The quoted passage above is directly contradicted by the fact that Grenoille makes very powerful and amazing perfumes with little or no experience whatsoever. This seems to indicate that it is true genius that brings products and creativity to heights that are astounding. Sure, if you have experience and "hard work" as Baldini says, you can be successful, and do well. But, in order to be fantastic and extraordinary, there does need to be an element of talent involved. Talent combined with hard work and experience yield the best results, and we see this as Grenoille gets better and better the more he learns about technique and the "how to's" of perfume making, and works hard to meld the perfect smells.
As in a lot of talents, it can overtake us. Genius, without the proper bounds, can become destructive. Grenoille became addicted to the power that his genius gave him, and, his obsession with his art became destructive and evil. He lacked the proper restraints, channels, and moral background to prevent his talent from becoming a destructive force in his life. His rough upbringing and ostracized social status played a role in his inability to keep his desires within proper social bounds. Often, incredibl talented people become consumed with their gift, to the cost of other aspects of their lives. Sometimes the talent destroys them--consider musicians who overdose, or artists who lose themselves along the way. It's an interesting thing that happens.
I hope that those thoughts helped a bit; good luck!
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