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Prodigy vs. Beast Mode: The Long Term Impact
I read an incredible article a few years ago about framing talent with kids and the impact it has on their ability to learn over time. I’ve found that not only does it impact their learning as a child, it impacts how people frame their career opportunities as adults.
The article was focused on kids that were identified as gifted when they were young—musical prodigies, math geniuses, kids who came out of the womb reciting Shakespeare, singing like angels, with IQ’s off the charts, etc..
Those kids were praised like crazy for the things they were naturally talented at. They were the best of the best.
Then they got older, and other kids who didn’t have natural talent, had caught up to them. The kids with average talent had worked their tails off, and developed their skills until they were equally amazing, and often until they surpassed the kids with natural talent. At that point, many of the kids with natural talent melted down and threw in the towel completely.
Why?
The kids who had had to catch up, who had to work hard to craft their skills, had been encouraged and praised for their growth over time…
