Are You a Natural at Something?

                Often times, people are said to be “naturals” at something they really excel in without straining themselves. Things—like basketball, football, painting, decorating—just come easily for these people, and once they get going there is no stopping them. But is there such a thing? I like to agree with Dweck on this one; she says there isn’t, that naturals are merely people who put a lot of work and effort into something, and it pays off (Dweck, 2008). In this sense, I think Dweck and Gladwell share similar points of view. Gladwell refers to the 10,000 Hour Rule in his book, which says that people are so great at things because they practiced for at least 10,000 hours (Gladwell, 2008). These people weren’t born knowing how to play sports, or program computers, or paint a masterpiece; they were taught to do so. For me, the term “natural” is something endowed by nature. I’m a natural brunette with naturally fair skin—I was born this way. Natural things just happen. Making a shot from half court with a second to go in the championship game doesn’t just happen—it comes with practice and perseverance.   

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary states natural (noun) as being 4 a : one having natural skills, talents, or abilities b : something that is likely to become an immediate success c : one that is obviously suitable for a specific purpose (Natural, 2011). While I agree that people can be inclined to do better at certain tasks, I don’t think they will just be better because of these inclinations. For example, tall people are supposed to be awesome at basketball. My uncle is six-foot-four and probably couldn’t make a layup or block someone. Had he continued on after sixth grade and practiced daily, he may have been great. Frequently, I feel, people bank on their “natural” ability carrying them, and don’t practice like they should. These people tend to fall behind of the ones that consistently exercise their talent. I think, too, that people who really like something and do it a lot because so are considered naturals, which makes since.

                Personally, I don’t really consider myself a natural at anything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting myself down or anything, but if you held me to others’ standards of being a natural, I think I’d fail. There is nothing that comes especially easy to me. I can cook and bake, but I occasionally burn things and often times have to refer to recipes or instructions; I love biology and do really well in it but I still study and review. No matter what, I have to work at what I want to be good at, and I think that if you look around, you’ll realize everyone else does too.

                So do naturals exist? And if so, what do they consist of? While abilities can be natural, what you do with them is not. You have to apply yourself and use the abilities and fine tune them into what you want them to become. In other words, you have to make a diamond out of a lump of coal.

 

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine Books.

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers. New York City: Little, Brown and Company.

Natural. (2011). In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 4, 2011