Originally Posted by ColinsMum
My feeling is that the "talent" element shows itself not so much in the initial advantage but in the repeated choice to keep going with the process of spending the extra time and going to the next level.


Perhaps, but I believe that a point comes when more hard work won't result in more skill unless you have the talent in large quantities.

Some (most) people just wouldn't be able to do a triple axel, no matter how hard they try. Others wouldn't be able to recall 14 digits backwards, regardless of effort. This doesn't stop some from trying very hard to do these things, but if someone doesn't have the muscle and the balance and the timing and the guts, landing that triple won't happen. Ditto for the reverse digit span. Some people won't manage a single axel and some won't manage 8 digits backwards.

I'm not advocating against trying: often, you can't know unless you attempt something, and trying is great. I'm saying that our society doesn't do itself any favors by pretending that a positive attitude and hard work are all it takes. I actually think that the hard work myth can be very damaging. It discourages honest self-critique and/or can create feelings of inadequacy ("The teachers keep telling me that I can learn long division as fast as everyone else. I'm such a loser because I can't.").