@Lathi.net: Gifted vs. Passion

Gifted vs. Passion

Doug — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:00:15 -0600

Discussions of talent vs. learned skill draw me in like a moth to the flame. I regularly get beat up over this, but I sincerely believe that natural talent or “giftedness” is over rated. That’s why when Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist David J. Leeson talks about the subject in a piece called The Voice Inside, I’m inclined to listen. When he supports my own thoughts, I’m inclined to post about it!

In fact, I have often said of my own life and career that I have always learned more from defeat than I ever did from victory. To win is an odd form of loss. I’ve seen it wreck young photojournalists who win big awards. Perhaps it is the mistaken sense of entitlement that ultimately ruins them – a belief that such things are supposed to happen to them. And when they don’t, they are left with no foundation from a lifetime of defeats. They know only the hollow sound of winning. A sword is forged in fire.

That’s where passion enters. I do not believe I was endowed with a special gift for something. Rather it was through hard work, determination, divine guidance and raw passion that allowed me the experience of a lifetime, to live as a photojournalist and travel the world with a singular purpose. All I ever wanted was to make a difference. I had my chance and I believe there is more to come.

This essay strikes me as similar to Craig Tanner’s The Myth of Talent. Both are highly skilled and acclaimed artists, but from different genres. Both have attributed their success to learning from failures and hard work. I recommend reading both articles.

See also my previous articles on this topic: Art, Talent, and Fear, and Red

"Gifted vs. Passion" by øs

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:39:39 -0600

Of course, if you achieve or get something right, its cooler if it comes from “hard work” than just a natural talent. If its a result of talent (a gift) one cant really brag that much, but if it comes from “hard work”...

As people that don’t achive the same thing dont work as hard as I do..

How many things do we not accredit to hard work, thinking we deserve it.. and consequently thinking people worse off just dont work as hard as we do..

Starving are we? get off your lazy ass!

end-of-rant ;)

"Gifted vs. Passion" by Dave Minor

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 11:50:11 -0600

let the beating commence! ;)

so how do you explain away the gifts given by the Holy Spirit? Is a person with the “gift” of intercessory prayer simply just well practiced at it? And how do you explain Christ’s parable of how some will get more “things” (talents-be it money or skill) to steward based on their ability?

I believe that talent is God given and we are each given more or less talents in certain areas. Otherwise, two people given identical starting points and identical training regimens would end up at the same place over a given period of time. There are thousands of examples where that is not the case.

My wife completed a very accomplished degree alongside many people who just “get” sciences. They hardly studied and when they did, it just made sense to them. She struggled to understand, to keep up, and to succeed. Ask her if she feels all her colleagues were equally talented or if she feels she is more talented than they because she worked harder.

Also, talent in an area doesn’t necessarily imply passion in that area. I have plenty of areas of my life that I feel I am talented/gifted in that I don’t feel passionate about pursuing.