In general history seems to furnish the following instruction regarding the production of genius: mistred and torment men - thus it cries to the passions of envy, hatred and contest - drive them to the limit, one against the other, nation against nation, and do it for centuries on end; then perhaps, a spark as it were thrown off by the fearful energy thus ignited, the light og genius will suddenly flare up; the will, made wild like a horse under the rider's spur, wile then break out and leap over into another domain. - He who became aware of how genius is produced, and desired to proceed in the manner in which nature usually does in this matter, would have to be exactly as evil and ruthless as nature is. - But perhaps we have misheard.
Friedrich Nietzsche
1844 - 1900
