Or . . . “She’s Brilliant!”
You’ve heard this statement before.
Or perhaps you’ve uttered those words yourself about another individual.
But what does it mean?
When someone describes another mortal as being “brilliant” . . . what are they saying about them exactly?
And how does it differ from terms like “smart” . . . “funny” . . . ”intelligent,” etc.?
I look forward to your responses.
P.S. We still haven’t run out of our Christmas special. There are still some left, so act soon if you want to take advantage of the offer.
How does one start an organic church when one is a pastor of an institutional one??? Jesus is brilliant and the institutional church doesn’t capture Him as He is… All I studied is about an institutional church. What to do to show Jesus’ brilliance…???
I address this in “Finding Organic Church.” http://frankviola.org/foc
As Rick described, to me someone who is brilliant has a perceptive, predictive quality. They tend to think one or several steps ahead of others and bring information that others haven’t yet considered. Therefore, brilliant people are visionary, creative, and can paint a picture (literally or figuratively) of something that others have not thought of or conceived yet. So perhaps there is an element of extra-perceptive foresight.
Those people who are truly in love with Christ are the true representation of “brilliant”. They sparkle brightly in this dark world like the winter sun shines through ice crystals and can melt a cold heart like the sun melts the ice.
They simply outshine the rest.
Just the other day my husband referred to an author whose books he’s currently reading as “brilliant”. He even mentioned that this author is not simply smart, but brilliant (smart plus more?) because he took such deep things and shed light on them in a simple and clear way.
When I say someone is Brilliant it implies that they are original… they have no just repeated something or learned something ordinary but extraordinary.
To me the person may have done something impressively clever
Being “brilliant” to me implies that the person is not only smart or intelligent, but that they employ those giftings to help and serve others; by shining the light of timely Truth into situations that are otherwise dark and in need of an infusion of Wisdom. Brilliance brightens other people’s lives.
“Smart” is an adjective describing intelligent people. “Brilliant” is an adjective describing smart people who can take what they know and apply to a set of facts and circumstances that is unique, illuminating, and/or creative.
I see that brother Rick has given an excellent definition, so I shall note add to that, but merely enrich it with a bit of word history!
Brilliant: “1680s, from French “brilliant” meaning “sparkling, shining” participle of “briller” meaning “to shine” (16c.), from Italian “brillare” meaning “sparkle, whirl,” perhaps from V.L. *berillare “to shine like a beryl,” from berillus “beryl, precious stone,” from L. beryllus.” (source: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=brilliant&allowed_in_frame=0)
The gemstone “beryl” comes from the same root word as “brilliant.” I find that interesting.
Brilliant invokes the power of the metaphor. Smart and intelligent are just plain adjectives. A lot of people are smart, funny, etc. But in a sky full of smart and intelligent stars, the brilliant ones are the ones you notice. They are the ones sailors navigate by and that compose constellations.
Smart, intelligent, brilliant are all according to IQ. Funny has nothing to do with intelligence. You can be funny at any IQ level. You can be brilliant (of superior intelligence or even genius) but still not have the right perspective or answer to something, ie. Darwin. A person of feeble intelligence can know something a genius doesn’t know. You might be brilliant in one subject and normal on another. But I’m not sure IQ has to do with knowledge on any particular subject. If I was going to say to someone and I have, that he/she is brilliant it would probably be referring to a subject or a way in which they solved a problem, something specific. I would consider you brilliant in the area of theology but I might not consider you brilliant in the kitchen. Hope that’s clear as mud.
Brilliant is perhaps an overused term and has become slang, similar to uber…from the German. The English use brilliant to express what we might call cool! Since it is in large part an expression of brightness when used in defining a light source… I suggest that when used as an adjective modifying a person it could mean that someone shines brightly, without defining specific parameters or aspects. It is a very expansive word of praise when used alone. When used as an adverb of course it greatly enlarges the spectrum of a verb.
I believe that being smart or funny is that talent or skill that God gifts individuals with. Brilliance is a hightened version of smart or intelligent. Being brilliant has a unique quality that sets it apart from other compliments that are probably used more frequently.
But what is that “unique quality” that makes it a “hightened version” of smart or intelligent?
IMO… Smart is the ability to memorize and regurgitate. Brilliant is that plus the ability to perceive and innovate. Smart knows the answer to the question that is asked. Brilliant knows the other question that most people never think to ask.
Rick, this is really good. To rephrase your words, brilliant = highly perceptive and creative. Correct? I want to hear from others also who have actually USED the term to refer to an individual.
Meaning, you’ve called someone brilliant before . . . what did you mean by that when you said it?
Really can’t improve on what Rick said. A brilliant person has a sort of spark about them– a “bright light” perhaps– hence, the very word.
I know I’ve called your Eternity book brilliant. Innovative and perceptive is partly what I meant. For a writer or presenter, it also involves the ability to see something through the fog and then present it in a clear way for the reader or listener.
I would use “brilliant” when there’s an ability to communicate something with amazing clarity & creativity. Usually taking an “old” thought and giving it new perspective. Usually bringing forth a major paradigm shift. So if we are talking about a writer… the writer is intellectually intelligent – but also very socially/relationally intelligent. He seems to understand people, how they think and how to blow up their paradigms & boxes.
I agree and would add that the perception is generally in seeing how two seemingly unrelated things actually do relate. And then taking that connection and applying it in a meaningful, useful way. All originality is not the discovery of something new but a new combination of several things already known.
agree with what Peter James is saying too. the ability to make connections I would have never thought to make….. I would call that person brilliant. and discovery seems a key word for “brilliant” too