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Don’t call me Talented
by blank at 10:08 PM on May 05, 2003
It’s the end of the year and time to show your best work, the work you slaved over, sweat over and agonized over. Every stroke, mark and scratch has purpose and meaning. Cut fingers ready the mat board for presentation and wobbly legs hold your body up. The people arrive and give you five seconds of their time. Someone makes a comment:
“That looks nice. You must be talented.”
The show is over and all I have heard is that I am talented — not hard working, not dedicated and not focused — just talented. Suddenly my work has lost its value. It’s just talent, after all. I crap it out like any other turd.
I’m not going to simply write-off peoples’ hard work as talent. There’s no such thing as talent. Sure, some people are better at certain things than others, but that has more to do with biology and physiology. You can’t expect a 4-foot basketball player to win a slam dunk contest or a blind person to win the Indy 500. I think that the average person can do anything they want and be good at it if they work hard enough.
To quit doing something because you don’t like it is fine, but using lack-of-talent as an excuse to quit is a cop out. Anything worth doing requires a lot of effort. This is something I’ve learned and I’ve applied, in college and at work. When it comes to finding a life and a place in the world, I can’t tell if I’m a cop out or if I just don’t like it.
comments (5)
Good point. Although I'm not a big NBA fan, I watch the playoff games. This year the top teams are full of gangly European stars like Dirk Noviski. A few years ago you rarely saw any. They simply worked hard and it paid off. Now they're millionaires.
by Anna at May 6, 2003 7:50 AM
Most people have an understanding, I think, of working hard. Talent though, it eludes some people, they have no way to relate directly. So they are more struck by the creative aspect of you than the hard-working one. That doesn't invalidate your efforts.
I disagree that there is no such thing as talent. If you want to get scientific, every single thing we do is about neurons firing from chemical reactions. You can try to remove the magic. But the magic remains. We still stand in awe in front of a work of art. Speechless. We still listen to a song feeling it with all our might. Talent is, I thought, likened to a gift. Be it biological or something greater, I definitely believe that everyone has different combinations of gifts (chemicals). And frankly, some people are effortlessly good at things. Doesn't mean no one else should push themselves to reach similar levels.
Blah blah 4 hours sleep on last two nights.
by Linz at May 6, 2003 1:29 PM
I like to believe that some higher power metes out desirable attributes in a more or less fair manner. Then I read about this Penthouse Playmate who is also an accomplished pianist and a charter member of Mensa. I thought, she's probably a bitch in private.
by Anna at May 6, 2003 7:10 PM
I disagree on the non-existence of talent. Talent exists and it is not even a matter of opinion. For example: I can go into the kitchen and just throw something together and 9 times out of 10 or more it will not only turn out, but turn out really well. I did not earn this ability, I deserve no particular credit or accolade for it - it is a gift.
However, talent only gets you so far. My ability to cook ala TLAR (that looks about right) isn't the same as being a true chef. That would require a tremendous amount of work, study, practice, and dedication.
When your project was commented upon as the result of talent alone, the observer was dismissing the notion that you earned your results. I agree you have a right to be irked.
by Benn at May 7, 2003 2:28 PM
The example I wrote about happened a long time ago. Something less dramatic, but similar happened to me recently that sparked the memory.
I think I agree with Benn on this. Being able to pick up something quickly and be good at it must be a form of talent, but talent will only take you so far and then the only other option is hard work. I may be able to explain it in some sort of tangible form, but I think Linz’s magic theory is best.
I need to stop letting people, who don’t take the time to evaluate what I do, bother me. I think those who do have an interest understand.
Another interesting article on talent is here: http://www.dyske.com/default.asp?view_id=751&LastRecord=0&category_id=0
by MrBlank at May 7, 2003 5:32 PM