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Cutehector:
I don already graduate

Fynestboi:
Judges you can turn in your score when you are through. To




Nairalandinterschooldebate@gmail.com



Isacolukay
TonyeBarcanista
Jarus

TonyeBarcanista:
Oga we are taking our time to analyse submissions.

sammyscholar:
Topic: GENIUSES ARE BORN, NOT MADE!

School: The Polytechnic, Ibadan

Stance: Against


"Born genius vs. made genius" is a controversial phenomenon that, even, scholars from related fields are finding hard to reach a common ground on. The 'born genius' protagonists have always said that genius is a product of raw talent and intelligence culminated from birth or heredity. In lending credence to their claims, they are always swift to citing child prodigies like Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Michael Jordan et al; who at tender ages, began to exhibit exemplary traits.

Conversely, the 'made genius' advocates, on their own spectrum of the line, believe every man is born with innate talent, ingenuity, and with matching brain capacities. They posit that genius is what the 'carrier' made of his creator's given talent, intellectuals, skills and ingenuity. They believe every man (able or disable) is endowed with innate talent and giving such ability/talent a right platform to nurture, and a stimulating and supportive environment to grow, is what produces genius.

Hence, is genius actually culminated from birth? Or, at the opposite, made? Well, without mincing words, I make bold to say; geniuses are not born, but made!

DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

GENIUS, according to a repute professor of psychology - Keith Simonton, "is a person who have the intelligence, enthusiasm, and endurance to acquire the needed expertise in a broadly valued domain of achievement and who then make contributions to that field that are considered by peers to be both original and highly exemplary."

CHILD PRODIGY, according to wikipedia; "is a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain to the level of an adult expert performer."


"Genius is one percent inspiration; ninety-nine percent perspiration" says Thomas Alva Edison.

It is, rather, bewildering that most of the celebrated geniuses that many have taken to be super humans, created with some sort of peculiarities have attested, themselves, to the fact that 'perspiration' is the potent behind their ground breaking successes. When pressed, they have always said their successes are final products of many inputs; which include: inspiration, perspiration, hard work, commitment, vision, determination, imagination, and other virtues. One then begins to wonder why the notion; “geniuses are born,” has hitherto, persisted.

Little wonder Albert Einstein was quick to assert that; "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." That is, many have what it takes to become genius; but when told, they disbelieve. They believe ingenuity is restricted and limited to some set of persons, and thus, genius can only be attained by certain few.


Basically, every man has something in him that if discovered and well harnessed would lunch him into the society of geniuses. There is always an area of life that every man is gifted. Even the biggest dunce in one field has a specific area where he is talented and if he could discover his talent and put it to good use; only sky would be his limit.

Scott Barry Kaufman, an American pathologist, once averred; “Genius involves figuring out who you are, and owning yourself." Genius simply means discovering yourself and building on that thing that you found to be your strength.

Truly, traits are transferable from parent to child. And there is also the possibility that a child of intelligent parent would take after them; but there is no guarantee to that! Although, some children are quick to demonstrate high-level intellectual trait right at tender age, but they likely would become nothing if those trait are not well exploited, leveraged and put to good use (which is the making process).

'Make', according to wikipedia; "is to form (something) by putting parts together or combining substances; create." Therefore, it is safe to say that genius is the final product of combination of many parts, which includes: talent discovery, courage, vision, passion, insight, reasoning, practice, hard work, determination, perspiration, imagination, perseverance, et al.

startlingly, some, many a times, tend to take the fact that only few persons have attained the height of geniuses in the history of man to mean it is a special and super magical trait ascribe to few persons. "Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves or by others," Says Mark Twain. Just as not everybody would live to become rich; many also would not live to become genius, even when they have the endowment; because not all would be willing to do and give what it takes.


While delving into Albert Einstein’s anatomy, Dean Falk of Florida State University was quoted to have said; "both nature and nurture were probably involved in Einstein's success, pointing out that his parents were "very nurturing" and encouraged him to be independent and creative, not only in science but also in music, paying for piano and violin lessons." "Einstein programmed his own brain.” “When the field of physics was ripe for new insights, "he had the right brain in the right place at the right time."

A critique of Falk’s statement above reveals that self discovery, supportive home, nurture, practice and positioning are what played the lead role in Albert’s success; which further corroborates the fact that genius is the final product of many factors, and not just a trait inherited by birth.

Furthermore, there is also the need to place more emphasis on ‘positioning’ in the making of a genius. Come to think of it; If Albert Einstein had lived all his years in a very remote section of a village in sub-Saharan Africa, and had no equipments and facilities to explore; would he still have lived to become what he became? Or if Lionel Messi (the much touted soccer genius) had out rightly gone the academic way, would he still have achieved high impetus as he does in soccer today? Our answers, undoubtedly, are synonymous. It is a capital NO.

Also, talking about child prodigy? Truth is, every child prodigy was only lucky to have been at the right place, doing the right thing at the right time. They were fortunate enough to have discovered themselves early in life and providence so have it on them that they had a very supportive home and environment. The musical genius - Mozart, was only lucky to have had a father who himself was a musician and was able to furnish his daughter with what he thought would help her in her musical career.

Conclusively, genius is a sheer product of self discovery, positioning, hard work, perseverance among others. Thomas Edison would have become nothing had he not persevered - it takes only a determined person to try out something more than a thousand times. “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard,” says Kevin Durant. No matter the enormity of the talent of a child; it would out rightly amounts to nothing if all the virtues cited above are missing.

Before I put scribble to halt, I would like to affirm, once again, that genius are not born, but made. Thank you.


REFERENCES:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/facts.html

http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/11/why-einstein-was-genius

https://www.quora.com/Can-a-genius-still-be-a-genius-if-they-are-uneducated-in-the-modern-sense

http://www.google.nl/search?q=child+prodigy+meaning&client=ms-rim&hl=en&oe=UTF-8&channel=browser&gws_rd=cr&oq=child+prodigy+meaning&gs_l=mobile-heirloom-serp.3..0l2j0i22i30.78.5846.0.6407.15.13.0.1.1.0.597.597.5-1.1.0....0...1c.1.34.mobile-heirloom-serp..13.2.636. x0N7ZdFQkaQ

Fynestboi:
Audience are free to comment now...

TruthHurts1:
ABU will win because you paired them with "paki" universities and polytechnics. If you really needed a keenly contested competiton, then why not UI vs UNN or UNILAG vs OAU?

Freemanan:
IB.P must win this one oooo

Fynestboi:
When a philosopher uses conclusively.... lol..

Fynestboi:
When a philosopher uses conclusively.... lol..

Abuklaw:
Do genes make the genius? Or is it really true that practice and training determine a genius?

I am using this medium to pay homage to whom it’s due.
The C.E.O of Nairaland, Mr. Seun Osewa,
Organizers of this intellectual event,
Incorruptible and ever-sagacious panel of Judges,
Perspicacious co-debaters,
Members of Nairaland intelligentsia,
Ladies and gentlemen.

Good day, I am abuklaw by moniker, representing Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The purpose of this write-up is to logically support the topic “Geniuses are born, not made.”

For proper understanding of this subject, there are some terms that need to be expounded. The understanding of the term “Genius,” “Genetic” and “environmental influence is pertinent.

Genius according to American Heritage Dictionary is defined “as a person with an IQ of 140 and higher”

Wikipedia regards a genius “as a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality”

Genetic according to Merriam-Webster dictionary mean “relating to or determined by origin, development, or casual antecedents of something.” Or “of, relating to, caused by, or controlled genes.”

While environmental influence can be explained in this context as the training, practise and human interactions that people undergo in the course of their development in life.

Without further ado, the points that succinctly back up the motion that “Geniuses are born, not made” are as follow:

It is unarguably incredible that there is someone in this world that still holds the opinion that irrespective of circumstance of birth, one can become anything in life, as long as one gets adequate training and practice well. The Einsteins, Edisons, Da Vincis, Picassos, Michelangelos, Galileos, Freuds and Mozarts of history were nothing but born Genius. As much as psychologist can say pertaining human intellectual abilities, they can’t till today explain the rationale behind the variation in learning and memory capacity of human being without referring to the hereditary dispositions of individuals. Contrary to John Locke’s assertion that “the mind at birth is like a tabula rasa-blank slate,” Lady gaga in her 2011 album made the bold empirical claim that “we are just born like this.” This means the musician was not born a blank slate but with natural abilities.

Genius is quantitatively and qualitatively different from talent. Talent refers to the ability to perform special kind of work and implies a relatively quick and easy acquisition of a particular skill within a domain while Genius involves originality, creativity, and ability to work and think in areas not previously explored. A genius is a person who comes up with ideas that are achievement model which others admire and imitate. The world would have been a worthless place if some people couldn’t come up with first of its kind invention. These people to a large extent cannot explain the steps that lead to the conception of their idea or how they come about such invention.

It would be absurd to assert that practice or training can make someone achieve in few months what normally takes a decade for an average person to achieve. It is without doubt the innate gifts of an individual that propel such individual to be extraordinary and exceptional in their chosen field. If training or practice could make a genius, it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to pick a football player as the best in the world among the pack of players who receive similar or better training and coaching from competent coaches in the world
.
Howard Gardner identified eight particular types of intelligent. He opined that the genius is born with extraordinary capacities in at least one of these areas of intelligence. A writer possesses linguistic intelligence, a successful footballer possesses kinesthetic intelligence, and a Nobel price holder in science related field possesses a mathematical-logical intelligence e.t.c.

Lending credence to the above, it is noteworthy, that attempt to make a genius will most time end in emotional debacle and psychological disorder. Imagine the disaster if Michael Jackson’s parent had tried to make him a boxer and Muhammad Alli’s father forced him into music. I am aware of the fact that training and practice can improve a person’s ability but it is ultimately biological factors that make a genius among ordinary achievers.

Although special programs attempting to overcome the deficits of people with low intelligent quotient abound, programs targeted at the genius (intellectually gifted) are rare. This is so because of the persistent view that the gifted ought to be able to “make it on their own,” if they can’t, they really weren’t gifted in the first place. (Robinson, 2003, Parke, 2005, sparks, 2007)

On a final note, the recipe of extraordinary achievement which include Intelligence, considerable drive, persistence, perseverance etc. Are to a certain degree genetic. If you’re born “stupid and lazy” forget about earning a Nobel Prize in physics.

Let’s take a look at the below short biography of a person published on page 125 of people weekly magazine in 2003.

“Writing at age 2, Reading at age 3, playing classical music on the piano at age 4 and composing music at age 5. But that is just the start of Sho Yono’s resume. With an IQ measured at 200, he entered Loyola University at the age of 9 and graduated summa cum laude at the age of 12. Then it was off to a joint graduate program in molecular genetics and medicine. He received a PhD at the age of 18, and he is now in medical school. Along the way, he received black belt in taekwondo and played piano on a national radio program. He’s also prone to understatement, saying “it is just fun learning.”

Do you still think Sho Yono was made through training and practice?

REFERENCE:

Parke, B.N (2003) Discovering programs for talent development. Thousand oaks, CA: Corwin press.

People weekly. (2003, June 23) kid doc: He’s no brain surgeon yet but sho yono, 12, is about to start med school. People weekly, 125

Robinson, N.M (2003) two wrong do not make a right: sacrificing the needs of gifted students does not solve the society’s unsolved problems. Journal for the education of the gifted, 26, 251-273

Sparks, S.D (2007, October 2). Foundation: Gifted poor students given short shrift. Education daily, 40, 3.

Valerie Strauss (2012) geniuses born or made?. Retrieved online @ 10:15am on 12:12:2015 @ www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/geniuses-born-or-made/2012/05/28/gJQAkvRhxu-blog.html.

https://www.quora.com/are-geniuses-born-made-or-both

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Idiots

American Heritage Dictionary.

Merriam Webster Dictionary

Freemanan:
Sleep of fingers joor...

Sleep of fingers joor...

Fynestboi:
My HOD will say them never born that man that can access such assignment with conclusively.....



For OAU here na zero over whatever the total might be.

Jacko1:
Geniuses are born jor..... Dont carr wat arguments presented..... Geniuses are born all fose firstclass ppl r u saying they read more than u.... All those artists is it by hard work dey r born..... Intelligent ppl are made

Freemanan:
Lwkmd...
Is your HOD a Marxist?



Those men mean,.,

Fynestboi:
An epistemologist.

But he is the only one that's takes us on Marxist.

Freemanan:
What da fhu....
An Epistemologist teaching Marxism..
No wonder...


Waiting patiently for my debaters tho.... Hope they wont fall hand sha...

TruthHurts1:
ABU will win because you paired them with "paki" universities and polytechnics. If you really needed a keenly contested competiton, then why not UI vs UNN or UNILAG vs OAU?

darrytoz:
Good day to the esteemed judges, erudite coordinators, fellow debaters, and the informed spectators. I am Darrytoz, the second speaker of the polytechnic ibadan. I am here to speak on the motion ''geniuses are made not born''.

GENIUS:an exceptionally intelligent person or one with exceptional skill in a particular area of activity.

"Genius are made, not born'', this encouraging saying has driven a great number of parents to explore their children's potential by all educational means. Books like The Da Vinci curse by Leonardo Lospernato do a good job of summing up a problem of our time that anyone striving to be a universal genius will inevitably fail.
Because today, unlike in Da Vinci's time, there is so much competition out there in every field that only people who devote themselves to one subject are successful. Anyone who wants to be a professional high flyer, the 'father of the year', a star violinist, a globetrotter and an art connoisseur all at once should either rethink his priorities or feel satisfied about being incredibly mediocre in each of these fields. After all, it is rare for a genius to be an all-rounder.

Alleged geniuses like Mozart, Geoethe and Picasso are not famous the world over for their unique inborn gifts, they were simply lucky enough to be born with a certain amount of talent that they could then activate with a whole lot of hard work and dedication. Anyone who wants to emulate a genius should take note of the fact that neither Mozart nor Einstein changed his profession every couple of years.
One reason why Steve Jobs was so successful was that he put all his energy into one thing and in the process sacrificed his chance of ever winning the 'father of the year' award. It is not to say that his path does not have potholes, traffic and detours, but instead that only people who experiment without fear of failure and accept that they can learn from it are bound to produce great things.
Over 100 years ago, Napoleon Hill asked himself whether the success of outstanding personalities could be explained by a formula. Did they all use the same toothpaste? Did they all follow the same traveling priest? Hill's answer which he used as as the basis for his book ''Think and Grow Rich'', was far more rudimentary for him, success and wealth were the consequence of having a clear goal and a burning desire to achieve it. And so, we can reinforce what we already knew about Mozart, Einstein and Jobs: they all worked hard and were ready to accept mistakes and failures.

Despite the widely-held belief that geniuses are all child prodigies, a race apart from ordinary mortals, a British psychologist claimed that the secret of their success lay more in hard work than in any innate intellectual gifts.
Genuine creative achievements depend more on perseverance over the long haul than on prodigrous childhood skills. We cannot all be geniuses but we can learn from them. What makes geniuses special is their long-term commitment. They struggle very hard and they keep on persisting. They enjoy their work. They excel at concentrating and persevering. Their efforts are focused, and all geniuses have a firm sense of direction. Like everybody else, even the greatest minds that have ever existed have had to struggle and strive to achieve their goals.

In conclusion, people can only truly be geniuses or achieve success if they work hard and consciously choose certain options over others. Veering off the paths of mediocrity and taking drastic measures. Becoming a genius is both a choice, that is within everyone's reach, and a difficult journey that one has to necessarily undertake (a quest that challenges you to self-actualize).
Genius become what they want to and manifest what their hidden potentialities are to state otherwise or to assert that they are either born or made is to continue paying homage to a false dichotomy that has longed outlived its usefulness. Thank you.



References
the-mouse-trap.com
www.dumblittleman.com
viviengg.
www.theguardian.com/uk
www.cewativitypost.com

Fynestboi:
Judges you can turn in your score when you are through. To




Nairalandinterschooldebate@gmail.com





Isacolukay
TonyeBarcanista
Jarus

tosyne2much:
Bro, I think that was a senseless and myopic assertion. However, your institution does not really speak volume of how brilliant you are

You can be a student of Unilag and be as dumb as a sheep and vice versa. Studying in a renowned institution does not necessarily mean you are academically better than the students studying in unpopular/unknown institutions

*Self development is all that matters in life*

Jarus:
Your not-so-great opening gave a bad impression (first impression matters), but along the line, you did well. Work on your opening. Opening is very key in debates.
A school boy error: The name of your school is, "The Polytechnic, Ibadan"; not," the polytechnic ibadan". Take note of proper nouns.
You did well, but your opening almost spoiled your efforts.

tosyne2much:
Bro, I think that was a senseless and myopic assertion. However, your institution does not really speak volume of how brilliant you are

You can be a student of Unilag and be as dumb as a sheep and vice versa. Studying in a renowned institution does not necessarily mean you are academically better than the students studying in unpopular/unknown institutions

*Self development is all that matters in life*