Imaginary Scaffolding: Geniuses and Religious Conservatives

Daniel, I think you’re oversimplifying on both sides here.

Those raised as super-geniuses are NOT told that they will succeed without having to put forth any effort. I don’t think that ANY of them are told this. They’re told that with hard work they can accomplish anything they put their mind to. This is not at all the same thing!!!!!!!!! There are some who excel in their early years without much apparent effort .. and they sometimes don’t make the adjustment to later years when real effort is required. I assume that this is the sort you meant .. but these are not the ones raised as super-geniuses. Additionally, I think that you’re off the mark in asserting that “the genius’s parents made their child successful — all without any work on the child’s part.” First of all, there is certainly work on the child’s part. Most of these children are given a LOVE of learning, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t work .. it just means that it’s FUN work for them. Secondly, saying that the parents made their child successful undermines your argument. If they’re successful, then how do you argue that the outcome is “Geniuses who aren’t successful” ??

It may be true that there are some religious people who think that they are “automatically moral because of their religion,” but this is certainly NOT what any of the major religions teach. Let’s look at Christianity. It teaches that we are all sinners. That is, it teaches rather specifically nearly the opposite of what you claim. It is certainly true that there are people who believe that they are going to heaven and think that they can spot those who are not, but this is not the same thing as them believing that they are without sin. There are hypocrites in all circles – religious and non-religious. This is not an indictment of religion.

I agree with your conclusion Daniel, that a lot of people think their value — and hence, their self-esteem — stems from what they are. But as a former Christian, I actually experienced the exact opposite of what your article described. I was taught the doctrine of original sin — that people are born inherently evil and they can do nothing but evil until they are saved by god’s decree. I knew a lot of my friends who thought it was virtuous to be self-deprecating, always lamenting about how wicked they were (when in reality, these people were practically saints by any estimation). I struggled for a long time, but eventually I came to the conclusion that good and evil were moral concepts, and thus had to do with actions, not being. But your point still stands.