Goodie Forum - Latest Comments in Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Mike — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:42:05 -0000

"I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." - Steven Jay Gould, evolutionary biologist

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Alex Kirkwood — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:22:32 -0000

This is fantastic. I just bought both books, and while their conclusions are ultimately depressing, Gladwell doesn't seem to take into consideration the newly created outliers from the sample of initial outliers. I will have trouble letting go of the "luck is when opportunity meets preparation" ideal.

Either way, I'm fascinated.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

LeonieB — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:13:40 -0000

I really enjoyed that - nice work. You made me smile too! (and I'm *very* cute, but you'll have to visualise it yourself)

LeonieB
cybergoth girlie

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Jake Garn — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:22:44 -0000

Made me LOL. Very great stuff and very, very well edited and written! Thanks!

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

PB — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:13:18 -0000

I'd like to put in something here.

Though the luck you have is random, the amount you have is variable, and - to fill a nice slot in this theory - is affected by you doing your 10,000 hours. Here's what I mean:

If you sit on your arse (in UK) or ass (in US) all day, sipping beer and watching daytime TV, you will not have much luck. Sure, the man/woman of your dreams may accidentally knock at your door looking for directions, or you may get a call from the 'random million dollar lottery people' but it's unlikely.

However, if you are out there doing stuff, looking through magazines and papers for things, in and out of shops, doing study courses, visiting places of relevance to you, you massively increase the chance of meeting the man/woman of your dreams, but also the guy who's selling a van that you need, or running a course that you want to do, or wants to buy your old guitar, or looking for a new band member, etc. Then everyone else says 'you're so lucky' and you quote Ford and say 'it seems that the harder I work, the more luck I have'.

Got a bit rambly there, but do you get my point? By doing something interesting with your life, you are developing the talent as stated already, but you're also increasing your chance of getting the lucky break anyway.

I'm done.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

ed — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:56:19 -0000

True dat!

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Kirby — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:51:39 -0000

Thanks Matty!

Well, it's not my theory. I'm just having a little fun with it. It's Malcolm Gladwell's argument in "Outliers." But my novice opinion is that innate ability is not that important. I tend to think people who do something a lot get extraordinarily good at it. Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods because his father had him hitting golf balls before they cut the umbilical cord. The kid who does cartwheels has been probably been jumping around her entire life.

Singing is different because we're born with a certain instrument. Certain physical traits -- height and build -- are very important for some sports.

Just my thoughts and I'm no expert!

For further reading, get "Outliers" or "Talent is Overrated," which is more about using these theories for competition in business.

The 10,000 hour theory has been around a while, but as far as I'm aware, the first book it appeared in was Daniel Levitin's "Your Brain on Music." http://tinyurl.com/csxe7x

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Matty — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:59:50 -0000

Hey Kirby. Nice vid!
Are you ruling out the possibility of any innate aptitude? I remember young kids at school who could throw a ball, sing, do a cartwheel, etc whereas others (include me here) could not.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

dananddanfilms — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:20:43 -0000

It's another sweet one Kirby. As for "CAEntertainmentAtty", try to feel happy for them. Writing that comment was the best thing *they* did that day. They probably went away with a grin on their face, thinking "Hehe, I've done something really good. I did some good writing there." In a small way, by letting them post that comment, you have allowed a ray of fun into a life which - one can almost certainly guarantee - is desperately short of it.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Igor — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:26:20 -0000

Thanks for explaining everything:] I will start my 3 hours a day today:] Maybe luck will come:], maybe not:(

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Devin Frymire — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:20:26 -0000

Drop the fag bomb on him and all the other complainers

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Kirby — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:29:34 -0000

Isn't snark getting a bit dull?

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Rob — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:47:27 -0000

Sorry, who are you & what's your point?

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Marcy Wheaton — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:39:12 -0000

I think I have alot of hours yet to put in....yikes!

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

lusteralba — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:59:56 -0000

This misses the most important part.

You have to enjoy it.

As a musician.... Some people like sitting down and playing guitar to themselves. Those are the talented ones, those who enjoy playing guitar.

If you don't enjoy it from the start then you are never motivated to start the 10,000 hours, you never write good songs because you don't *like* writing good songs, and you never get anywhere.

All the discussion on talent I have ever heard misses out this crucial point. You have to like doing what you do enough to carry on without monetary rewards.

Have you ever heard of anyone 'talented' who always hated what they do?

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Eoghan — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:57:49 -0000

And so say all of us....

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Llort — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:34:27 -0000

I'm sorry, but I just can't see why you bothered to make this.
If you're going to precis someone else's work, you could have just typed a couple of lines.
Filming yourself talking and adding a bit of animation just looks self-indulgent.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Katarzyna Stecko — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:12:36 -0000

Thank you, thank you! Just what I needed to keep on hard work on my artificial 'talent' :)

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Devin Frymire — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:55:49 -0000

I'm showing this to every lazy, complaining ass i know haha.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Devin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:41:46 -0000

I just discovered your blog and I must say...

I am in love with your humor...

That is all...for now! mawhahaha!

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Waseem Ahmad — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:30:26 -0000

Talent = 10,001 Hours of work and no fugging luck.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Zee — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:48 -0000

I sort of disagree. Talent is a natural aptitude, generally caused by the way someone thinks. Expertise is 10,000 hours + Talent. Success is 10,000 hours + luck.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Magic — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:59:24 -0000

Talk about drawing out what you already said in in title.

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Todd Zuniga — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:43:19 -0000

This is genius. Love it!

Re: Goodie Bag :: Talent is Hard Work

Kirby — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:21:58 -0000

You're so vicious and self-impressed it's obvious you’re a hack.

Here's some non-sarcasm for you: stick your Q factor up your tanned ass.