I spend most my time in the history books, comparing what was, and what will be.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=genius
genius (n.)
late 14c., "tutelary or moral spirit" who guides and governs an individual through life, from Latin genius "guardian deity or spirit which watches over each person from birth; spirit, incarnation; wit, talent;" also "prophetic skill," originally "generative power" (or "inborn nature"), from PIE gen(e)-yo-, from root gene- "to produce, give birth, beget" (see genus). Sense of "characteristic disposition" of a person is from 1580s. Meaning "person of natural intelligence or talent" and that of "exalted natural mental ability" are first recorded 1640s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius
A genius is a person who displays exceptionally superior intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of new advances in a domain of knowledge. A scholar in many subjects or a scholar in a single subject may be referred to as a genius.[1] There is no scientifically precise definition of genius, and the question of whether the notion itself has any real meaning has long been a subject of debate, although psychologists are converging on a definition that emphasizes creativity and eminent achievement.
Okay, I don't really do that, but it seems to me, that after a few thousand years (okay, 500 or so, if you are anal about it), nobody has the slightest clue as to what a genius is. I was "gifted" in kindergarden, but I genuinely have no clue what that is supposed to be in relevance to anything that matters.
We could guess, that perhaps there is a spiritual world, and that perhaps, this plane of existence is simply a sparring ground for souls, who believe in free will temporarily on this plane, and that genius is a demon or angel of sorts battling some bizarre game of life. That's more exciting than touting our own horns, and patting each others back, right?