Natural Talent
Jan. 9th, 2014 11:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pen_gruntThe things I become most in-awe of are things that people seem to be able to naturally do well--and that I have little-to-no chance of doing well myself.
The two examples that come to mind are singing and drawing. Either you can do these things well, or you can't. If you can't do them well there are certain ways to improve--but I would argue that someone with no natural drawing talent will never be a *great* drawer, or that someone with a marginal singing voice could not improve it to top-quality levels.
I have no skill at drawing whatsoever and I wish I did. I can *sculpt*, oddly enough, but two-dimensional objects give me problems. Something in my brain doesn't translate reality into a reasonable facsimile of reality through my hands.
Likewise, I'll never be a great singer. I like to sing and have a fair-to-middling voice. I have a decent ear for pitch and being on-tune. But my voice will never change substantially in quality. I'll never be able to effortlessly harmonize with someone else.
Maybe dancing also qualifies here; though I'm an okay dancer and I could do quite a bit better if I practiced more often, I don't think I have that natural ability.
Actually, probably most athletics qualify here. It's one reason why sportspeople get paid so much (justified or not). If you simply don't have the natural talent for it there's only so much you can do, and you'll only ever be able to achieve middling results.
Maybe having an ear for languages would be another thing? I think this can be altered by early exposure to language, though, so it doesn't necessarily qualify as "natural" talent.
I'm trying to think of natural talents that I have that are difficult to develop...though if they're a natural talent it's easy to overlook them or take them for granted. Writing, maybe? It seems that this is a skill that a lot of people *can* develop, however. I have an ear for language structure and linguistics that makes foreign languages slightly easier to learn--but it's not exceptional. Likewise, I have the ability to quickly write song parodies (very valuable...in very few situations!). I pick up new musical instruments fairly quickly when I put my mind to it...but I wouldn't classify the ability I *do* have as exceptional.
Whether any given natural talent is valuable or not is also really subjective. I admire organized, logistically-thorough people. I have very detail-oriented clients that admire my flexibility and creativity. I can never be them and they can never be me to the degree that we are ourselves. I can be more detail-oriented at the expense of creativity...but I'll never be as good as someone who is naturally that way. They can be somewhat creative, but it takes practice and mental shifting that they're not naturally inclined to do.
What else is a natural talent? That maybe someone can be taught, but teaching will only carry them so far?
Social skills? Extroversion? Patience?
What's your natural talent(s)?
The two examples that come to mind are singing and drawing. Either you can do these things well, or you can't. If you can't do them well there are certain ways to improve--but I would argue that someone with no natural drawing talent will never be a *great* drawer, or that someone with a marginal singing voice could not improve it to top-quality levels.
I have no skill at drawing whatsoever and I wish I did. I can *sculpt*, oddly enough, but two-dimensional objects give me problems. Something in my brain doesn't translate reality into a reasonable facsimile of reality through my hands.
Likewise, I'll never be a great singer. I like to sing and have a fair-to-middling voice. I have a decent ear for pitch and being on-tune. But my voice will never change substantially in quality. I'll never be able to effortlessly harmonize with someone else.
Maybe dancing also qualifies here; though I'm an okay dancer and I could do quite a bit better if I practiced more often, I don't think I have that natural ability.
Actually, probably most athletics qualify here. It's one reason why sportspeople get paid so much (justified or not). If you simply don't have the natural talent for it there's only so much you can do, and you'll only ever be able to achieve middling results.
Maybe having an ear for languages would be another thing? I think this can be altered by early exposure to language, though, so it doesn't necessarily qualify as "natural" talent.
I'm trying to think of natural talents that I have that are difficult to develop...though if they're a natural talent it's easy to overlook them or take them for granted. Writing, maybe? It seems that this is a skill that a lot of people *can* develop, however. I have an ear for language structure and linguistics that makes foreign languages slightly easier to learn--but it's not exceptional. Likewise, I have the ability to quickly write song parodies (very valuable...in very few situations!). I pick up new musical instruments fairly quickly when I put my mind to it...but I wouldn't classify the ability I *do* have as exceptional.
Whether any given natural talent is valuable or not is also really subjective. I admire organized, logistically-thorough people. I have very detail-oriented clients that admire my flexibility and creativity. I can never be them and they can never be me to the degree that we are ourselves. I can be more detail-oriented at the expense of creativity...but I'll never be as good as someone who is naturally that way. They can be somewhat creative, but it takes practice and mental shifting that they're not naturally inclined to do.
What else is a natural talent? That maybe someone can be taught, but teaching will only carry them so far?
Social skills? Extroversion? Patience?
What's your natural talent(s)?
