[LAU] OT: talent and craftsmanship [was: Re: OT: Dub Fx]

[Gwenhwyfaer]

On 12/02/2010, Paul Davis <paul at linuxaudiosystems.com> wrote:
> 3) some recent estimates are that it takes about 10,000 hours (*) of
> just about anything to master it. this is said to be independent of
> "talent".

> 4) if you think you can become a craftsman through will and effort
> alone, you probably haven't tried to become a craftsman in anything
> that you lack talent for.

What if there really is nothing more to talent than the simple ability
*to* do something for 10,000 hours without getting fed up and throwing
it into a canal?

...But of course there must be. You have to be able to tell if you are
improving. The barge simulation comes in when you get sick of not
improving any further. So perhaps "talent" in something is merely a
more refined ability to objectively judge the relative quality of
one's own efforts towards that something? But not TOO refined -
otherwise you get disheartened before you even start. And then you end
up becoming a critic, and nobody wants that. ;-)