Genius is a title given to persons who supposedly accomplish what few can. Yet, if I have noticed anything about genius, it is that it requires strict concentration on a single subject of obsessive interest. It is not so much ability but perseverance that separates the wheat from the chaff. I suggest that people fall into three basic categories when it comes to personal accomplishment:

1. Apathy
2. Asperation
3. Action

The first group simply does not care about accomplishment for whatever reason. Most people fall into this group. The second group cares, but never does anything about it. A relative few fall into this group, and I typically do. The third group crosses the line between thought and action, creating something new for the first two groups to drool over. Almost no one falls into the third category, and it is sad.

Yet, is it rational to expect equal or greater examples of accomplishment as a civilization progresses? As more information flows into a civilization, it becomes harder to assimilate it and to take action based on it. In fact, it might be said that those who take the most action are the least educated.

One must be a jack of all trades and a master of none in today's civilization. By civilization, I mean the mentality, not, necessarily, the reality, of it. The reality varies from country to country, but the mentality remains the same. The mentality is one of progress through technology, which creates a reality where two opposing paths for the individual are vital. These are specialization and generalization. The first is needed to succeed in industry, to make or stabilize technology. The second is needed to live a normal life in spite of specialization.

Personally, I cannot bring myself to specialize all of the time. I am a whiz at the computer, as my dad would say, but I do not wish to learn about it 24/7. I have other interests, too many, it seems. Should I sacrifice interests for industry? Should I sacrifice my intellectual development for the possibility of a future raise, promotion, or more lucrative job? Perhaps. If I have a child, perhaps. As it stands now, though, I cannot cross the line between thought and action because all of my actions are directed towards a small subset of technology, the Internet. And it is sad.

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