“Genius is play, and man's capacity for achieving genius is infinite, and many may achieve genius only through play.”

“His genius is not only in his own ability but in making others play”

“Universality is the distinguishing mark of genius. There is no such thing as a special genius, a genius for mathematics, or for music, or even for chess, but only a universal genius. … The theory of special genius, according to which for instance, it is supposed that a musical genius should be a fool at other subjects, confuses genius with talent. … There are many kinds of talent, but only one kind of genius, and that is able to choose any kind of talent and master it.”

“Genius is not a possession of the limited few, but exists in some degree in everyone. Where there is natural growth, a full and free play of faculties, genius will manifest itself.”

“Genius is the capacity to see ten things where the ordinary man sees one.”

“They say that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains," he remarked with a smile. "It's a very bad definition, but it does apply to detective work.”

“The only genius that's worth anything is the genius for hard work.”

“Any writer of any worth at all hopes to play only a pocket-torch of light — and rarely, through genius, a sudden flambeau — into the bloody yet beautiful labyrinth of human experience, of being.”

“Genius creates, and taste preserves. Taste is the good sense of genius; without taste, genius is only sublime folly.”

“Syd was a genius. But I wouldn't want to go back to playing Interstellar Overdrive for hours and hours.”