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In any domain, there exist larger-than-life superstars that loom far above the rest with abilities and accomplishments that are mystical. Their names are synonymous with the domain. Basketball is Michael Jordan and is Larry Bird. Classical Music is Mozart and is Beethoven. Physics is Isaac Newton and is Albert Einstein. Horror is Stephen King. Chess is Gary Kasparov. And on it goes in other fields. These illustrious and lucky few are viewed as having natural genius propelling them to immortality, natural genius inaccessible to normal human beings.
Then it comes to light through historical research, memoirs, or interviews how much they worked to get there. The common theme is that there was a single-minded obsession these geniuses had in their field and that they pursued these activities at the expense of all other life goals and personal relationships. The pendulum then swings the other way towards how ability and accomplishments may actually be just a matter of hard work. Malcolm Gladwell talks about the 10,000 hours of deliberate practice required to attain extreme proficiency and Outlier status. It’s “just” a matter of putting in the requisite practice.
But in all this discussion is a false dichotomy that natural innate talent is different…
