Daily Speculations The Web Site of Victor Niederhoffer and Laurel Kenner

01/25/2006
Variations on Victor's "Asking the Right Questions," from Russell Sears

It has been said that Einstein was a slacker prior to 1905, although perhaps to justify why the great minds did not recognize his brilliance. I would suggest that Einstein did not change, and he always had a knack for asking the right questions. Nobody, however, asked him anything before 1905.

Even then it took an almost accidental stumbling onto him before his genius was recognized and while he awaited discovery he continued his meager life. There are excuses after excuses as to why his genius was not recognized; he was a Jew in pre World War I Europe, he lacked well rounded genius in other areas, he was a slacker -- preferring to do his thought experiments rather than study. The truth is that, even for perhaps one of the greatest men ever, nobody thought much of him while he was 'asking the right questions.'

If I ever get the privilege of asking Bill Gates a personal question I think it would be this, "Why did you quit Harvard? Did nobody believing in your genius to ask the right questions have anything to do with it?" The professors now will probably tell you how annoying he was, or some such excuse, (imagine a young Harvard student being too brash, must be rare), rather than admit that they did not see his genius.

Victor's love of the history of Charles Darwin suggests that he admires a man who can ask the right questions. Darwin was at least accepted by his peers, but again, Darwin's genius was not recognized at first. Many would argue that the Church and its doctrine blinded the great minds of Darwin's time to his genius. Perhaps there is more truth to this than the Church would be happy to admit, but I find laying blame at the feet of the religious zealots too easy a scapegoat for the great minds of the time. People like to flatter current society by simplifying the past. Chronocentricity.

Another great mind that "asked the right questions" and did not get recognized early on for his genius.

Each of these people have changed the world by asking the right questions. In hindsight, this is easy to see, but in each instance, nobody, at least nobody within the establishment, would initially recognize their genius.

Perhaps wasting society more money than not "asking the right question" is not recognizing or asking the right person the right question.

This has lead me to wonder why people do not recognize the ability to ask the right questions early on as genius. You could argue that 'questioning' is a learned skill, not developed early on, but I do not believe that this would stand up to scientific observation. I believe the above examples show that this is a gift, a gift to be developed, but a gift none the less.

The only time I have meet Victor was at his birthday party in which he asked me how I came up with my observation and post. I began to answer him, but as there were many others there we both got pulled in different directions at the time.

To conclude I have some thoughts about those who are good at asking the right questions.

1. They enjoy being alone to think. Einstein walked, Darwin went on the Beagle, Gates spens time programming. Perhaps this means that shutting people out is part to blame for the lack of early recognition? Going off the beaten path is easy for these people.
2. Once their ideas come out they seem so simple as to be common sense. It is like in those old sitcoms where Mom has the great idea but Dad always thinks that it is his. Many people honestly believe someone else's idea was their idea all along.

3. Asking the right question often is not really recognized as a skill but is seen as an annoyance, until you prove its the right question.
4. Victor seems to be an expert at asking the right questions, well beyond me. Study his posts. Study those that have asked the right questions, and ask yourself why?

Finally, a relevant idea to test. While CEOs with high class sheepskin do not overperform or under perform. Do companies that only hire top executives from ivy league schools underperform or overperform?