5 ms·

Isn't a part of a person's endowment their ability to work hard and put in effort where it's required, when it's required? The 7ft tall thing is an example of a

Isn't a part of a person's endowment their ability to work hard and put in effort where it's required, when it's required? The 7ft tall thing is an example of an easy to see factor, which some people have, and some don't. In reality, as you say, there are unlimited factors going into a person's greatness (or lack-of). By the way, there was a study where, given the same weight lifting program, a couple people gained tons of muscle, most gained some, some gained none, and a few even lost muscle. Not everyone can gain appreciable muscle, and not everyone can get good at math (although most can, and the average person underestimates their ability to do so).

ktRolster 10y ago
there was a study where, given the same weight lifting program, a couple people gained tons of muscle, most gained some, some gained none, and a few even lost muscle. Not everyone can gain appreciable muscle This is a non sequitur. A reasonable follow-up study would try to figure out why those people didn't gain muscle, and how that can be changed (the first things to look at would be diet and sleep. If they're not getting enough food, of course they will lose muscle).
sn9 10y ago
>Isn't a part of a person's endowment their ability to work hard and put in effort where it's required, when it's required? No this is largely a malleable set of traits. Good teachers can frequently change them in whole populations of students.
- ZeroFries 10y ago
  Good nutrition can frequently change the height of whole populations. Yet, we say height is part of a person's endowment. One might say potential is largely determined at birth, but how that potential unfolds is determined over the course of an organism's life.
  - sn9 10y ago
    Yes but in even the most developed countries, nutrition isn't an issue but sufficiently good educational environments aren't. We're still barely tapping into people's potential, but people still act form arguments on the assumption that we are.

ktRolster 10y ago

there was a study where, given the same weight lifting program, a couple people gained tons of muscle, most gained some, some gained none, and a few even lost muscle. Not everyone can gain appreciable muscle This is a non sequitur. A reasonable follow-up study would try to figure out why those people didn't gain muscle, and how that can be changed (the first things to look at would be diet and sleep. If they're not getting enough food, of course they will lose muscle).

sn9 10y ago

>Isn't a part of a person's endowment their ability to work hard and put in effort where it's required, when it's required? No this is largely a malleable set of traits. Good teachers can frequently change them in whole populations of students.

ZeroFries 10y ago
Good nutrition can frequently change the height of whole populations. Yet, we say height is part of a person's endowment. One might say potential is largely determined at birth, but how that potential unfolds is determined over the course of an organism's life.
- sn9 10y ago
  Yes but in even the most developed countries, nutrition isn't an issue but sufficiently good educational environments aren't. We're still barely tapping into people's potential, but people still act form arguments on the assumption that we are.