The Genius Game

                Have you ever noticed that the life of a genius is usually heartbreaking? Because I have, and it frustrates me. We alienate people for being different; we ridicule them for thinking outside the box. And yet, we want all of society’s problems to be fixed, but when a genius offers us the answer, we turn our noses up and make fun of their life’s work. I don’t understand human beings sometimes, because we so readily ruin each other’s lives.

                Over winter break, my friend and I journeyed to our local theatre to see The Imitation Game, starring the brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing. Turing, who I’d never heard of before in my life, helped to invent the computer, and wasn’t considered a genius to the public until years after his suicide. That’s devastating. He worked so hard at ending the second World War, and nobody appreciated his work. People today probably didn’t even know his name until they saw the movie. That’s not even counting the people who haven’t seen it, and may never see it. His legacy has died as tragically as he did.

                The movie spoke to me deeply throughout his story, because not only did Turing gain my sympathy, but also my respect. Cumberbatch played him with such intelligence, as well as innocence and vulnerability. He had spent his whole life feeling like an outcast because his mind thought differently, and even after breaking ENIGMA, he was prosecuted for being homosexual despite his part in ending the war.

                So that brings back the question: why do we hate brilliant people? Why does everyone target those who have potential and shoot them down? Why is everything new or different clouded in conspiracy, when instead it should be embraced? I don’t know. I probably will never know, because I refuse to try and understand those who hate others simply because their different. Different is not synonymous with weird or wrong. People who think that way are most likely the reason society’s progress is constantly stunted. There are always people out there who mean to oppress others. We need more people like Turing to prove them wrong; to prove to society that smart is the new sexy, or whatever.

                We can’t better ourselves if we don’t accept change, and that’s something the world needs to learn before we can create the future we deserve.