Hi Moss, Roger, All:
Thanks, Moss, for defining a banyan tree.
> Ficus benghalensis (of Benghal) A variety of wild Fig found in, strangely
> enough India & Pakistan. Bloody massive tree, if memory serves.
Although Roger disparages seeking understanding by sitting under a
banyan tree, a recent book entitled "Origins of Genius" by Dean Keith
Simonton lists six characteristics of creative geniuses, among them
the following (from a review of the book by Denis Dutton):
"(5) 'Highly creative people are introverted.' Simonton means by this
that, however affable they may be in social settings, they are given to
'long hours of solitary contemplation . . . smoking a pipe in an
armchair, taking a walk in the woods, engaging absentmindedly in
some routine activity.' Social contact, for creative geniuses, is
'subordinate to the internal ruminations of their eternally preoccupied
minds.' This for Simonton explains why group problem-solving, so-
called brainstorming, usually leads to such dismal results compared
to individual creative work."
Further the reviewer writes:
"Creative genius is defined by Simonton as the capacity to originate
scientific discoveries, artistic works, technical inventions, or engage in
political leadership, in a manner that achieves what is conventionally
termed eminence."
Missing, of course, from that definition is "the capacity to originate a
complete metaphysics." Otherwise, it directly applies to Robert Pirsig
whose eminence we recognize and is bound to grow.
The review of the book is a mild masterpiece in its own right and I
highly recommend for your reading pleasure at:
http://muse.jhu.edu/dem o/phl/25.1dutton.html
Platt
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