who is the most brilliant person that is living now or ever lived?

Answer 1

It's interesting to me that, when most folks think of "brilliance," they automatically begin listing scientists or philosophers--rational thinkers, like Einstein or Hawking, or Aristotle.

But there is another, more inexplicable brilliance: creative expression. For instance in music, art, or literature.

Like Shakespeare or Mozart or Beethoven or Van Gogh or Picasso.

The two whose brilliance has meant the most to me these past few months are the mystic poets Lao Tzu and Rumi, ancients, one Chinese, the other Persian. I think if we had taught their works in our literature classes during the past 100 years and young people had really come to understand them, we might not be in the mess we're in now globally.

The best book I've read recently about this kind of brilliance is by Sheldon Cheney (no, not that other Cheney!!) entitled Men Who Walked with God. This Cheney was an art critic of the first half of the 20th century, but this was his culminating book of quite a different sort, first published in the 1940s but recently reprinted (2000, I think). It is a clear and full account of the lives and works of twelve or so mystics, from Lao Tzu and Gautama Buddha to William Blake. I have found myself praying for just a few moments of insight as "brilliant" as the men and women included in this book experienced.

Answer 2

Brilliant in what? I'm going to go with music, lyrically. I would say John Lennon or Elliott Smith. Personally, I believe John was the greatest songwriter who ever lived. Elliott's a close second. Music composevly, I don't know. I have really listened that closely to such. Well, you play one of Beethoven's symphony's backwards and you get the Beatle's song Because. I think that's it. I can't go on. This is just too open ended

Answer 3

Stephen Hawking. It comes between him and Bill Gates. Bill Gates is the most brilliant when it comes to innovation and philanthropy. Stephen Hawking is the most brilliant when it comes to physics, and science. There is also Einstien, who is the most brilliant dead person. And there is Davinci' who is credited with inventing the tank, partial helicopter/ flying machine, and the machine gun. As well as the human anatomy.

Answer 4

Einstein was a freakin genius but then there were all of those Greek dudes like Plato, plato is a gooey toy for children. The smartest person in the history in the world must have been the guy who invented plato.

Answer 5

I would go with Stephen Hawking for currently. Ever lived is pretty tough, how do you compare an Aristotle vs. an Einstein vs. a Newton vs. a Shakespear?

Answer 6

Benjamin Franklin. he designed bifocals, streetlamps, the printing press, postal system, discovered and mapped the gulf stream, discovered that storms are determined by air pressure levels, a host of other maritime inventions, dicovered electricity was the same as lightning.....he was a genius

Answer 7

Linus Pauling, Einstien, Stephan Hawking, Jesus

Answer 8

There is no one answer. There is a different brilliant person for everyone on Earth, everyone has a different answer.

Answer 9

Probably Thomas Edison... he really brought on the modern age.

Sure Einstein did whatever, but it hasn't really changed the way people live.

Answer 10

Jesus. Since he was the Son of God and also lived on this earth as a human, He had all the knowledge of God, which is infinite.