11/27/2008, 2:17 AM

I don't know if talent is over-rated, but the kind of sustained practice upon the edge of your abilities( spoken of in the article) is often underrated.

11/25/2008, 5:14 PM

W.B In the Hooouuse!!! :-)

11/24/2008, 11:29 PM

a poem... Adam's Curse --William Butler Yeats We sat together at one summer's end, That beautiful mild woman, your close friend, And you and I, and talked of poetry. I said, "A line will take us hours maybe; Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, Our stitching and unstitching has been naught. Better go down upon your marrow-bones And scrub a kitchen pavement, or break stones Like an old pauper, in all kinds of weather; For to articulate sweet sounds together Is to work harder than all these, and yet Be thought an idler by the noisy set Of bankers, schoolmasters, and clergymen The martyrs call the world.' And thereupon That beautiful mild woman for whose sake There's many a one shall find out all heartache On finding that her voice is sweet and low Replied, "To be born woman is to know -- Although they do not talk of it at school -- That we must labour to be beautiful.' I said, "It's certain there is no fine thing Since Adam's fall but needs much labouring. There have been lovers who thought love should be So much compounded of high courtesy That they would sigh and quote with learned looks precedents out of beautiful old books; Yet now it seems an idle trade enough.' We sat grown quiet at the name of love; We saw the last embers of daylight die, And in the trembling blue-green of the sky A moon, worn as if it had been a shell Washed by time's waters as they rose and fell About the stars and broke in days and years. I had a thought for no one's but your ears: That you were beautiful, and that I strove To love you in the old high way of love; That it had all seemed happy, and yet we'd grown As weary-hearted as that hollow moon.

11/24/2008, 9:55 PM

"Contrary to popular belief, what makes certain people great is not inborn talent. Rather, it is something called "deliberate practice," a sustained, often life-long, period of purposeful effort designed to improve performance in a specific domain. This turns out to be just as true in business as it is in sports, music, medicine, chess, science, and mathematics." This is just rubbish. There are born songwriters. Everything isn't calculated or by the numbers. Music doesn't go in the same category as math. The public demeaning of people who are thought of to have talent is just a reaction by those artists who suspect they themselves don't have it. Melodic talent is uncommon.

11/24/2008, 8:38 PM

True, but I would never overrate talent...I know many gifted lazy people doing quite well :) There are just things that can never be done by some...no matter the work ethic, dedication and/or hard work. I agree dedication/discipline in the hands of a talented individual is a lethal combo

11/24/2008, 7:47 PM

I disagree with this article....... Call it Talent, A gift, Innate ability......People are not created equal... sorry...some are smarter, faster, stronger, funnier,...the list goes on and on. There are certain abilities that will never be achieved no matter how hard you work or "try". I will never run a 4.4 forty, .......very few can. Its not something that can be "Practiced"...there is no work ethic for it, it is not a goal that can be reached unless you have the Talent, gift, or ability. Same with writing a song, or singing...some cannot do it... no matter the level of work to attain it. Same with artists...whether it be with paint, steel, or ink. The talent is there first, then it can be honed... it all begins with "aptitude" or Talent.... Those that try to "level the playing field" love to down play talent, or ability....it just does not fit with their sense of so called fair play or equality... sorry, some are just better then others... Tiger Woods, is just Better.... deal with it :) .

11/24/2008, 6:04 PM

great article!!