Talent vs. Hard Work

Marv Anderson Asked 8 years ago

I just read another article on this question, and am mystified about why people think that these things are in opposition. It's perfectly silly to me that anyone thinks that there is no such thing as talent, or that a gap in talent can be completely erased by hard work. To say the anyone could become Michael Jordan or Messi by working hard indicates an inadequate connection to reality. It's equally true that anyone that thinks that talent without hard work can reach the upper levels is also in a state of denial. The sports world is replete with examples of people with worlds of talent that achieved very little because they did not have a good work ethic. A talented player will always be a better player than a less-talented player if they both work equally hard. Of course, talent also includes mental attitudes, not simply physical gifts. The simple fact is that both are necessary to reach the pinnacles of any sport. A player can go a long way on one or the other, but there is always a cap on their potential if they do not learn to combine them. It may be a legitimate question to ask to what extent hard work can overcome a lack of talent, but that is a very subjective inquiry and is quite difficult to answer, other than to say "a lot".

Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago

Hi Marv,

Thanks for those thoughts. I think this can open up a discussion on the topic.

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Marcin Lonak Posted 8 years ago

That throws in the questions:

what is Talent?

is "hard work" always hard? May be some talented people work with joy and passion, and because of that it's not so hard for them. Why do we, may be not so "talented" people, have always to call it "hard" instead of for example "effective"? Because if we then compare the same time spend, one on our "hard training", the other one on a talented persons "effective training", we define ourselves poor talent?

no good

Tushar Verma Posted 8 years ago

Talent simply comes from hard work.

If I am talented or capable of doing something I need to work hard to take it to a next level. Talent is always unpolished and it can only be polished by hard work.

Bhavesh Gnnanapareddy Posted 8 years ago

I agree with Tushar and I aslo fell a hardworking person can reach great heights even more than a talented person without hardwork. Altough all people are not equally talented, the person with more talent surely has the edge but that doesn't mean others can't succeed without talent or can't beat the guy with pure talent.