
High-Aptitude Minds: The Neurological Roots of Genius - jlhamilton
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=high-aptitude-minds&print=true
======
d0mine
_Studies show that practice and perseverance contribute more to accomplishment
than being smart does._ </quote>

~~~
sown
I think it is worthwhile to note what kind or caliber of accomplishment.

No matter how hard I try, I will not accomplish as much as Feynman, Hawkins et
al.

I used to think otherwise that if I try really, really hard and just stuck at
whatever I was trying for I could do just about anything but that was when I
was much younger. :(

edit: I should probably also mention that I wasn't trying to accomplish what
the aforementioned luminaries did. I was trying to do things that seemed more
... pedestrian.

~~~
rkowalick
Think about this:

Charlie Bird Parker, undoubtedly one of the best saxophonists of all time,
reportedly practiced 11 hours a day for a period of 5 years!

People say music and art is natural ability, but Parker practiced an inhuman
amount of time to become as good as he did.

I would also say that even Feymann, Einstein, or any of the math and science
geniuses put in tremendous effort to achieve what they did. Saying that you
can't be the same as them is doing yourself a diservice. Maybe they are truly
"better," but even mediocre mathematicians and scientists can get "lucky" and
come up with something groundbreaking. Never shortchange your ability to see
something many very great people have missed.

------
bootload
_"... Whatever the neurological roots of genius, being brilliant only
increases the probability of success; it does not ensure accomplishment in any
endeavor. Even for academic achievement, IQ is not as important as self-
discipline and a willingness to work hard. ..."_

Hotshot: _Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good IQ at
your side, kid ..._

Vet: _'determination', 'flexibility', 'application'. Not as clumsy or as
random as raw IQ.... An elegant weapon for a more civilized time._

