I've always been considered to be one of those people who were "good at everything he touched." I credit my being able to do this to a curious belief I held very tightly as a kid, one similar to the ideas that this article is talking about. The belief was that "anyone can be good at anything if they tried hard enough."
I remember telling my parents this several times, and each time they'd tell me that this wasn't true, and that I was simply "gifted" in that area. You know what happened when I started to believe them later in life, in High School? I stopped being good at everything. I started thinking "well I seem to be good at things, so maybe I don't need to approach X subject like anyone else, maybe I need to rely on my "giftedness." Boy did I ditch that theory fast. This taught me something very important about life. I realized that what made me appear to others as being great at everything took, in my own head, a lot of work. For some reason others always assumed that what I did was automatic. What I did took effort that, (as far as I was concerned) anyone could do if they were to try hard enough. The only difference between me and others was that I had this deep inner belief that to be good at anything, I simply had to discover what "mindset" people who were good at that subject used.
With this mindset in gear, I became proficient at many hobbies as a young kid, and then excelled in subjects later in life. I took up magic tricks, piano, legos (muaha), origami, rollerblading, computers. I was second place in a math olympiad, yet I was also able to get 1st place in a national journalism Photo contest (against 300 other photographers at community colleges) twice for my feature photography work. I then turned to science, got an AS in biology, but eventually switched to a more philosophy type major (with computer science and artificial intelligence, neuroscience mixed in). Still in school now so we'll see how that turns out :P.
I contribute all of this to a lifelong resistance to the idea that anyone can become a "Math Person" or a "science person" or an "artist." To me I can be equally good in all of these fields. Anyone can. I honestly believe that the only reason people don't try new things is that they somehow allow themselves to be tricked into thinking that they are only good at one thing. A single bad experience with a subject can cause someone to believe they don't have a chance at being good at it - a phenomenon very similar, I would think, to the ways people pick out their favorite types of alcohol (lifehacker ran an article about this a while ago - found out that if people threw up or had a bad time with a type of drink once, they will likely begin avoiding that drink indefinitely, possibly without consciously realizing why they've "always hated beer").
I would also like to say though, briefly, that doing this may come at a cost. I don't personally believe in "finding yourself" either. To me, I can't. Many people find this idea to be uncomfortable. As far as I'm concerned, "finding yourself" is the same thing as labeling yourself to be a "science person" or a "musician" or an "artist" or a "math geek." I'm talking socially though. It is essentially saying that you are tired of accumulating bits of yourself from everywhere. You have been socialized enough, it is now time to lock the floodgates, to stand firmly behind what you currently believe in. It is declaring that you are from now on going to be more resistant to ideas that oppose the view you are siding with, and you are going to more easily believe in what is in general agreement with the camp you are siding with. How do you ever decide when to do this? Why not be open your entire life? Why not NEVER be sure that what you currently believe in is the "right" thing to believe in?
Just keep this thought in mind, it helps me: Are you willing to admit to yourself that at any time in the past, after you were exposed to a great deal more information about any topic, you changed your mind? Perhaps you became a vegetarian after learning about how animals were treated, or after realizing our brains are made of the same stuff, I dont' know pick your example. If you are willing to admit this to yourself, now ask yourself whether you know everything about every subject. If you are willing to admit that you do not know everything about every subject, wouldn't it follow that there are millions of potential "mind changing" occurrences out there in your life, just waiting to happen? Wouldn't it follow that knowing who you are is extremely dependent on the information and experiences that you have been exposed to? Are you willing to make that the basis for "who you are?" The things you have been exposed to are largely out of your control. Even if you do "control" what you do and what you learn, just the idea itself that there are many potential ideas out there that if known would alter me makes me feel that it is utterly impossible to feel strongly about things. Why boisterously convince others of my current mindset when I KNOW that I need to be willing to change it in the future? I know it is much nicer to "find yourself" and it gives people a sense of confidence, etc. But it is really really bad for forward progress, I think.
Wow I have no idea where this ended up. Anyways, all that to say Amazing article, I loved it, helped confirm what I am doing :) Thank you
There is so much truth in this, it's amazing. If you haven't already you should check out the article.
I personally believe that it's Black and White thinking that can really cause this problem where you say, like Pope, "I am what I am." No, that's a lie, you are what you TRY to be. Or what you let society, your parents, your gf, your bf, your whatever, turn you into.
And the world needs more people that are like this, more people that have their minds opened and are willing and able to learn.
I'm not saying it'll be easy...But if you put in the time and effort, you can learn any skill you want to. Anyone can.
