I’ve noticed this quote popping up in many networks recently: “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” It’s attributed to Einstein. There’s a good chance that he never really said this though. Out of curiosity I did some digging on the web to find out when/where he said these words. I couldn’t find a single reference. Some people even suggest that this quote comes from a Christian self-help book (although I can’t find any proof of that either).

Have these words just been attributed to Einstein to give them greater power? This might be another story like the fake Martin Luther King quote that rapidly spread though social networks after Bin Laden’s execution.

Does it really matter who gave us the analogy of the fish though? This quote has power in itself. Many people, including me, love what is being expressed. That’s why it’s being shared so widely.

Many of us have experienced being a fish out of water. This is the same conversation as being in our element and embodying our purpose. All of us are seeking ways to express our full potential. We need a supportive environment to let that happen. We also need to make friends with our own inner genius.

Letting the genius out of the bottle 

The word genius originally referred to our “guiding spirit.” As George Lynn and Joanne Barrie Lynn explain:

“The modern meaning of the term “genius,” that it defines a person who scores in the upper 1 percent of the population on certain tests of intelligence, has not been the meaning ascribed to the word for the past two millennia. The Greek philosopher Plato said that a person’s genius is the spirit that guides expression of what he called the “seed self” or “daemon”—the “guiding force” of the child. Plato said that we come into life like an acorn, a tiny complete package of everything we have the potential to become. From this seed, our spirits may grow huge, full, and beautiful, as does an oak tree.” 

This understanding is also picked up in Elizabeth Gilbert’s beautiful talk on creativity. Instead of rare individuals “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. We can all access our genius if we are open and attentive.

Genius is also linked with the word “genie”. This seems beautifully connected with the stories of Aladdin and a genie in bottle. In these stories a genie is summoned by polishing a vessel. The polishing removes the layers of dust that prevent light from entering. When the dust is cleared, the genie escapes from its confinement and reveals itself like a breath of fresh air. It then bestows great benefits. This suggests that our genie/genius will reveal itself simply by brightening our “vessel”. Our genius can guide us to freedom, even when we feel trapped in a cave. We just need to remove the dust of our self-limiting beliefs and polish our powers of perception.

Reconnecting with our genius

“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of childhood into adulthood.” ~ Thomas Huxley 

“Genius is nothing more than childhood recovered by will—a childhood now equipped for self-expression with the capacities of an adult.” ~ Baudelaire

Most of us are more in touch with our creative genius as children than when we are adults. According to one study, 98% of children are geniuses in divergent thinking (which is what we do when we are not forced to conform) compared to 2% of adults.

No wonder we tend to think that there are so few geniuses in our society. Our genius often becomes trapped through our schooling and workplaces. It takes great determination to let the genie out again.

There are some individuals who seem to have a particularly powerful genius. Einstein was definitely one of them. But his genius also revealed itself because he didn’t feel limited by other people’s limiting beliefs and expectations. He performed poorly at school—he probably would have been diagnosed with a learning disorder by many educational authorities today—but that didn’t hold him back. He followed his curiosity, imagination and interests. He experienced his genius through his intuition.

It’s a mystery to me who really crafted the quote about the fish up a tree. Maybe these words did flow from Einstein while he was swimming in his imagination. It’s a far greater mystery where our creative genius really comes through. All I know is that we are all born with enormous potential. Few of us ever recognise it. And our genius is always whispering to us. If we learn to listen, in the spaces of great silence and appreciation, our genius will lead us to understand who we are—and what we can become.