Interesting points. Speaking only for myself, it doesn’t feel as though most of my problem solving or idea generating approaches were picked up from the culture, but I could be kidding myself.
For a different angle, here’s an old theory of Michael Vassar’s—I don’t know whether he still holds it. Talent consists of happening to have a reward system which happens to make doing the right thing feel good.
Talent consists of happening to have a reward system which happens to make doing the right thing feel good.
Definitely not just that. Knowing what the right thing is, and being able to do it before it’s too late, are also required. And talent implies a greater innate capacity for learning to do so. (I’m sure he meant in prospect, not retrospect).
It’s fair to say that some of what we identify as “talent” in people is actually in their motivations as well as their talent-requisite abilities.
Interesting points. Speaking only for myself, it doesn’t feel as though most of my problem solving or idea generating approaches were picked up from the culture, but I could be kidding myself.
For a different angle, here’s an old theory of Michael Vassar’s—I don’t know whether he still holds it. Talent consists of happening to have a reward system which happens to make doing the right thing feel good.
Definitely not just that. Knowing what the right thing is, and being able to do it before it’s too late, are also required. And talent implies a greater innate capacity for learning to do so. (I’m sure he meant in prospect, not retrospect).
It’s fair to say that some of what we identify as “talent” in people is actually in their motivations as well as their talent-requisite abilities.