Quote:
Originally Posted by a_jobhunter
I encounter a lot of very average people who will be forgotten at work and in their community when they leave. Most people don't seem to really have anything extraordinary about them and do little to build upon their talents, they just exist day to day.
How about you? Are you brilliant or extremely talented in something? (Examples: Cooking, public speaking, acting, music, writing, conversation, mathematics, memory, etc.)
Definition of brilliant: In the top ten percent of people.
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Part of the difficulty in determining whether one is the 'top 10 percent' of anything, would be the access to participate in the various realms of competition and whether those arenas have a meritocratic way of doing so. Some industries - academics - sports etc... will filter out some who could easily be the top 10 percent due to a variety of issues; brilliant but doesn't play well with others, brilliant but doesn't have the desire to compete in said arena, brilliant but an injury (physical or mental) has, in turn, undermined or incapacitated the individuals ability to pursue the field, etc...
Using sports as an example you will probably find many who became disenchanted at early stages of participation when, say, a coach's son / daughter is given preference and is given positions / roles, unduly. For every story like Ben Roethlisberger (in High School the coach's son played Quarterback not the multiple Super Bowl winning QB!) there are probably countless more kids who have talents / skills in various athletic endeavors, but were never either given an opportunity to display talents, aren't allowed to compete in the arena or just plain lacked the tenacious attitude to push through the obstacles politically or otherwise (happenstance / life situation - perhaps they had to care for family, never had a mentor, sponsor, etc...). I'm reminded of the story of George Brett and his brothers. One of which who never pursued a professional sports career after college age that was self acknowledged as the 'best athlete' in the family.
In business this happens with those who likely cannot, or will not, engage in office / corporate politics to ascend a hierarchy. Perhaps they've got a conscience that hinders a desire to excel using a standard that measures success by not having the best solution but just increases volume of sales / transactions / units and increase marginal unit profit?
In the various entertainment performing arts arenas, the competition is often intense, but a relatively few determine who is most marketable (with only a few slots to be 'top performer' in many arenas), or most malleable to corporate management etc... For instance , do you think Cass Elliott would be a major singing star in todays world? "Mama" from Mamas and Papas fame? I know we've gotten Paul Potts and Susan Boyle in these so called "talent broadcast shows but how many could likely do the same but do not have the desire or do not 'fit the mold'? etc...
Think of how many attractive potential actors decided they wouldn't subject themselves to demeaning behavior to advance after experiencing it in a 'casting couch' type scenario? (Not that this happens every time, but I gather it happens quite often in some form of 'quid pro quo').
Putting those considerations aside and getting back to the question - as an individual, I would say I have always had an exceptional ability to deal with physical spatial relationships. I recall after high school taking a technical college test and the recruiter was astonished at my score as well as scoring very well in that area in other types of tests.
Some things I have an excellent aptitude for but I think it was due to that extra intangible of interest. So whether I had it or honed the skill / talent of years of constant 'self practice' is an interesting question. Much like Stan4's comment, I may be in the top 10% of areas but I don't think that makes me special or brilliant.
It is likely more often the combination (internal desire + innate talent) - that brings out true brilliance.
Ty Cobb's personal story of what drove him to excel as a ball player is a classic example of "Psychology" at work in tandem with natural athletic giftedness. Cobb dearly loved his father who was a well known successful and respected man throughout Georgia. Unfortunately , one day he returned early from a business trip and snuck into the house to surprise his wife but she mistook him for a burglar and shot him dead. Ty Cobb in reflecting back in later years with an author interviewing him for a book (The Glory of Their Times) revealed his internal drive to be the best was because he always felt his father was looking down watching him play. I surmise many brilliant performers, of whatever industry / field etc.. probably have some driving force that combined with an innate ancillary talent, combined to put them in the highly esteemed ranks that could be considered the top 10 percent.
I think I have an exceptional ability to look at things holistically and thinking strategically of different scenarios. Asking questions that might be pointed towards finding a truth or fact that many do not feel comfortable knowing / acknowledging. Seeing analogies or cross disciplinary connections to other realms.
One thing I recall from elementary school days that bothered me, was that I could (in math) often get the correct answer quickly, but I didn't know the formal steps to show it. Used to annoy me in those years. Or, that while I didn't excel in any one sport amongst my peer group in high school, I scored the second highest on the combined athletic obstacle course. So processing spatially and adapting on the fly I think comes to me better than most.
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