[apersona]

The model I have right now is that talent is learning rate, so I don't see how the beliefs conflict with each other.

Some people pick things up faster than others, but if you put more effort you can still catch up.

It also explains why even talented people still need to practice/learn/etc. to be at the top of their fields.

[TheOtherHobbes]

Talent is the amount of work you don't have to do to better than the average person.

It also sets a ceiling. Beyond a certain level, no amount of work will make you any better, because you fundamentally don't have the cognitive skill or physical ability to improve further.

I've spent a fair amount of time with musicians, and talent can be very obvious.

You can have a room full of people who have spent years practicing and been through a degree program. They're all outstanding compared to most of the population.

But sometimes one person in that room will still stand out, because their playing will be insightful, compelling, and musical in a way the others can't match. It's an instant thing - it only takes a few bars to hear it.

They won't necessarily have done the most work, or put the most hours in. But they will, in some absolutely fundamental way, "get it" - usually from birth.

The hours and the work refine that ability and make it more obvious. But they can't create it.

[kerng]

A friend of mine is a professional violinist. People say she is really talented and skilled. The interesting thing is that she gets very upset when people say: you are so talented.

The reason she explained to me once is that people see her perform and play and think that's just how easy it is for her.

She said to me once: "Noone sees the thousands of hours I practiced by myself in a dark rehearsal room without even a window at school". That was quite enlightening to me.

So, if someone says it's just "talent", its quite offensive to her. It's hard and dedicated work.

[AstralStorm]

But it is true. Take any random person and get them to train for this many hours, they won't even come close.

Both are necessary.

She gets upset because she bought into the culture that tells us we control everything about ourselves. Which is somewhat of a lie in many ways.

[kerng]

No, she gets upset because people ignore the fact that she had to work to become that good.

Also, any random person can learn to play violin sufficient enough to play in an orchestra (besides a physical or mental disability maybe). Maybe not professionally because that needs addition passion and dedication and there is a lot of competition. But playing good enough for a community orchestra that requires audition, pretty much anyone can achieve.

[rmetzler]

Yes, and the article even fails to mention that it might be more important how someone practices than how much the person practices.