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Comment by zefhous | Hacker News Reader

I think there's truth to this, but I also disagree strongly with the idea that if you're not good at something you haven't practiced enough.

Especially in certain fields — music, design, and programming all fit I think — there is a huge amount that many people just seem to get or not.

I have a degree in music, so I've seen a lot while I was in school. Yes, some people can work really hard and eventually get it, but I don't think that's everyone.

Especially when it comes to ear training, I know a lot of people who have tried really, really hard, but can't seem to develop the skills. I've seen this in many people, even with great teachers, resources, and tons of practice. I think some people have a fundamental difference in how their minds understand music.

I think this can be seen in the idea that certain programmers are 10x more productive than others, and that most "programmers" can't really program at all, even after years of school.

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Anybody "normal" can reach a decent mastery at anything given the proper amount of work.

Some people need less work than others because they learn faster.

However, more often than not, people who are very good at something threw an incredible amount of time at it. An amount far greater than anybody is willing to spare.

You're gifted when you reach levels that only few other human beings can.

When you "suck" at something, you're just not trying hard enough.

Derek's point is of "practice makes perfect" variety.

It is true to some extent, however there is one big caveat.

You have to do some of that practice at the right age.

What is the right age? For most skills/professions/hobbies it is under age of 20 and the most critical is age 12-16 or so.

Thus, Derek got some of that singing practice at the right age and got the basics. Unfortunately, he will be disappointed at the progress he can make at programming, because brain is not good at making new pathways at 30 compared to 15.

I am speaking from experience, I did not do enough programming in my teen years and it has definitely hurt my progress after age 30.

Even with today's title inflation, I am yet to find a chess grandmaster who started after age 30. Sure, someone can probably reach a low expert/master, but even those are not common.

On the other hand, I have known quite a few people with the disposable income AND time, who tried to get better at chess and managed at most 100-200 ELO point increase.

Working Hard != Working Smart

I've just read a biography of Martha Argerich. Though she actually did work a lot at time, the fact is that for instance, she played a whole concerto entirely after having heard it /once/. I don't think this kind of ability comes with hard work, unfortunately.

Especially in music I think a large portion is how whether you were involved in music as a young child. Forming that baseline of literacy when your brain is still plastic is really critical for having an intuitive sense of it later in life.

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