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Talent
May 1, 2010 23:55:42 GMT -5
Post by Johncoyne on May 1, 2010 23:55:42 GMT -5
So, I'm not a big fan of talent.
After performing something, whether it's a play, a musical, a piano solo, a saxophone solo, a person always comes up to me and says that I'm talented. I don't like that.
Now, don't get me wrong, compliments are great. There's nothing wrong with them. However, I don't believe in natural talent.
Saying "talent" implies that the individual can just do something without actually trying. I've worked very hard on everything that I've accomplished musically. Saying that I'm "talented" kinda makes it seem like that work never happened.
Now, You're probably wondering about musical prodigies and people like that.
This is the second part of my opinion. Different people learn at different speeds. Let's take playing the piano for an example.
There are some pieces that I listen to and figure out how to play them on piano (playing by ear). Playing by ear takes my a couple of hours just to learn the chords and then another hour to voice them.
A person who could learn faster than me could learn the same piece of music by listening to it once or twice. Obviously, we have two different learning curves.
So tell me: What do you think about "natural talent"?
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:02:23 GMT -5
Post by chelseeyuh on May 2, 2010 0:02:23 GMT -5
That's how I feel about intelligence. I hate being told I'm "smart" because it implies that things comes naturally to me. People don't realize that I actually have to work hard. >_< It's annoying.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:04:47 GMT -5
Post by Johncoyne on May 2, 2010 0:04:47 GMT -5
I don't particularly dislike people saying it, because I think they realize how much work was put in. However, I still don't like the word.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:21:47 GMT -5
Post by bombmaniac on May 2, 2010 0:21:47 GMT -5
the next time i see both of you, ill tell you that you are stupid, and awful actors, singers, etc...
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:24:17 GMT -5
Post by chelseeyuh on May 2, 2010 0:24:17 GMT -5
The next time you see us? Lol.. Ohhkay... But, yes, I am stupid. Everyone is. No one knows anything. C'est la vie.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:27:05 GMT -5
Post by krzych32 on May 2, 2010 0:27:05 GMT -5
john, I still think that you got a lot of talent in you after what you just said (plz don't kill me for that). I play a little keyboard myself (just something I wanted to try to learn), and playing by ear, for me, is next to impossibel. And yes, I have not put a lot of time into this, but even if I played for years I'm sure I wouldn't be as good as you (I'm just not the talented type). Chelsea@, I don't believe in the idea that people are "smart". The way I see it, we all have a lot of knowledge, it's just that we know different things, everyone specializes around what they like. I know that its not a dirrect response to your comment, but I wanted to throw that up there.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:30:10 GMT -5
Post by bombmaniac on May 2, 2010 0:30:10 GMT -5
i just dont see what everyone is geting all worked up about...i can guarantee you if someone comes over to you and says "my my you untalented good for nothing who worked for years to learn this and now managed to pull off a good performance by the skin of your teeth" youd be pissed
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:38:36 GMT -5
Post by krzych32 on May 2, 2010 0:38:36 GMT -5
darn people, trying to be nice and SHIRT.....they will have to explain themselves to Jesus!
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:42:49 GMT -5
Post by bombmaniac on May 2, 2010 0:42:49 GMT -5
i know right? people who dare to give compliments should have their heads ground up into very small pieces...
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:42:55 GMT -5
Post by swan on May 2, 2010 0:42:55 GMT -5
I think "Skill" would be a person's proficiency at something, while "talent" would be the person's ability to excel at something. So someone who is talented would be able to reach a certain level of skill before someone who is untalented (assuming everything else is equal). Mozart certainly didn't write the turkish march the first time he sat down at a piano, since even the most talented people have to work hard, but they simply have to work less hard then someone who is untalented. So when most people say that "you're talented" they really mean "you're skilled".
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:45:13 GMT -5
Post by chelseeyuh on May 2, 2010 0:45:13 GMT -5
Well, most of the time when I hear it, it's like "You're so smart. I wish I was smart.. *sigh*" as if I have any advantage over them.. It insinuates that they work just as hard as I do, but they're dumb for reasons that are out of their control.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:47:24 GMT -5
Post by bombmaniac on May 2, 2010 0:47:24 GMT -5
then the problem lies with your insecurities, not with the person paying the compliment
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Talent
May 2, 2010 0:51:49 GMT -5
Post by chelseeyuh on May 2, 2010 0:51:49 GMT -5
How is saying that I'm proud of how hard I work insecurities? I hate when people make excuses. And by saying "You're naturally talented. I'm not. There's nothing I can do about it," that's exactly what they're doing.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 1:03:14 GMT -5
Post by bombmaniac on May 2, 2010 1:03:14 GMT -5
im sorry then if i misread your post...and i think you realize that people aren't downplaying your abilities when they say "you're talented"
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Talent
May 2, 2010 1:18:38 GMT -5
Post by krzych32 on May 2, 2010 1:18:38 GMT -5
Chelsea, we have to be on two different planets because I never saw one person come up to another and say "You're so smart. I wish I was smart.. *sigh*", and I know a lot of really smart people, I will just never tell them that I think that about them. Well, there is one exception, a friend once told me that I'm really smart and if I would just start meditating, but he smoked a lot of weed so it may have been the weed talking, I don't think that counts.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 1:26:36 GMT -5
Post by bombmaniac on May 2, 2010 1:26:36 GMT -5
lol i think you all are reading too much into this
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kadie
Moon
"You don't need a licence to drive a sandwhich!"
Posts: 240
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Talent
May 2, 2010 2:30:00 GMT -5
Post by kadie on May 2, 2010 2:30:00 GMT -5
It's simple really, people do have natural talent but this isn't going to mean they can play the piano the second they're out the room. Basically what you see as a faster learning curve most others would see as natural talent. I do understand where you're coming from though, it's like people that say you're talented aren't acknowledging your hard work but they probably do it's just that the phrasing seems like they don't (If that makes any sense whatsoever )
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Talent
May 2, 2010 2:36:44 GMT -5
Post by Danielle on May 2, 2010 2:36:44 GMT -5
At my school, an art college, "talented" is pretty much a forbidden word. Because, as you said, it implies people don't have to work for what they produce.
We use words like skilled, good craftsmanship, etc.
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Talent
May 2, 2010 13:36:51 GMT -5
Post by Ferrrrrre on May 2, 2010 13:36:51 GMT -5
I see talent as another word for potential, that people have the potential to be good at something but do have to work for it.. So some people are better at things than others but it doesn't mean they can just for example sit in front of a canvas, throw some paint at it and create a masterpiece (okay, some paintings may look like this but you know what I mean..) so that's my vision on "TALENT"
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Talent
May 2, 2010 13:59:57 GMT -5
Post by Trey on May 2, 2010 13:59:57 GMT -5
I, as a musician, also don't believe in talent. Some people seem to progress more than others, even if they work just as hard, but I think this has to do with HOW you get there; not how hard you work. While hard work and persistence is very important to achieving your goals, I think how you get their is key.
A good book to read about this subject that I've read multiple times is "Talent is Overrated". Another one I'd recommend is "The Talent Code".
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