I've seen too many people with all the advantages in the world languish at a mid level ability to believe anyone can accomplish anything. They practice "properly", they work hard, they have had great teachers and great players to mentor them but yet regardless of all the effort, money and practice they don't get very far. I've seen this in pool and music. I'm not even talking about stopping short (short-stop if you will) of the best, I mean they are still an intermediate level player.
But at the same time, there is no pool gene nor is there a guitar gene or a golf gene. We're simply re-purposing natural abilities that were originally meant for hunting and gathering and any other stuff we did in prehistoric times. I don't believe talent is as rare as many would believe it to be, but its difficult to quantify I should think, as we define a talented person as someone who has already achieve some level of proficiency in their given field. And the talented people who never put in the effort tend to be passed over unnoticed unless you really put a microscope on their development. But the most talented person in the world isn't going to be the best unless they put in enough hours that would turn anyone else off from ever playing again. SVB is an excellent example I think. Regardless of your natural ability, I don't think you can put in a few hours a week of practice, play in multiple leagues and expect to reach the upper echelons competition, even just in your own city. That's where there may be some misconceptions about aptitude and talent. Someone practices thirty minutes a day or an hour twice a week and doesn't get very far, they then conclude they just don't have it. Maybe not, but you need for practice than that.
That said, I feel this is a moot discussion. It can go around in circles unless we can find some random person who's never hit a ball but wants desperately to be the best in the world.
Talented or not, I think people should be participating in their hobbies of choice not to become the very best, but because it's fun. Too many quit early on after self-diagnosing themselves as untalented, and beginners are the worst people to diagnose their own aptitude as they don't know anything about the pursuit. If we don't enjoy it, then what the hell are we doing?
p) but check out this recent post I made on 1P.org...
