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I've been making this argument for years, its funny how many people just flat out dont agree with it. My stance is that there is no talent, just understanding a
by emehrkay 16y ago
I've been making this argument for years, its funny how many people just flat out dont agree with it. My stance is that there is no talent, just understanding and without physical limitations, anything could be understood by anyone.
I first came to this conclusion in art class when I was about 15. A girl asked me to draw a traffic light for her (I am a pretty decent artist) and I said no, but explained how to do it and she did a pretty damn good job at it.
I feel that if you ask anyone who is talented at anything, they may have to border having a passion for it, they'll be able to explain the how to you.
I tell my son this very thing and I feel that he approaches problems differently than if I told him "oh, that's a god-given talent, I dont know if you can do it."
- lachyg 16y agoWould love to hear your explanation. I'm a terrible drawer, and would love to become better.
- emehrkay 16y agoHa, it had something to do with drawing a 3d rectangle and erasing the inner lines, adding some ovals on the front face of it. Then drawing a straight line at the top of the oval as the top of the light cover and then drawing a skewed omega-like shape (Ω think hat brim) from the middle of the oval to line and on to the other side (like [this hat brim](http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photofiles/list/674/1084baseball_cap.jpg) http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photofiles/list/674/1084baseb...) I think about that from time to time as it really changed my life. This past summer I helped my son create a video game from scratch (using scratch :), he was 8 at the time. All artwork, sounds, logic came from his head with my guidance. He kinda fears playing a new sport, but when we get the fundamentals down, that fear goes away. It's fun watching him grow, I learn a lot and it really supports my theory of "talent doesnt exist"
- brm 16y agothat difference... innate or easier understanding + the ability to execute it IS talent
- emehrkay 16y agoI feel that things could be broken down so that anyone could understand. Those scenes in movies where the teacher finally breaks through to the kids by relating the subject matter to something that they care about may seem like bs, but I feel that approach really works. I think that is the foundation of the argument for smaller classroom sizes -- the teach can focus in on how to target each student's learning style instead of a watered down general approach. The desire to execute isn't something that could be given or taught to someone though. I have the same feeling about luck as I do with talent. I read the famous quote "luck is when opportunity meets preparedness" and I've lived that way since.
- rue 16y agoMost people can learn to be OK at most things, with enough time or a "breakthrough". A significantly smaller number can be great at them.
- ghaff 16y agoBingo. The comment with the highest signal-to-noise ratio on this thread. Speaking for myself. I am (though don't do much directly along these lines anymore) a decent engineer and programmer. Nothing spectacular. But I definitely struggled with more advanced math and physics. I have no doubt that had I majored in, say, Math and spent the same amount of time I did on my engineering degree it would have been very difficult. Yet, I knew people who considered Math an "easy" degree at the same school.
- emehrkay 16y agoSo are you saying that talent is when a person has passion for a subject and works hard at it?
- rhizome 16y agoI'm interpreting it as genius being a subset of those who work hard enough to be good at something.