logo
episode-header-image
Aug 19
33m 1s

ReThinking: The myth of genius with Hele...

TED
About this episode

What does it mean to be a genius? Journalist Helen Lewis is the author of the new book The Genius Myth, which offers a provocative analysis of how we put brainiacs on a pedestal. In this episode, Helen and Adam unpack our cultural myths about geniuses and explore the dangers of treating them like demigods. They also discuss what Helen learned from the wives of male geniuses and how child prodigies can avoid struggling as adults.


Follow

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Helen Lewis (Website: theatlantic.com/author/helen-lewis/


Links

The Genius Myth


Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/worklife/worklife-with-adam-grant-transcripts


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
ReThinking: Why are people acting like everything’s fine? with Rahaf Harfoush
<p>In our rapidly changing world, it might make you feel crazy to look around and see others going about life as usual. There’s actually a term for this phenomenon: hypernormalization. In this episode, Adam talks with Rahaf Harfoush, a digital anthropologist and expert on toxic p ... Show More
41m 21s
Nov 18
ReThinking: Talking people out of hate with Daryl Davis and former neo-Nazi Jeff Schoep
<p>The Ku Klux Klan is one of the tightest-knit White supremacist groups in America—once someone joins, they’re usually in for life. But since the 1980s, over 200 members have renounced their affiliation, and all give credit to the same man: a Black jazz musician named Daryl Davi ... Show More
41m 39s
Nov 11
ReThinking: Living each day like it’s your first with Suleika Jaouad
Suleika Jaouad is the author of the memoir Between Two Kingdoms and the new Book of Alchemy—she’s also a lifelong journaler. In this episode, Adam and Suleika reflect on how Suleika’s journaling practice has helped her through cancer, discuss the art and science of journaling, an ... Show More
42m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 19
The myth of genius with Helen Lewis
<p>What does it mean to be a genius? Journalist Helen Lewis is the author of the new book <em>The Genius Myth</em>, which offers a provocative analysis of how we put brainiacs on a pedestal. In this episode, Helen and Adam unpack our cultural myths about geniuses and explore the ... Show More
33m 1s
Jul 2025
Debunking the Genius Myth w/ Helen Lewis
This week, Scott sits down with acclaimed journalist and Atlantic staff writer Helen Lewis to explore her latest book, The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea. Together, they examine how society defines—and often distorts—the concept of genius. Helen argues that th ... Show More
1h 7m
Sep 30
Brené Brown on courageous leadership
Brené Brown is a researcher, storyteller, and author who hosts the podcast Dare to Lead and has given some of the most popular TED Talks of all time. Brené joins Adam live at Authors@Wharton to talk about her new book, Strong Ground. They discuss how to identify your core values, ... Show More
41m 22s
Aug 10
Sunday Pick: Protecting your time with Linda Babcock | WorkLife with Adam Grant
<p>In this season of WorkLife, we’re pairing each of our regular episodes with a companion interview to do a deeper dive into the topic. This is the deeper dive for our episode on how to say no. Linda Babcock is a professor emerita of economics at Carnegie Mellon and co-author of ... Show More
36m 20s
May 2025
Sleep Experts: The Truth About Melatonin, Sex, and Sleep w/ Arianna Huffington & Matt Walker | EP #168
In this episode, recorded at the 2025 Abundance Summit, Matt, Arianna, and Peter discuss the importance of sleep and well-being to extend your healthy lifespan. Recorded on March 12th, 2025 Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice. Matthew Walker is a ne ... Show More
26m 6s
May 2023
The Success Myth Diaries #2: Sian Clifford on Fame
To accompany the launch of my new book, I have interviewed some of my favourite thinkers on the topic of success, failure and creativity — and the most common success myths. Today’s guest is British actor Sian Clifford, probably best known for playing Claire in Fleabag (the toile ... Show More
32m 7s
Sep 8
Boost your confidence (w/ Master Fixer Ian Robertson)
Anne and Frances are back with a new season of Fixable to tackle a subject that impacts everyone’s experience of work: confidence. In this episode, the pair sit down with Master Fixer Ian Robertson, a professor of psychology at Trinity College Dublin and author of the new book Ho ... Show More
35m 40s
Oct 21
The art of the interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin
As a business journalist, Andrew Ross Sorkin writes for the New York Times DealBook, which he founded, and co-anchors Squawk Box on CNBC. In this episode, Adam and Andrew riff on what makes a great conversation and compare notes on their best and worst interviews—including when E ... Show More
36m 41s
Mar 2022
The hidden history found in your teeth
Bioarchaeologist Carolyn Freiwald traces the story of human migration across the Americas to illustrate what ancient teeth can reveal about you. This talk was filmed at TEDxUniversityofMississippi. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's m ... Show More
11m 56s
Aug 24
TED Talks Daily Book Club: Intentional Ambition: Redefining Your Work for Greater Joy, Freedom, and Fulfillment | Rha Goddess
<p>Rha Goddess is an entrepreneurial soul coach and author of the new book "Intentional Ambition: Redefining Your Work for Greater Joy, Freedom, and Fulfillment." In this TED Talks Daily Book Club interview with host Elise Hu, Goddess talks about moving forward after the 2020 pan ... Show More
53m 52s