, education, and cultural pressures subtly, and sometimes overtly, encourage conformity, adherence to norms, and habitual ways of perceiving the world. The imaginative playfulness and instinctive wonder with which children approach life often become overshadowed by worries about being “correct,” fitting in, or achieving external approval. Genius, in this sense, reflects not just intelligence or talent, but the capacity for fresh perception, novel connections, and uninhibited exploration. Unfortunately, that capacity is easily dulled by standardization and societal expectations.

Varese’s observation is a lament and a call to attention. Genius is not a privilege accessed by a select few after arduous preparation; it is a universal starting point, but sustained only by those able to preserve their originality against the pressures of conformity. The “few minutes” serve metaphorically for the brief window before creative innocence is overshadowed by practical realities and inculcated beliefs. Holding onto one’s genius demands courage, resilience, and deliberate effort, to remain receptive, to question assumptions, and to resist the tendency to settle comfortably into predictable patterns of thought.

Ultimately, the survival of genius depends on one’s ability to protect and nurture the qualities of perception, curiosity, and authenticity that come so naturally in the earliest moments of existence. Societies and individuals alike can create conditions for this genius to thrive, not by creating geniuses, but by refusing to extinguish the genius that is already there.