ZestVibe

Post Magazine
This Week:
Bringing Up Genius
With Tamara Jones
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, Jan. 14, 2002; 1 p.m. EST

At 5 years old, Greg Smith passed his parents intellectually. At 12, he's a senior at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va. He's also a globe-trotting advocate for children, a friend of Nobel laureates, and a lightning rod for lots of strange, unhappy people. So, what's a parent to do? What would you do, if you were the parent of such a child?

Tamara Jones, whose cover story "A Dangerous Mind" appeared in Sunday's Washington Post Magazine, was online Monday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. EST to field questions and comments about the article.

Jones is a Washington Post Magazine staff writer.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussionns and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Arlington, Va.: Does Greg ever compare himself to other geniuses or does he feel he can sympathize with other geniuses (past or present) and what they went through? Who?

Tamara Jones: Greg is careful to never compare himself to anyone, genius or otherwise, but he's an impassioned history buff who loves to analyze what motivated world leaders, their successes and downfalls. He did go trick-or-treating as Einstein one year. Also, for personal questions about Greg, you should know that he'll be following me for a live online chat at 2.

Arlington, Va.: Does Greg fully understand all that his parents go through for him? They have essentially given up their lives for him. Do you think he comprehends and appreciates what a sacrifice that is?

Tamara Jones: The Smiths seem very close-knit, and his parents say Greg does appreciate what they do for him. Bob and Janet Smith don't feel that they've given up their lives for him, though: they feel that he IS their life.

washingtonpost.com: Greg's 2 p.m. discussion

Montgomery, Ala.: I was curious if Greg intends to pursue his interest in football, and if so when does he intend to start playing?

Tamara Jones: Greg's only 5 feet tall and lean, so it'll probably be awhile before he's ready to suit up and confront the 6-foot-3 300-pounders. But he loves sports, and plans to go to football camp this summer to work on his skills.

Paris, France: Who considers this boy to be a prophet?

Tamara Jones: That's an interesting question. I'm not sure if you're asking it rhetorically or want others in the forum to respond, so I'll just put it out there.

Washington, D.C.: Do you have any local resources for advanced kids? My son is only two and I'm not pushing, but he seems to be quite a bit ahead of others his age.

Thanks

Tamara Jones: Janet Smith often corresponds with other parents, and is happy to share the information she's compiled about various resources for children. You can contact her via Greg's Web site, at www.gregoryrsmith.com. I believe there is a National Association for the Gifted based in DC, though.

Rockville, Md.: Has Greg published a book with his biography or writings?

Thank you and good luck!

Tamara Jones: Not yet, but he's considering offers.

Washington, D.C.: What an interesting portrayal. What I was left wondering is this: What will adolescence bring for him? He may be a genius, but hormones work on all bodies. What will his experiments with dating bring? How will he explore sexuality? Will he retain his peacemaking sensibilities? He'll need to branch out beyond his mother, certainly. I wish him all the best.

Tamara Jones: No one can predict what adolescence will bring. His parents hope he'll fall in love and meet his soulmate, and chuckle over the unsolicited matchmaking attempts they receive from other parents eager to introduce their daughters. He's devoted to his peacemaking cause, so it's hard for me to imagine him straying very far from that at any point in his life. But life is full of surprises, and unexpected hairpin curves. Whatever happens, I'm sure it will be interesting.

Rockville, Md.: So if the parents of Greg Smith are so concerning about publicity and attention surrounding their son, why in the world did they consent to a Washington Post Magazine cover story?! Geesh! The constant striving by people everywhere to get media attention -- when they don't really need it or even when it could harm them -- is ridiculous these days, as noted by many professionals and media critics, repeatedly. I think all the Smiths would have been better off without the magazine story; no offense intended to the reporter. And one more thing: Greg Smith isn't the only 12-year-old "genius" on the planet. In fact, I've met several prodigies through the years who have matched Smith's achievements -- and their parents aren't granting such brazen media attention, to their children's benefits.

Tamara Jones: Well, I think it's important to say that I sought out the Smiths -- they didn't come to me. And they weren't exactly an easy sell, either. I don't think they are striving. I think they've figured out a symbiotic relationship with the media where Greg shares some of his experiences and life with a curious public and in turn gets exposure for the peace missions he cares about.

Waterbury, Conn.: In your article you remark "for reasons I can only assume to be some primal survival instinct, I was so determined to find some flaw" can you expand on that comment? I understood it to mean coming to terms with our own "limitations" being non-geniuses.

Tamara Jones: I don't know exactly where that impulse comes from, but I know it was in many non-journalist friends I told about the article I was working on, too. It's not something I was proud of, but there it was. What I meant by the primal survival instinct is that maybe something deep inside some of us signals danger when confronted with superior intellect (not just superior physical strength). I think that's why people bombard Greg with quiz-show questions, too -- they want to feel good about themselves.

Vienna, Va.: Have Greg and his parents considered some type of enrichment program that will allow Greg to come more comfortable with the physio-emotional part of himself at the same time that he develops his intellectual side?

I ask this because I was considered something of a prodigy as a child (IQ is only in the 160s, but I wrote plays and did trigonometry at age 12), and while I had the opportunity to learn at a high level, my physical and emotional health were quite neglected. In fact, my extreme sensitivity to other's pain was ridiculed as "melodramatic." Now, as an adult, I have a chronic pain condition that I am only beginning to understand. An incredible mind can be dangerous to the owner if it is allowed to dominate the function of the entire person. I would recommend for Greg some activities like yoga, painting or other experiential art, gourmet cooking, etc. He could still get a lot of intellectual enjoyment from these activities but perhaps allow himself to get more in touch with his physio-emotional side in a non-threatening way.

Tamara Jones: This is one of the more fascinating parts of Greg's life, I think, and a provocative topic for debate: Do many geniuses grow up to be lonely and isolated because they, too, had heightened compassion as children and were forced to turn inward by an uncomprehending world? Greg's parents have always been deeply worried about this happening to him, and try to provide him with opportunities to connect with others on a personal level, whether it's other children involved in International Youth Advocates or senior citizens in a nursing home.

Arlington, Va.: Tamara, when interviewing Greg or just tagging along on his daily routine, did you feel that you were talking to or with a "little boy?"

Tamara Jones: Sometimes I did, and sometimes I didn't. When he was trying (patiently, futilely) to explain a math concept to me, he was definitely adult in his attempts to teach, but childlike in his conviction that anyone can comprehend anything if you just explain it clearly enough. Like many children, he'll want to find out what his Christmas present is; but he uses adult reasoning to get there. (Seeing his mother carrying a large box down the street when the family was on a shopping expedition, then going into a shop and asking if they carried the item he had asked for, and the clerk saying no, they just sold the last one. Mission accomplished!)

Washington, D.C.: I was struck most by your reporting that Greg does not share his emotions much. Even his mother confirmed this. Can you elaborate on this? How will this affect him in the future? He's obviously a bright child, so he likely understands things more thoroughly and therefore avoids typical fits of emotion. But everyone has to open up about their feelings for emotional health and well-being. Does he see a specialty counselor or therapist to deal with his unique life and all that comes with it?

Tamara Jones: Greg doesn't see any counselors. He's a very happy person. His mentor at Randolph Macon is a psychology professor, though, with an expertise in children and trauma. His need for control and his compassion make for an interesting dichotomy.

Takoma Park, Md.: What makes Greg laugh? And do you know any more particulars (other than in your story) about his very early development (babyhood) -- walking, etc. Thanks

Tamara Jones: He loves cartoons and the comics. He loves puns. His mom says he also has a mathematical humor that only he understands and thinks it rip-roaringly funny. The punchlines always involve some complicated formula. He likes Boy Meets World and old Growing Pains reruns on TV. He walked by himself at 9 months, toilet-trained himself at about a year, was speaking in complete sentences and could recite what was on pages of storybooks before he was 1.

Washington, D.C.: What happens to the money Greg earns from his speaking engagements?

And, not to be cynical, but since his parents gave up so much (not the least, job stability and retirement planning) in order to develop Greg's abilities, how do they intend to pay for retirement or do they expect Greg to do that?

Tamara Jones: Greg's money, I am told, goes to savings for future education (three PhDs don't come cheap) and to send donations to the projects he's trying to help. When he travels, hosts usually pay for just one parent to accompany him, so some of the money goes to pay the other parent's expenses. Bob Smith teaches, and is the family's source of support.

Alexandria, Va.: Dear Tamara:
I always assumed that what separated a genius from the rest of us schlubs was their ability to generate work of dazzlingly creative originality. Greg Smith indeed seems to have impressively absorbed, retained and understood a lot of difficult subject matter... and I don't doubt the sincerity of his moral commitments or that he is the real thing academically. But, from your description, he seems to be missing the creative dimension; as though he loves to learn rather than create. Perhaps his family's true genius is in marketing his image... sorry for the cynicism, but I don't buy into the genius label until he demonstrates breakthrough-clarity in solving a problem, making a discovery or illuminating a new way to think. What do you think about this?

Tamara Jones: I think the qualities you suggest are exactly the ones that Greg sees as goals. He's very creative, actually. I saw many of the projects -- poetry books, a pop-up children's book, dioramas for science fairs -- that he did for school before he hit college, and was impressed by the sense of fun and adventure they brought to potentially dry subjects. He doesn't just memorize facts, he truly processes and integrates the information he receives. I wondered if there were "two" Gregs -- the math whiz and the humanitarian -- and how they co-exist. I tried to push his buttons by suggesting that the lofty math theories he loves are of little use in his efforts to help children. He quickly pointed out that probability, for example, tells him how much food a Kenyan village will need in a year depending on weather conditions, etc. It all comes together with him.

Tamara Jones: Thanks for all your questions. I need to sign off now so Greg can do his own online chat. If you want to contact Greg, again, go to his Web site at www.gregoryrsmith.com.

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