Good article, but the title is a bit too sensational for me. I agree that a good teacher and motivation can help you reach your potential very fast. I would s

Good article, but the title is a bit too sensational for me. I agree that a good teacher and motivation can help you reach your potential very fast. I would say there are two range of domains: - 1. almost only synthetic, axiom system has small 'Kolmogorov complexity': mathematics, algorithmization (on non-research level) - 2. more pattern matching, processing of huge amount of information: history, politics, industrial software development, business and everything on research-level. In the first range, if you find a good teacher and you are motivated then you can go to your potential extremely fast. Miracles happen within weeks. After a point you reach the 2. range, where you are already playing in a league with similarly skilled people, and you progress only extremely slowly. That's why some geeks are much better in math at the age 12 than the average adult, but they have to learn and practice for long years to become a professional mathematician or to create a successful software business.