--- title: Genius and Insanity: Do You Need to Be Crazy to Be the Best? description: Research says experts practice for 10,000 hours. That’s a lot of hours. A crazy amount of hours, one might say. I’ve posted a lot about... canonical: https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-22T04:01:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:32.100Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Genius and Insanity: Do You Need to Be Crazy to Be the Best? og:description: Research says experts practice for 10,000 hours. That’s a lot of hours. A crazy amount of hours, one might say. I’ve posted a lot about... og:url: https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Genius and Insanity: Do You Need to Be Crazy to Be the Best? twitter:description: Research says experts practice for 10,000 hours. That’s a lot of hours. A crazy amount of hours, one might say. I’ve posted a lot about... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Genius and Insanity: Do You Need to Be Crazy to Be the Best? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=fd7dbf48-6423-4987-8843-fb4882ba58a8&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 430,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 50.7% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=fd7dbf48-6423-4987-8843-fb4882ba58a8&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=fd7dbf48-6423-4987-8843-fb4882ba58a8&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. It reaches 430,000 subscribers with a 50.7% open rate as of August 2026. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Benedict Cumberbatch: On Playing the Role of the Genius [Watch (HLS stream): Benedict Cumberbatch: On Playing the Role of the Genius](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eCsfiaxR.m3u8) (1:39)  _Published 2014-11-19. Benedict Cumberbatch talks to TIME about the challenges of taking on the role of a genius in his portrayal of Alan Turing_ by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jul 22, 2015 4:01 AM UTC by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jul 22, 2015 4:01 AM UTC Research says experts practice for [10,000 hours](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/is-it-true-that-10000-hours-of-practice-will/). That’s a lot of hours. [A _crazy_ amount of hours](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/10000-hours/), one might say. I’ve posted a lot about “deliberate practice” and the [work habits of geniuses](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/05/genius-work-habits/). They’re relentless. Via [Daily Rituals: How Artists Work](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307273601/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307273601&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20) --- > “” --- Here’s the question: **Is that just something that obsessed, crazy people do? Does this prove the often-theorized connection between genius and insanity?** We assume 10,000 hours of practice means passion or dedication. How often does it just mean stone-cold obsessed? ## Brilliant, Famous — And Utterly Obsessed Steve Jobs? Brilliant and _obsessed_. Via [America’s Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455502383/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455502383&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- That was in Apple’s _factory_ — not someplace consumers would ever see. Dying of cancer didn’t make a difference. **He demanded the oxygen mask the doctors put on him be redesigned.** Via [America’s Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455502383/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455502383&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- But there was no doubt this obsessiveness made him great. Via [America’s Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455502383/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455502383&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Thomas Jefferson read fifteen hours a day in order to complete college in 2 years. He kept track of every single cent he ever spent in his life. Via [America’s Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455502383/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455502383&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Alfred Kinsey, groundbreaking sex researcher, recorded sex histories on almost 8000 people, put together the world’s largest collection of sex books and, deciding that the Dewey Decimal system was inadequate, created _his own_ method of classification. Via [America’s Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455502383/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455502383&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- I’ve posted about [Paul Erdos](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/erdos/), the “all-roads-lead-to-Rome” of the mathematics world, being obsessive at the extreme, wandering the world in search of new challenges with numbers. Genius and insanity? Yup. Via [The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786884061/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0786884061&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Baseball legend Ted Williams didn’t just obsessively swing a bat, he also zealously amassed data to perfect his skills, long before “[Moneyball](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393338398/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0393338398&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20).” Via [America’s Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455502383/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455502383&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (To learn how to make people like you, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/).) ## Beyond “A Good Work Ethic” Here’s where we stop saying “genius and insanity” loosely. There are connections between [creativity and mental disorders](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/07/are-creative-people-more-likely-to-be-crazy/). More specifically, obsessively thinking about things is connected to depression — but it’s also [correlated with creativity](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-people-who-dwell-on-their-problems-more-c): --- > “” --- This rumination/perseverence connection can be [a double edged sword for creative people](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847677878/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1847677878&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Obsessive people can be hell to be around, genius or not. What did Ted Williams’ second wife, model Lee Howard, say at their divorce hearing? Via [America’s Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455502383/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455502383&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (To learn the secret to being happier and more successful, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/).) ## The Dark Side Harvard’s Howard Gardner studied a number of creative geniuses and found that to reach those heights requires enormous sacrifice in other areas of life — what amounted to a Faustian bargain. Einstein lived in self-imposed isolation, Freud had an ascetic existence and Picasso became a selfish monster. _And Gardner’s study reveals that without these personal sacrifices they would not have been capable of their great achievements._ If hours alone determine genius then it is inevitable that reaching the greatest heights will be indistinguishable from pathological obsession. Via [Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Ghandi](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027741/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465027741): --- > “” --- (To learn how Navy SEALs develop grit and never give up, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/01/grit/).) ## Back To Reality Personally, you probably don’t need to worry about the line between genius and insanity. You’re not going to get tied up in a Faustian bargain with your work, and let everything fall by the wayside to perfect your art. But you can still learn from the crazies. They did what they loved. They spent the time, [probably enjoying the process](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/secret-enjoying-work/) much more than yet another hour of Netflix, and they became great. If you want a healthy amount of what they had, what should you do next? Start educating yourself. Which of the below is your weak spot? Click, read and improve: * [I don’t know what I’m passionate about.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/04/interview-author-cal-newport-on-how-you-can-become-an-expert-and-why-you-should-not-follow-your-passion/) * [I know what I want but how do I become the better?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/01/checklist-best/) * [I’m good. How do I become great?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/what-does-it-take-to-become-an-expert-at-anyt/) **Join over 195,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/08/genius-and-insanity/)**_._** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) [How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/) [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/"},"headline":"Genius and Insanity: Do You Need to Be Crazy to Be the Best?","datePublished":"2015-07-22T04:01:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:49:32.100Z","description":"Research says experts practice for 10,000 hours. That’s a lot of hours. A crazy amount of hours, one might say. I’ve posted a lot about...","url":"https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/","keywords":["Psychology","genius"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/","name":"Genius and Insanity: Do You Need to Be Crazy to Be the Best?"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Benedict Cumberbatch: On Playing the Role of the Genius","description":"Benedict Cumberbatch talks to TIME about the challenges of taking on the role of a genius in his portrayal of Alan Turing","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/eCsfiaxR/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-11-19T22:41:55.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eCsfiaxR.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/","duration":"PT1M39S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3966051/genius-insanity/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```