The relationship between innate talent and acquired effort has been debated since ancient times. Can effort alone surpass genius? We explore this through several examples.
Since ancient times, people have debated whether human behavior is determined by nature from birth or by acquired character that is nurtured through education. In ancient China, during the Warring States period, Mencius and many other scholars discussed the innate nature of human beings. In modern times, Jean-Jacques Rousseau published the work “Emile,” which discussed the importance of acquired education. It has not yet been determined which is more important, but it can be inferred based on various examples from the surrounding world.
Someone once said that genius is 99% effort and 1% inspiration. And the person who said this was Edison, who was called a genius of invention. People only see 99% of the effort and mention the importance of acquired practice and effort, but it is also a cruel remark that emphasizes that without the 1% of innate inspiration, any 99% of acquired effort is useless. Based on this, I would like to argue that a person with a genetic gift cannot be beaten if given the right environment.
I believe that every person is born with a special gift. When a person with superior ability is placed in an optimal environment, a so-called genius is born. Of course, it is an undeniable fact that even those who are not genetically gifted can create a certain level of talent through hard work. However, the ability to work hard is itself a natural ability, and even in this case, the genius who works hard often ends up on his knees. There are empirical examples that show that no matter how hard an individual tries, he cannot beat someone who is naturally talented. The field in which this adage is most true is the arts and entertainment industry.
The movie Amadeus is about Mozart and Salieri. Salieri was an Italian composer who became the court composer through his tireless efforts. Mozart, on the other hand, was gifted in music from an early age and was so talented that he was called a child prodigy and a musical genius. Both Salieri and Mozart had an environment that was conducive to music. Salieri worked hard to become the court music director, so he is also a great man. However, he felt inferior to Mozart’s genius for the rest of his life. The movie Amadeus focuses on Salieri’s jealousy and envy of Mozart and highlights Mozart’s genius. The unbridgeable gap between genius and criminal has become so commonplace that the term “Sallie Mae Syndrome” was coined after this movie became famous. As this case shows, it is possible to achieve a degree of success through hard work. This is not to say that you cannot beat a natural-born genius. This is a dramatic example of how upbringing and environment cannot beat a natural-born person.
Even if you are not interested in baseball, you must have heard the names Lee Dae-ho, Choo Shin-soo, and Lee Seung-yeop. The three hitters representing Korea, the USA, and Japan have one thing in common: they were pitchers before they became hitters. Some of them became hitters after turning pro due to injuries, while others did so at the request of their team, but they are performing much better than those who started out as hitters. Every professional team has a second team. If you look at the players on the second team, most of them have only played baseball since elementary school. However, only a few of them make it to the first team and show their skills. Baseball is actually the sport that requires the most natural talent of all sports. Throwing a ball at 150 km/h and hitting a home run by catching it is limited if you don’t have innate depth perception, reflexes, and physical conditions. But let’s say these people decided to go to college instead of playing baseball. Strong shoulders and natural strength have no effect on studying. These people chose baseball and were able to develop their talents because they were in that environment.
Another example of the simplest is singers. There are many famous singers, but they honed their natural voices to get where they are. Of course, today’s students have skills that are just as good as those of existing singers, but there may be cases where they were not given the opportunity to become singers. However, there are countless aspiring singers who cannot become singers even though they practice very hard because they do not have a natural voice or talent. The most dramatic example is the group Akdong Musician, who became famous through an audition program on SBS. They are loved for their unique voice and lyrics even though they have no special music training. Their natural voice, songwriting and lyric writing skills are not something that can be acquired through practice.
So far, I have said that innate talent is important, and at first glance, this is an argument that is no different from the Nazi eugenics practiced in World War II or the genetic classification in the movie Nikita. However, I am not in a position to completely ignore the environment or acquired influences. Even a mediocre person can achieve a certain level of success with blood, sweat, and tears. This is a clear fact. Also, a child who grows up in a good environment is more likely to succeed than a person who has to make his own environment. However, no matter how good the environment is, and no matter how much effort is made, it is impossible to beat a natural genius.
After all, the most important thing in life is to find your own unique way. Of course, not everyone needs to be a genius like Einstein, and the achievements made through constant effort are enough to live a decent life. Most of the people who make up this society are not geniuses who enjoy their work and achieve results, but ordinary people who do not enjoy their work, but do their jobs with a sense of mission and pride in their work. Each of us has a different environment, so there is no need to feel inferior when we look at the genius around us. Even if we don’t inherit natural talent, we can still do our best in life. I think it is important to become a “genius” in social life. Discovering your own unique talent, finding an environment where you can make the most of that talent, and then steadily following your own path is what I would call true success.
