Shenk refers to achievment and ability as a "long-term attitude" and a "process rather than any particular age-based talent" (98). He makes this observation and the term "attitude" sticks out to me.
How is state of mind related to that quote and the growth based mindset exemplified through this quote?
Also how is the idea of perserverence and the idea of minds who seek out knowledge instead of comfort shown in this section of the Argument. How does the affect of a natural inclination affect the work ethic of humans and how does this change the courses of choices they could potentially take in an effort to remain in the higher mind set? Also note the irony of the situation and the idea of setteling that is presented in this section.
Hannah Perl (hannahperl94@gmail.com)
What Shenk seems to be pointing out is that there really is no innate giftedness or genius. He says that what people with extraordinary talent have in common is drive and motivation - an achievement attitude. This is pointed out with the example of Beethoven, who was 'gifted for his age' but not a true master until later in life. He was no child prodigy. Thus we must now consider if that is the true key to genius - knowing what we want and wanting it a lot more than anyone else. This requires a focus that denies anything else, as displayed with Einstein, who failed the exam to get into secondary school because he failed the fine arts portion.
ReplyDeleteIn other sections of the book Shenk stresses the importance of practice, not only in quantity but also quality. This stresses the dedication and mindset that genius requires. Thus we have to wonder - what is it in a child's development or chemical makeup that makes them work so hard at a single thing while all the other kids are out playing? With Beethoven, we know that his father pushed him hard, as with Suzuki's first student. However, what of great baseball players? What made Ted Williams practice and focus so much? How could he muster the self-motivation? Is this really something that came entirely from his environment or did his genes have something to do with it? You may say he might have had the genes to lead him towards baseball - tendencies towards strength and stamina. But what is largely unexplained is the self-motivation. This is what we are really talking about though we are thinking about effortless talent and genius.
Our instincts tell us that these people must have something special about them. When we hear about kids who, get a full scholarship to Yale out of a bad neighborhood, it is hard to think of their good luck and talent as a product of environment. Yet unlike the maze dull and bright rats, human environments can not be broken down into three categories. They are incredibly diverse and spread across physical social and emotional planes and we must take this into account when we see anomalies. After all, anomalies go both ways - good and bad - and their diversity is why humans as a species are thriving - diversity and range is why we have taken over and are products not only of environment and gene but evolution and natural selection. Thus even though talent has now proven to be a process, or a mindset, this does not mean that it isn't a product of environment.
Emily Reinherz...ereinherz@aol.com