10,000 hours by Malcolm Gladwell

            Is talent, in any career or hobby, innate at birth or something that must be achieved? Will being born in a particular month determine whether or not a person will be talented? According to the article, 10,000 hours, by Malcolm Gladwell, the majority of professional Canadian hockey players were born between the months of January and March. Not every hockey player born between these months, however, established a career as a professional. Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson believes that talent isn’t natural, rather, practice makes perfect. Ericsson, in the early 1990s, engaged in a study to prove his theory. Upon completion of the study, Ericsson discovered a prominent difference between amateurs and professionals. That difference being, about 2,000 hours. The professional accumulated a total of 10,000 hours of practice before mastering their skill.

            I agree with Ericsson that practice makes perfect. In order to master a skill whether it’s playing basketball or learning the piano, a person must adhere to a strict practice regiment. Constant repetition, of a particular activity, allows it to become second nature. In order to be successful a person must be ambiguous and motivated. Many people exhibit theses traits, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best or above average. I do believe some people are naturally talented.

            The majority of amateur athletes work their entire lives for a chance at the professional level, just to be turned down these players work just as hard as the professionals and put in the same amount of time. LeBron James for example, was drafted directly from high school to the NBA. James lacked the experience many professional players had from their college years. Although he had less time invested he proved to be a dominant player almost immediately.

            I think talent is directly related to genetics. Many of today’s athletes have had relatives in the same career. I do not disagree with Ericsson, but I do believe inborn talent plays a role in successful individuals. “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good, it’s the thing you do that makes you.” Albert Einstein didn’t practice to become a genius, he was naturally gifted.