The Simpsons have been an institution of TV for over thirty years, and nearly anyone who's watched television knows their individual qualities and personalities. Marge is the caring mother and voice of reason. Homer is the somewhat simple but lovable breadwinner. Lisa is the straight-A student. Bart is the troublemaker and prankster. Finally, Maggie is the eternal baby.

The word "genius" does not really seem to apply to any of the Simpsons family member – not even Lisa. However, there is a fan theory on Reddit suggesting that all members of the Simpsons might be geniuses.

The theory gives different examples for every family member that underline their extraordinary intelligence, from Bart’s ability to learn various foreign languages to Homer’s recurring musical genius (a gift that Lisa may have inherited). Marge also shows her intelligence through her versatility, becoming (among other things) a police officer, an author and even mayor of Springfield.

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Even Maggie shows glimmers of brilliance, despite never even mastering speech. For example, she rescues her father from a crazed tow truck driver, and she takes back the children’s pacifiers in daycare, something a regular baby couldn't accomplish.

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In a twist, the theory also explains why most of the family members usually do not display their actual intelligence. Marge is usually happy with her life as a housewife, and Bart is contempt with having fun and coasting through life. For these characters, there's no need to be a genius when they're already happy.

While those two make the conscious decision from the start, Homer has a crayon stuck in his brain, as explained in Season 12, Episode 9, "HOMR." Once it is removed, his true intelligence shows. It causes him to become estranged from his friends, so he decides to have the crayon placed back into his brain to be accepted and happy again.

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Homer’s genius may even be inherited. While Grandpa certainly appears senile, flashbacks show him as the founder of two successful companies, as well as an accomplished pianist. Mona – Homer’s mother – is also a political activist and criminal mastermind who has been able to avoid falling into the hands of law enforcement for almost three decades.

The only family member choosing intelligence and aspiration over fun and happiness is Lisa. As the theory stats, "[Lisa] is by far the saddest and mopiest character" of the family. Meanwhile, the second daughter, Maggie, has not yet made the decision between intelligence and happiness. However, the fact she only shows her brilliance in desperate times may indicate she will side with the family’s majority.

The idea that an increase in intelligence leads to a decline in happiness may not be uplifting, but it is openly acknowledged in The Simpsons. In the above mentioned episode "HOMR," Lisa creates a graph depicting this very idea, which gives her pro-intelligence choice a bittersweet taste.

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While this theory makes some sense, there is one problem. The entire theory is based on the idea that the show has a continuous and coherent timeline. However, the show follows a floating timeline, meaning while time passes in terms of the characters’ surroundings – for example in terms of technology – the characters themselves do not age.

If the timeline is floating and arbitrary, it is hard to tell whether the family members are actually geniuses. If one views the show as a multiverse with different versions of the Simpsons, which explains the alternative pasts and futures, some versions of the characters could be geniuses, while others are not.

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