Yes, many endeavors (sports, music, science, business, writing, etc.) rely on an array of talents and skills. Through deliberate practice we can move forward al

Yes, many endeavors (sports, music, science, business, writing, etc.) rely on an array of talents and skills. Through deliberate practice we can move forward along these some axes, while others we cannot (e.g. height, for basketball). But even among the set of mutable attributes, there are clearly individuals who can improve much faster than others, or who can reach further extremes. And sometimes these qualities align in a way that makes a given person extremely capable at a given task. All other factors and external variables being equal, they just have a natural advantage. This seems painfully obvious; our bodies are diverse, our minds are diverse, and so should be our capabilities. And this is good, as it leads to a well-rounded population. Some people are well-suited for lifting very heavy things, others for running very quickly, yet others for thinking about abstract mathematics, or organizing people, while most are well-suited for doing a wide variety of things reasonably well. But despite evidence to the contrary, it's enchanting to believe that we could all be the best in the world at something, if we just put in enough time and effort.