5 ms·

If 80% of people are talentless or skillless (wow, a naturally-ocurring triple-L), what should those people do?

by palish 18y ago

unalone 18y ago
See, maybe this is bias, but I don't think it's possible to be talentless or skill-less (hyphen, maybe?) entirely. The people I know who're talented are the people who ask questions. The people who're skilled are the people who learn how to do something. And I've never met people who can't do either. Only people who refuse to. The people who I think are most talented - the people I try to emulate - are the people who never stop asking questions. The more you ask, the more comprehensive view you have of the thing, and the more you've got to master. There's nothing particularly hard to it. The people who don't ask questions, but accept things as they are, are the people who comfortably fit into a niche. I think most people do this: they get to a certain level, then stop, and they settle in with people who've settled there. The people who are skill-less settle in with people who have that mindset. So they end up with some sort of a satisfaction. The people who impress me the most, in every single field, are the ones who are never satisfied entirely. The ones who constantly move forward. It leads to a mindset like the one in the OP: you feel dissatisfied with the people around you, the people who settle in. And while the whole idea is that you never do settle in with a group when you're like that, you do acknowledge the people who are similar to you, and you develop bonds like that. Those are my closest friends: the people who, to some degree or other, never stop pushing themselves forward. It's because they always change: they always stay interesting. And while all of those close friends belong to entirely separate groups, while most of them have never met each other in person, they're still a very definitive group in my mind. And I'd like to think that I belong to that same group in their minds.
- nazgulnarsil 18y ago
  I like the lack of the "talent" meme in asian culture. hard work is correctly identified as the reason for superior performance.
  - palish 18y ago
    As one reason for superior performance.
    - rodrigo 18y ago
      When I find myself thinking about things the way you do (according to what you've said here), I said to myself: "DO something and stop whinning!" Dont be satisfied with the things that come out of some intellectuall exercise only, try to check them in the real world, I dont believe that being a genius is a something youre born with. DO things, be smart, read Druckers "Managing Oneself", and maybe we all can do something meaningful out of this.
      - palish 18y ago
        I have been doing for years, without whining. I believe I am selfishly entitled to one outburst every few years or so.
        rodrigo 18y ago
        You're very rigth, I was trying to share what I do to get myself out of those outbursts. Also I was under the impression that you were talking about a general condition.
        palish 18y ago
        Sorry! I completely misread you. Thanks for the advice!
  - unalone 18y ago
    Part of the reason. The part of that culture that I dislike is that there's no emphasis on figuring out what's most worth figuring out. There has to be a period of figuring out what's worth your time before you dedicate your time. It's present in American culture, though not as prominently as it ought to be, but from what I've seen of asian culture it's not there at all. It's why the few big Japanese successes that fascinate me - though I don't know very many people, I'll admit - are ones that are openly West-influenced. Shigeru Miyamoto and Nobuo Uemats, for instance: the one is more influenced by The Beatles than anything else, and the other originally tried writing songs like Elton John.
anovaskulk 18y ago
The majority is not completely talentless, or without skill. They are average. It's the definition. There is only one thing they can do: be what they are.
- palish 18y ago
  What if I am of average intellect, but am completely dissatisfied with it, to the point of being utterly consumed with a quest to not be as illogical and uncreative as I wish I didn't have to admit I am? I believe the only thing I cannot do is be myself.
  - anovaskulk 18y ago
    You can't not be what you are. At least, not yet :-)
    - palish 18y ago
      That's the thing -- I have to be. At least, I have to believe I can be something I'm not. Because if I truly am stuck with this brain, with this inability to be smart, as smart as John Carmack or Trevor Blackwell or Steve Wozniak, then I will be unable to realize my visions of the future, of potential creations, of new awesomeness, and the one thing I feel I cannot live with being is a consumer rather than a producer. In short, what I am is an overpowering urge to be anything else.
      - anovaskulk 18y ago
        If you can be something better, then you're not what you think you are. Are you just speaking hypothetically, or do you really think you are unable to be smart? Because if you do think that, chances are you're wrong. > In short, what I am is an overpowering urge to be anything else. Join the club.
        palish 18y ago
        A friend was answering some programming/logic questions for a potential employer. In addition to a many good programming questions, there was also this logic question: "A man was sentenced to death, but the king wanted to give him a last chance. He asked the man to choose from one of the three knights that were there. One of the knights was the Knight of Life, and he always told the truth. The second Knight was the Knight of Death, and he always told lies. The third knight was the Knight of the Dungeon. He sometimes lied and sometimes told the truth. If the man chose the Knight of Death, he would be executed before sunset. If he chose the Knight of Life, he would be acquitted and set free right away. If he chose the Knight of the Dungeon, he would spend the rest of his life imprisoned in the Dungeon. The man was allowed to ask the three knights one question each. Thus, he asked the fat knight, "What is the name of this tall knight?" The reply was, "He is the Knight of Life." He asked the small knight, "What is the name of this tall knight?" The reply was, "He is the Knight of Death." Then he asked the tall knight, "Who are you?" "I am the Knight of the Dungeon" was the reply. After that, the man was able to correctly choose the Knight of Life, and was set free immediately. Who is the Knight of Life, and who are the other two knights?" This puzzle seemed beautiful to me because it was so pure. If you can understand English, then you have the potential to solve it. My friend solved it in about forty seconds, according to him. I solved it in over twenty minutes, and only after being wrong once. I am an extremely slow programmer. I have had the good fortune of being around many productive programmers, so I know this to be the case. I used to make excuses as to why I was so. But in the end, it doesn't really matter; I am wrong 90% more often than I am correct, and I act stupidly most of the time. My memory is so horrible that I routinely forget the start of the sentences I am writing. I often re-read what I write (be it English or C++) over ten times before I am satisfied it means what I meant. My mathematical skills are a wash. (I still don't even understand the meaning and utility of 'e', and not for lack of trying.) My mind's eye is blind; I find it almost impossible to imagine what a given figure should look like, if I am about to draw it, so something such as Paul's painting http://bookshop.gfu.net/AxCMSTemplates_GFU/pics/products/0133708756.jpg http://bookshop.gfu.net/AxCMSTemplates_GFU/pics/products/013... seems nothing short of magic. My hand-eye coordination is decent, but not great. My reflexes are decent, but not great. So in summary, I feel I am decent, but not great; but I have an overwhelming appetite to be great. I don't want to give up on becoming a genius, and I don't want to believe that I cannot become one just because I wasn't born one.

If 80% of people are talentless or skillless (wow, a naturally-ocurring triple-L), what should those people do?

by palish 18y ago

If 80% of people are talentless or skillless (wow, a naturally-ocurring triple-L), what should those people do?

See, maybe this is bias, but I don't think it's possible to be talentless or skill-less (hyphen, maybe?) entirely. The people I know who're talented are the people who ask questions. The people who're skilled are the people who learn how to do something. And I've never met people who can't do either. Only people who refuse to. The people who I think are most talented - the people I try to emulate - are the people who never stop asking questions. The more you ask, the more comprehensive view you have of the thing, and the more you've got to master. There's nothing particularly hard to it. The people who don't ask questions, but accept things as they are, are the people who comfortably fit into a niche. I think most people do this: they get to a certain level, then stop, and they settle in with people who've settled there. The people who are skill-less settle in with people who have that mindset. So they end up with some sort of a satisfaction. The people who impress me the most, in every single field, are the ones who are never satisfied entirely. The ones who constantly move forward. It leads to a mindset like the one in the OP: you feel dissatisfied with the people around you, the people who settle in. And while the whole idea is that you never do settle in with a group when you're like that, you do acknowledge the people who are similar to you, and you develop bonds like that. Those are my closest friends: the people who, to some degree or other, never stop pushing themselves forward. It's because they always change: they always stay interesting. And while all of those close friends belong to entirely separate groups, while most of them have never met each other in person, they're still a very definitive group in my mind. And I'd like to think that I belong to that same group in their minds.

nazgulnarsil 18y ago
I like the lack of the "talent" meme in asian culture. hard work is correctly identified as the reason for superior performance.
- palish 18y ago
  As one reason for superior performance.
  - rodrigo 18y ago
    When I find myself thinking about things the way you do (according to what you've said here), I said to myself: "DO something and stop whinning!" Dont be satisfied with the things that come out of some intellectuall exercise only, try to check them in the real world, I dont believe that being a genius is a something youre born with. DO things, be smart, read Druckers "Managing Oneself", and maybe we all can do something meaningful out of this.
    - palish 18y ago
      I have been doing for years, without whining. I believe I am selfishly entitled to one outburst every few years or so.
      - rodrigo 18y ago
        You're very rigth, I was trying to share what I do to get myself out of those outbursts. Also I was under the impression that you were talking about a general condition.
        palish 18y ago
        Sorry! I completely misread you. Thanks for the advice!
- unalone 18y ago
  Part of the reason. The part of that culture that I dislike is that there's no emphasis on figuring out what's most worth figuring out. There has to be a period of figuring out what's worth your time before you dedicate your time. It's present in American culture, though not as prominently as it ought to be, but from what I've seen of asian culture it's not there at all. It's why the few big Japanese successes that fascinate me - though I don't know very many people, I'll admit - are ones that are openly West-influenced. Shigeru Miyamoto and Nobuo Uemats, for instance: the one is more influenced by The Beatles than anything else, and the other originally tried writing songs like Elton John.

anovaskulk 18y ago

The majority is not completely talentless, or without skill. They are average. It's the definition. There is only one thing they can do: be what they are.

palish 18y ago
What if I am of average intellect, but am completely dissatisfied with it, to the point of being utterly consumed with a quest to not be as illogical and uncreative as I wish I didn't have to admit I am? I believe the only thing I cannot do is be myself.
- anovaskulk 18y ago
  You can't not be what you are. At least, not yet :-)
  - palish 18y ago
    That's the thing -- I have to be. At least, I have to believe I can be something I'm not. Because if I truly am stuck with this brain, with this inability to be smart, as smart as John Carmack or Trevor Blackwell or Steve Wozniak, then I will be unable to realize my visions of the future, of potential creations, of new awesomeness, and the one thing I feel I cannot live with being is a consumer rather than a producer. In short, what I am is an overpowering urge to be anything else.
    - anovaskulk 18y ago
      If you can be something better, then you're not what you think you are. Are you just speaking hypothetically, or do you really think you are unable to be smart? Because if you do think that, chances are you're wrong. > In short, what I am is an overpowering urge to be anything else. Join the club.
      - palish 18y ago
        A friend was answering some programming/logic questions for a potential employer. In addition to a many good programming questions, there was also this logic question: "A man was sentenced to death, but the king wanted to give him a last chance. He asked the man to choose from one of the three knights that were there. One of the knights was the Knight of Life, and he always told the truth. The second Knight was the Knight of Death, and he always told lies. The third knight was the Knight of the Dungeon. He sometimes lied and sometimes told the truth. If the man chose the Knight of Death, he would be executed before sunset. If he chose the Knight of Life, he would be acquitted and set free right away. If he chose the Knight of the Dungeon, he would spend the rest of his life imprisoned in the Dungeon. The man was allowed to ask the three knights one question each. Thus, he asked the fat knight, "What is the name of this tall knight?" The reply was, "He is the Knight of Life." He asked the small knight, "What is the name of this tall knight?" The reply was, "He is the Knight of Death." Then he asked the tall knight, "Who are you?" "I am the Knight of the Dungeon" was the reply. After that, the man was able to correctly choose the Knight of Life, and was set free immediately. Who is the Knight of Life, and who are the other two knights?" This puzzle seemed beautiful to me because it was so pure. If you can understand English, then you have the potential to solve it. My friend solved it in about forty seconds, according to him. I solved it in over twenty minutes, and only after being wrong once. I am an extremely slow programmer. I have had the good fortune of being around many productive programmers, so I know this to be the case. I used to make excuses as to why I was so. But in the end, it doesn't really matter; I am wrong 90% more often than I am correct, and I act stupidly most of the time. My memory is so horrible that I routinely forget the start of the sentences I am writing. I often re-read what I write (be it English or C++) over ten times before I am satisfied it means what I meant. My mathematical skills are a wash. (I still don't even understand the meaning and utility of 'e', and not for lack of trying.) My mind's eye is blind; I find it almost impossible to imagine what a given figure should look like, if I am about to draw it, so something such as Paul's painting http://bookshop.gfu.net/AxCMSTemplates_GFU/pics/products/0133708756.jpg http://bookshop.gfu.net/AxCMSTemplates_GFU/pics/products/013... seems nothing short of magic. My hand-eye coordination is decent, but not great. My reflexes are decent, but not great. So in summary, I feel I am decent, but not great; but I have an overwhelming appetite to be great. I don't want to give up on becoming a genius, and I don't want to believe that I cannot become one just because I wasn't born one.