The lucky genius
This proverb is a work of fiction from Iain M Banks in latest novel Matter, but it could well be for real:
One hundred idiots make idiotic plans and carry them out. All but one justly fail. The hundredth idiot, whose plan succeeded through pure luck, is immediately convinced he’s a genius.
April 28th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Absolutely! That’s what I’ve always thought about the geniuses of the web. Those who cashed out are geniuses. The rest of us are non-existent. The press plays along with it.
But it’s always worth watching these geniuses trying to do it for a second time. Of course, sometimes it works - proving some form of genius!