Unstable Genius: A Tribute to True Genius
There is a reason behind picking the name Unstable Genius for this newsletter.
I did not pick it to be “edgy” or “different.”
I did not pick it to be “unique.”
I did not pick it to be “funny.”
I picked it as a tribute.
A tribute to true genius.
The unconventional, eccentric, misunderstood, odd, at-odds genius.
Genius that inspired me to step outside the comfort zone and chase after my own dreams.
Let me introduce you to the people who make me want to do more with my life.
Nikola Tesla – Let There Be Light
Practically everyone has heard the story of Nikola Tesla and his groundbreaking work with alternating current. His works laid the foundation for the systems that power our homes and cities. The man dreamt of wireless energy transmission in a time when wireless itself was in its infancy.
That’s like going to Marconi and presenting him the idea for a smartphone right after he invented the telegraph. He would have laughed, called you crazy, and probably asked the church to lock you up.
“If your hate could be turned into electricity, it would light up the whole world.” – Nikola Tesla
Tesla was not what you would call stable by any means.
Eccentric
Obsessive
And with a strong aversion to pearls and the number three
Tesla often found himself in more trouble than most people will see in a lifetime.
He was not content with one arch-nemesis
He had multiple, and often clashed with the establishment and the authorities.
He died penniless, alone, and misunderstood, but his work is the foundation on which everything runs.
Alan Turing – Trial by Fire
Alan Turing is widely recognized as the father of computing. His work breaking the Enigma machine changed the course of a war.
He dreamed of machines that would exceed the capacity and performance of the human brain.
He dreamed of machines that would be indistinguishable from humans.
He dreamed of machines that could complete complex tasks in a fraction of a second.
He created the first computer, and as rudimentary as it was, it solved one of the most difficult challenges humanity had ever faced in one of the darkest periods of human history. The first computer went through a trial by fire, broke one of the hardest encryptions of its time, saved lives, and altered the course of a great war.
“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.”
– Alan Turing
Imagine that.
Your invention turns on, and the first thing it does is save lives and win you a war.
Despite his remarkable achievements, Turing was not someone you would call stable. He was outspoken, direct, and had an ego that created many problems for him. His inability to work well with others created friction and tension, making it difficult for people to connect with or understand him.
He was also treated poorly by his government because of his sexual orientation. He was chemically castrated, and two years later he died in a suspected suicide caused by cyanide poisoning.
Steve Jobs – iCan
There was a time at Nokia when engineers presented a prototype to the board for a device that could have become the phone we now call the iPhone. It had everything the iPhone eventually had, but the visionaries behind Nokia didn’t understand or see the appeal, so they passed on it.
A few years later, on a stage, a man announced a device that would change the course of computing and communication as we know it. More than that, it changed the way humanity operated. Everything transitioned to being in your pocket: music, video, photography, gaming, navigation, banking, investing, and yes—communication.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
The man behind it was just as eccentric, just as crazy, just as revolutionary. Books have been written about him, and yet they barely scratch the surface of how much Steve Jobs transformed the world.
His quest for absolute perfection and his mercurial temperament set him apart from every founder you know. Most founders dream of doing the impossible.
Steve Jobs woke up and declared all-out war on the impossible.
No matter the cost.
Bill Gates – Where Are You Going Today?
Bill Gates started his lifelong quest with a very simple idea: bring computing to the masses.
And boy, did he deliver.
I believe many people take for granted the impact Gates has had on humanity.
His work at Microsoft essentially runs the planet.
Excel sheets run the professional sector. Banking, finance, academia—basically any company with customers is using an Excel sheet right now. I bet some of you have one open.
Word has been used for everything from publishing research papers that cured diseases to writing scripts for blockbuster movies.
“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” – Bill Gates
The list goes on…
But Gates has not been described as stable by his peers.
In fact, many called him extremely
Competitive
Relentless
And often combative.
He was described as a ruthless businessman with no qualms about sacrificing entire divisions or buying up companies just to eliminate the competition.
There was even a period when Microsoft went on a shopping spree, and investors and industry experts weren’t sure what the company or its founder were up to.
Gates was also unconventional in his approach to education. His most famous moment: releasing mosquitoes at a TED Talk just to drive home his point about eradicating malaria. (The mosquitoes weren’t carriers.)
Who thinks of something like that and then says, “Yeah, I’m going to release a bunch of mosquitoes at my talk.”
If that’s not unstable
I don’t know what is.
The people on this list remind me that being different is not a flaw. It is often a source of our greatest strengths. These are people who refused to be boxed in by society’s expectations, proving that “unstable” can mean unbound by convention, unafraid to fail, and unyielding in the pursuit of their vision.
The term “unstable” doesn’t have to be a curse;
It can be a badge of honor
A mark of those who see the world not as it is
But as it could be.
So here’s to the misfits
The rebels
The round pegs in the square holes.
To those who don’t fit the mold but instead reshape it.
You are the visionaries
The trailblazers
And the revolutionaries.
Keep pushing boundaries.
Embrace your quirks.
Celebrate the genius within you.
The world needs more of what only you can bring.
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