I firmly believe that, deep down, everyone has some unique hidden genius they can offer the world. I’ll admit that observable reality appears to stand against that idea. But I am less concerned with who anyone seems to be, and more concerned with their potential. I want you to reach and expand your potential as far as possible, because I believe it to be more representative of who you actually are.

That in mind, let’s imagine there’s a scale of realized potential, and that everyone falls somewhere on that scale. Some people realize a lot of their potential and contribute a lot to society because of it. Others might contribute less.

I am simply defining a “genius” as person who has managed to train their brain and nervous system to be at the top of that scale. If you accept the idea that people can move up that scale, then everyone, given enough time, is a genius.

Let’s take that concept and apply it a little more broadly. If we were to measure the entire world population on the scale of realized potential, and then stack them together from the highest contributors to the lowest, we would get a Pareto distribution. The Pareto principle states that, on average, 80% of the results are generated by 20% of the causes. For example, 80% of the injuries are caused by 20% of the hazards, and 80% of the computer crashes are caused by 20% of the bugs.

It’s important to note that making money and generating societal value are two different things. This Pareto distribution is not on a wealth scale. The realized potential scale has more to do with self-actualization than external markers of “success.” By that definition, the Dalai Lama could easily be higher up on the scale than someone like Elon Musk, while Vladimir Putin could be at the very bottom.

Our ability to solve the problems that humanity faces, whether it’s climate change, hunger, disease, or international conflict, is limited to the possibilities that fit inside of what human potential has already been realized. But looking this Pareto distribution allows us to see a massive opportunity for advancement: humanity’s untapped potential.

There is a catch though, and that catch is that you are the only person who can bring your sliver of that potential into existence. If you decide not to realize it, nobody else will know who you could have been or what you could have done.

Your sliver is the reason why you matter.

And that my friend is why I don’t need to know anything about you to be certain already that you are incredible.