Shenk claims a very important part of success is early exposure but also states, “superachievers develop very different abilities at different ages” (85). The example of Michael Jordan is used to show this possibility, since he showed no signs of superior talent early in life. How does Jordan’s career fit in Shenk’s theory if he began so late, and how does his ability prove talent is not innate?
Jenna Sherman (jsherm013@aol.com)
Shenk begins the book with the story of Ted Williams, a superstar baseball player that by no means was a child prodigy for sports. Everything about him was normal, but what set him aside from every other player was the amount of time and effort he put into baseball. He studied almost every position of players, but especially pitchers. Williams was always the most intense during games and would go to the park to practice his swing day and night. He had no genetic advantage over the other players; he had a passion and devoted his life to it. “Greatness was not a thing to Ted Williams; it was a process” (Shenk 7). Williams’ story is similar to that of Michael Jordan.
ReplyDeleteMichael Jordan’s superior talent didn’t develop until his later years. Growing up, Michael was not the superstar of the family. His brother Larry was the best athlete. He was not the most industrious, or mechanically inclined, but his passion for sports grew as he got older. In his younger years he played many sports including football, baseball, and basketball. He was a good athlete, but there were no signs of “superstar” status. He later dropped baseball and football to pursue basketball. During the summer before 10th grade, Michael attended a basketball camp with a close friend. The following years at tryouts, he did not make the varsity basketball team while his friend did (Shenk 85). Instead of giving up, Michael worked hard and was determined to earn a spot on the varsity team the following year. Everyday he would play basketball with his brother Larry; many times he would lose (which he learned to hate), but failure is what stimulated his determination to grow.
In Shenk’s studies, he noticed that there were many noticeable themes when it came to individual improvement (65). One of these themes was that practice changes your body. Physical changes in muscles, nerves, heart, lungs, and brains are directly related with increased skill level. When an individual pushes himself into strenuous physical activity they “induce an abnormal state for cells in physiological systems” (Shenk 69). These biochemical states activate dormant genes within the cells’ DNA to turn on systems. It stimulates the growth and transformation of cells which leads to improved adaptations.
Another theme is specific skills. This means that people become really good at one thing while the rest of their skills remain mediocre. Physical changes in an athlete are responses to certain skill requirements. The body develops and adapts to these changes the same way that practice causes adaptations.
A third theme is that the “brain drives the brawn” (Shenk 65). Out of all bodily changes when developing a talent, the brain development is the most significant. Certain parts of the brain will adapt to save time and energy. They also adapt to allow the body to have constant adjustments in real time. This is an important process for athletes considering that they are always thinking on their feet and need to adjust rapidly during game like situations. Babies are born with neurons and a set number of synapses, but neurons in the brain are capable of making new connections based on environmental stimuli (Campbell 1079).
The last themes include practice style and commitment. Reinforcing skills in which one already has is not enough to become better. Intense practice is needed in order to force your body and mind into the change that is needed for improvement. Also, short, intense practices will not create significant changes. It is the long term commitment that will ultimately make the crucial changes necessary for success.
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ReplyDeleteAll of these themes can be applied to Michael’s road to success. He was never satisfied with his current ability and was constantly giving his all in games as well as practice. Similar to Ted Williams, Michael was devoted to his sport. Even when he was just shooting around in the park, he would work on skills that could use improvement rather than just reinforcing the ones he already had. He had a passion and drive for success that pushed him further and further. He understood that short intensive games a few times a week would not get him to the level that he wanted to be at. Many studies have shown that a truly outstanding skill in any domain is “rarely achieved in less than ten thousand hours of practice over ten years” (Shenk 70). Michael put his whole life into basketball which allowed him to become the superstar that he is.
There is always potential to become a high achieving adult no matter what someone’s childhood status may have been like. Shenk says “talent is a function of acquired skills rather than innate ability” and depends on attitude, effort, and resources (Shenk 98). In addition, it is scientifically proven that the frontal lobe of the brain does not stop developing until age 25 (http://www.news-medical.net/news/20110923/Human-brain-development-does-not-stop-at-adolescence-Research.aspx). This capacity for the neural system to be remodeled is called neural plasticity (Campbell 1079). The frontal lobe contains the motor cortex which explains why Michael was able to make such vast achievements past the sensitive period of his life. Michael’s story, along with scientific evidence, proves Shenk’s statement that talent is not innate; people are not born with super human powers. The brain does not stop developing after birth and therefore, adaptations in both physiology and intelligence are possible during later years in life. Greatness and talent are processes. He says that while childhood abilities may indicate interest and determination, they are not a “crystal ball of future success” and that noticeable achievement at different ages is not a “golden ticket or a locked gate” (Shenk 99).
(Katie Donnowitz kdonnowitz94@aol.com)