4 ms·
Well, one of the best examples of "practice leads to excellence" is given by the story of Lazlo Polgar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3_Polg%C3%
by summerdown2 13y ago
Well, one of the best examples of "practice leads to excellence" is given by the story of Lazlo Polgar:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3_Polg%C3%A1r https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3_Polg%C3%A1r
> László is an expert on chess theory and owns over 10,000 chess books. He is interested in the proper method of rearing children, believing that "geniuses are made, not born". Before he had any children, he wrote a book entitled Bring Up Genius!, and sought a wife to help him carry out his experiment. He found one in Klara, a schoolteacher, who lived in a Hungarian-speaking enclave in Ukraine. He married her in the USSR and brought her to Hungary. He home-schooled their three daughters, primarily in chess, and all three went on to become strong players.
Their three daughters:
Sofia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zs%C3%B3fia_Polg%C3%A1r https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zs%C3%B3fia_Polg%C3%A1r
> In 1989, at the age of 14, she stunned the chess world by her performance in a tournament in Rome, which became known as the "Sack of Rome". She won the tournament, which included several strong grandmasters, with a score of 8½ out of 9. According to the Chessmetrics rating system, her performance rating was 2735;[3] one of the strongest performances in history by a 14-year-old.
Susan:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Polgar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Polgar
> On the July 1984 FIDE Rating List, at the age of 15, she became the top-ranked woman player in the world, and remained ranked in the top three for the next 23 years. She was also the first woman in history to break the gender barrier by qualifying for the 1986 "Men's" World Championship
And Judit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judit_Polg%C3%A1r https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judit_Polg%C3%A1r
> Judit Polgár (born 23 July 1976) is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history.[1] In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person to do so until then.
- skywhopper 13y agoHard to separate nature from nurture when you school your kids on your own area of expertise. Had he tried to make them into expert musicians or downhill skiers, his experiment might have more weight.
- pixl97 13y agoHow about a child adopted at a young age. Trying to teach the kids something you are not is a different proposition altogether.
- ealexhudson 13y agoWould be difficult to school them in any meaningful way if he was not already proficient. Teaching is hard, particularly if you are trying to do something different to the standard (& therefore supported) model.
- 1337biz 13y agoBut isn't the idea behind the 10,000 hour idea that you need constant high quality feedback and training?
- JoeAltmaier 13y agoNope; just that you've been at it, studying and trying. The (Gladwell) examples are of folks in groups that learned together.
- rjsw 13y agoThe experiment has been tried in downhill skiing too, I can think of several competitors at the Sochi Olympics who were coached by their (not expert skier) fathers.
- gwern 13y agoYou would think he would have adopted, if he was serious about 'made, not born'.
- logical42 13y agoI believe he wanted to try it later in his life (with adoptees) but his wife talked him out of it..
- sireat 13y agoBeing an ok chess player(FM) I used to be a big believer in Polgar story, but lately I've realize you do need more test cases. With such a small sample size it is hard to make conclusions. If one of the Polgar daughters had been adopted, this would lead more credence to theory that practice by itself leads to excellence. I fear that you need at least some modicum of talent. I've realized tutoring my own kids and my nephews that there is quite a range in natural abilities for certain skills in otherwise seemingly normal children. One nephew in particular is miles ahead in picking up chess concepts and he is the youngest of the group (at 7 years old). If he was not going to a specialized music school and getting his 10k deliberate practice hours there, I am sure he could become at least a master.