An Age Old Debate of Whether Hard Work is More Important than Natural Talent

Introduction

Whether hard work is better than natural talent is an age-old debate. Many have come across someone in their life with natural talent. You’re trying your hardest just to keep your head above water, but these people seem to just swim past you with ease. As much as it may seem like people with natural talent will always be on top, studies suggest that hard work yields better results. If you want to be successful, it is better to rely on your hard work.

The Satisfaction of Hard Work

Hard work comes with a gratification that natural talent does not. Many may have been envious of the student who never studied but always seemed to get good grades; it just didn’t seem fair. The sense of accomplishment that comes with hard work makes it worthwhile. After sacrificing part of your weekend to study for the test, you get it back to discover that you scored a 100, and you are elated. You know that it was because of your hard work that you achieved this grade. But what about that student who got the same grade effortlessly? Before you get upset with them, make sure it really is their natural talent that got them that grade. Are you sure that they didn’t have to study at all, or does it just appear that way?

The media often liked to talk about Tiger Woods' natural talent and how he was born to play golf. When Tiger Woods was asked about this, he said that it might appear like it’s easy for him, but his results come from years of practicing. Tiger Woods has literally been practicing since he was just a baby; a golf club was put in his hands at the age of one, and he has been practicing ever since. This example shows that things may not always be as they seem (Syed, 2010).

The Value of Hard Work

The value of hard work is probably something you have heard about. But what exactly is so valuable about hard work? For one, it teaches many lessons. Hard work teaches you to apply yourself in everything you do and to have pride in your work; these are traits that are highly prized in the workforce. Most employers are looking for someone who has pride in their work. Consistently putting forth the effort of hard work yields better results than just relying on natural talent.

K. Anders Ericsson asked violin students at a music academy to estimate how many hours they had practiced. The results showed that the top students practiced around 10,000 hours, good students practiced around 8,000 hours, and lower-ranked students only practiced around 5,000 hours (Hambrick & Meinz, 2011). With these results, we can see the direct payoff that hard work has. Furthermore, this study highlights that dedication and persistence are key components of achieving mastery in any field.

Natural Talent vs. Hard Work Over Time

You can repeatedly see the results of hard work. But how do those with natural talent fare? When they first start at something, their natural talent may put them on par with you, who has been practicing for a year already. As time passes and you continue to practice while they rely on their natural talent, the gap between the two of you will widen. In a study by Malcolm Gladwell comparing those with naturally high IQs and those who work hard, he discovered, “The relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point.” People with high IQs had a bit of an advantage at first, but eventually, hard work proved to be more successful (Steel, 2010).

Conclusion

People with natural talent seem to have an edge in life, but hard work is more important because natural talent cannot solely be relied upon. We may find we have a natural talent for something, but if we don’t apply ourselves to become better at it, we will become stagnant and never improve. Hard work is essential for us all in life if we ever want to better ourselves. Ultimately, the synergy of natural talent and hard work can lead to extraordinary achievements.

References

Syed, M. (2010). Outliers: The Story of Success. Penguin Books.

Hambrick, D. Z., & Meinz, E. J. (2011). How experts gain advantage. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(4), 275-279.

Steel, P. (2010). The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done. HarperCollins.