Is talent natural or aqcuired?

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07 Dec 2016, 8:11 am

What is your opinion about talent? Talented or gifted in some area people have some special gene or they work hard in this area or both of them? Can someone hasn't passion in area who has talent or someone has passion in an area who don't have talent? If someone has passion in an area who don't have talent wouldn't become good in this area? Some people say that talent is hereditary and some others that anyone can become good in the area who choose to involve. In my childhood the talents I had was maths and video games. If talent is hereditary in maths and generally exacts sciences I was good becaus my parents are both chemistries and pharmacists but I also had talent in video games but none of my parents involved with video games and technology, but when my parents are kids video games didn't exist so I don't know. What is your opinion about this? Inn which area or areas do you have talent and/or passion?

Sorry about my english

neurotypicalET
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07 Dec 2016, 9:21 am

A talent is something you are born with while a skill is something you acquire...just something a teacher once told me...

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81855306715th
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07 Dec 2016, 10:03 am

Talent: "natural aptitude or skill". Therefore, by definition, talent is natural. However, lets see if it's even possible to have natural aptitude or skill.

Lock a newborn human in a small concrete room with no way of observing the outside world. Also; have them bound to a chair, unable to move. Obviously, give them resources such as food and water through a small openable and closable hole/slit at their mouth. Or just a tube or something, so that they can survive. When they are released, what skills or aptitudes would they have? They can breathe, grow, etcetera. But not anything that you'd usually call a skill or aptitude (or maybe aptitude is used in this way? I don't know, it's not a word i've seen used often).

Now of course, some people are naturally better at some things. For example, some people have a "mathematical brain". But if they are never exposed to maths - they won't be good at maths.

IstominFan
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07 Dec 2016, 10:16 am

I agree with the poster who said that talent is something you are born with and skill is something you teach. Every great tennis player, for example, probably held a racquet from the time they were very small. Over the years, they honed their skills and succeeded. They also had someone who noticed their abilities and worked hard with them.

NoName93
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07 Dec 2016, 10:20 am

81855306715th wrote:

I agree with it but if you gave obsession with something who don't have natural talent wouldn't you become good at it?

81855306715th
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07 Dec 2016, 10:44 am

NoName93 wrote:

81855306715th wrote:

I agree with it but if you gave obsession with something who don't have natural talent wouldn't you become good at it?

Yes, compared to the average person. But a person that is naturally more suited for something would have an advantage over that person. They would need to put in less effort to become as good as that person who put in lots of effort. If they put in the same amount of effort, they would be better.

BTDT
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07 Dec 2016, 10:45 am

http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles ... s-5249.php
Michael Phelps had to overcome his fear of putting his face in the water.
He wasn't a "natural"

Campin_Cat
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07 Dec 2016, 12:55 pm

81855306715th wrote:

NoName93 wrote:

...if you gave obsession with something who don't have natural talent wouldn't you become good at it?

I agree----and, I think I have a good example.....

My mother wasn't particularly good at math, but that was her job; so, she worked herself silly everyday to learn and become good at it, so she could keep her job. She told me she would double and triple-check her work, sometimes----and that, just as soon as she started thinkin' "Oh, I got this", she would err.

There were people who worked with her that were total math-whizzes and could finish a case in alot less time, and she began to worry that this was yet another factor that could cost her, her job; but, her boss told her that he MUCH preferred her work, than theirs, because she was consistent and would complete the same amount of work everyday / week----whereas, the others would slough-off (because they "needed to put-in less effort"), and would not produce consistent output. If they had "put in the same amount of effort", as my mother did, "they would've been better".

As for the OP (if it's not already apparent what my view is): I feel "talent" is innate----whereas, "skill" is learned. As an example: Everybody in my family can sing (myself included)----and, YES, that is something that some people can become "obsessed with" and "become good at it" (some people can't learn, no matter WHAT, though)----but, I feel there's a difference between being able to hit a note, and "sang" (as the kids say). It is about telling a story (in the case of singing ballads, for instance), conveying emotion / feelings, feeling it from / with your soul, drawing a listener IN, etc.----and, doin' it ALL at-the-same TIME. I'm thinking someone could learn to "fake it", to an extent----but, in-the-end, IMO, listeners KNOW / FEEL that there's a difference.

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Campin_Cat
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07 Dec 2016, 1:06 pm

BTDT wrote:

Michael Phelps had to overcome his fear of putting his face in the water. He wasn't a "natural".

Well, I'm thinking a fear doesn't have anything to do with it----for instance, I've heard many an actor say they have stage-fright, but they're totally brilliant actors----I'm thinking Michael's talent might come-in the form of having a "need-for-speed" / being naturally fast; he might've been good at track, as well, for instance.

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