NYT Op-Ed by David Brooks where he argues that what makes a person a “genius” is their intense and deliberate practice and not their genetic makeup. Like Gladwell, he mentions the 10,000 hour rule.
The latest research suggests a more prosaic, democratic, even puritanical view of the world. The key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It’s not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it’s deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft.
Perhaps it still has a lot to do with genes, but the intelligence and creativity acquired doesn’t happen out of “thin air”. It’s individuals that are “hardwired” to do whatever it takes to learn everything they can about x subject.
