Gonna be a master

[RangerWickett]

A psychological article in this month's Scientific American includes the idea that anyone can become a master at a skill with about 10 years of practice, as long as you keep challenging yourself.

Consider how many years you have left in your life. Pick something you want to become a master in, and we'll come back in ten years and see if we pulled it off.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

I thought this was going to be about Pokemon...

 

[RangerWickett]

I thought this was going to be about Pokemon...

And what makes you think it's not?

 

[shaylon]

I'll take carpentry. I can saw but I am not talented at all, so we are going to prove this theory of their's wrong.

 

[RangerWickett]

I'll take carpentry. I can saw but I am not talented at all, so we are going to prove this theory of their's wrong.

Ah, but that's the brilliant part about the theory. You can't prove them wrong. You can just prove that you weren't putting enough effort into it.

Me, I'm gonna do it for what I love already anyway: writing. I'm just going to use this as a reminder to myself that you never gain experience if you don't face challenges appropriate to your level.

 

[Jdvn1]

I thought this was going to be about Pokemon...

I thought this was going to be about Kung Fu or chess.

 

[Mycanid]

I was wondering about it's connection with poetry?!? Hmm ... guess I still am....

I personally don't buy it - not to start any flame wars, but I just don't believe we're all so universally pre-programmed in this regard. But ... just my two cents, I guess.

 

[Treebore]

OK, my wife and daughter keep telling me I can become as good an artist as them, so I'll practice for the next ten years and find out.

 

[Crothian]

I'll take carpentry. I can saw but I am not talented at all, so we are going to prove this theory of their's wrong.

Does this mean we are finally getting a gaming table??

 

[Ilium]

I figured RW was finishing grad school.

Of course the definition of "master" is highly subjective, but this sounds about right to me. I've been programming seriously for about 10 years and while I'm certainly no super-genius at it, I now feel any programming task I encounter is possible for me without help. I guess you could consider that "mastering" a skill.

So what next...Telekinesis!