The Myth of Talent

Is Talent A Myth?

A few months ago, I ran across an article that nagged at me. Scott Young argues that there is no such thing as talent, and that with enough perseverance, anyone can develop skills, regardless of talent.

One of Webster’s definitions of talent is “a special often creative or artistic aptitude”. This is where I have the problem with Scott’s article. I would argue that with enough effort, most people can do most things at a passable level. However, there are some things that do require real talent.

Tone Deafness

I have played a musical instrument for many years. For the longest time, I couldn’t understand why others in my class, who had started at the same time as me, and practiced much longer than me daily, were still not at my level. The answer from my teacher was “talent”. She explained that some people have more of an aptitude for things than others.

I was in college when I met “George”. He was a nice guy, and very creative, but was utterly and totally tone deaf. He did not enjoy music because he could not distinguish the tones. Would years of practicing help him become a musician? No. He did not have the aptitude to do the basics of music.

Conclusion

Much in the same way that some people are limited physically from performing certain tasks at a reasonable level, I believe the same applies to tasks that require true talent.