Never understood how some people boil down everything to raw talent that you're born with...

@ArishMell Yeah, I'm not really saying everyone will be the next Beethoven if they practice hard enough,

but it's just sad seeing people who really want to do something but they give up,

but a little bit of encouragement goes a long way, I've seen people get motivated to a point where they might have well been on fire when they're shown how to do something they didn't think possible

@Fishy I think how anyone is taught can be a major point.

Mathematics was always my weakest subject because I have no innate talent for it; but worsened by two particular teachers at school. It was anyway taught as an abstraction with a school-leaving examination in mind. Not something with many everyday real-world uses despite a few, rather contrived examples in the text-books.

However, I managed to understand some of the topics the Maths syllabus covered, eventually by encountering them in real life and seeing them in different ways.

On the other hand I could never play a musical instrument, or sing, because I am tone-deaf.

@CrazyMusicLover I wonder how many of those compare themselves to others, have been conditioned by that cruel old lie, "anyone can do it, just put your mind to it" to struggle with something they genuinely cannot do.

Rather than be helped develop their own talents elsewhere.

So of course they give up - they have no alternative.

@ArishMell One of the biggest factor in developing someone's confidence is how individual talents/skills are valued by society they live in. For example I was talented in visual arts as a kid but coming to school and seeing how little value the art had I could never recognize it as something to be proud of or even worth putting a lot of effort into building skills. In contrast to my brother who had the most valued talent I never got over feeling inferior. Art is something everyone wants to have for free and if they won't get it, they don't mind doing it themselves in poorer quality, however, most people think twice about not hiring an accountant to have their taxes done. Which makes sense.

@CrazyMusicLover I agree. It probably varies from country to country and culture to culture, but all too often some skills are valued and others devalued, or at least ignored.

We've seen in the UK, cuts in funding resulting in schools teaching little or no music, or dropping science subjects like geology. Those cuts are fuelled by a blinkered worship of "STEM" subjects: "Science, Technology, E and Mathematics; but I am not sure what "Technology" is supposed to mean, nor do I know if the "E" is for "English" or "Engineering".

The word or concept "Engineer" is sadly very undervalued in Britain, but if you want to call yourself an "Engineer" professionally in Germany, where it is greatly respected, you need be very highly educated. Engineering is a highly scientific and mathematical discipline - not mending washing-machines! There are many such people - Chartered Engineers - in Britain but you hardly ever hear journalists, politicians and many lay-people recognise that fact.


I think too, the money, sports and entertainments trades exert a powerful attraction because you don't need be very bright to make a lot of money from them, at least for a short time before you run out of creativity or popularity. You really have to dedicated to succeed properly in the arts and sports; though at least the arts can offer a full-length career rather than just a few peak years. You might need certain talents, not necessarily "technical" ones either, but the public face often suggests easy money compared to three or four years' study to gain a Degree, then the gamble of finding well-paid employment worthy of it.

Or for sheer idleness and no talent, why not advertise cosmetics on social-media - as a so-called "influencer"? They apparently earn good money for merely parroting a script while pretending not to be associated with the company. Sometimes I wonder how, in Britain at least, they manage their Income Tax and National "Insurance" affairs, unless the employer does that for them.

Or sling together any old sampled rubbish in the guise of music, and publish it via streaming-services which I think do pay royalties, though not very highly. There, you don't even need know a crotchet from a quaver or be able to sing the Tonic Solfa in pitch.

So with temptations like those, are many young people deterred from making any real effort to learn anything worthwhile? Why struggle when laziness can pay?

@ShenaniganFoodie I remember someone telling me once: that people start to really enjoy something once they understand it, and once something becomes intuitive enough where they don't have to put much thought into what they're doing.

So you probably enjoy it now because it's something that's become a second nature flow-state

@Fishy
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