hen 1 was a teenager， I had what I thought was a unique<br >view ~)f the w()rld. 1 believed that whatever extra()rdinar~，<br >accomplishnlents had [)ceil achieved in the past by a ge-<br >nius cc)ulct， in sut)scquent years， be learned by any n()rmal human<br >being willing t~) c{mmTit suttk ient time and energ3~. I based this view<br >on what 1 had disc~)vcred al-)()ut the history ()f human knowledge<br >and what I tbh abc>ut my own abilities to learn new things.<br > l.ikc :my ~)thcr schoolboy Hush with new knowledge， I was de-<br >lighted (and felt superior) to think that what 1 was learning in high<br >scht~c)l had been taught ill c~)llege and university c()urses only a<br >gcncr;uion bclc)rc， l，ater， it ~)ccurrcd t() me that this was h<)w civili-<br >zation pr(~grcsscs. At the time (~t a new disc()ver); few pe()ple un-<br >dcrstaud it. /ks the disc()vercd fact or theo~" ages， more and more<br >