[jahewson]

I don't like this term "genius", as there is no such thing. We need to move on from the idea of "being a genius", which is a modern phenomenon originating from then phrase to "have a genius", where genius is latin for genie. When we call someone a genius, we're saying that they are a mythical all-knowing being, which seems to absolve us from having to think about why a person is the way they are, and why we are not. It is the intellectual equivalent of burying our heads in the sand when we see someone brilliant, and ensures that we'll never really understand or appreciate success.

[wamatt]

You've touched on something real here.

The term 'genius' bothers me too because it seems calling someone a genius is less about the object (ie the person we are talking about), but more about the speakers feelings toward that object (eg godlike awe etc).