Talent vs Effort

I'm not exactly super talented, but I think it comes down to how dedicated and motivated you are to something, how readily you adapt new changes to your old way of thinking/doing something, and I guess knowing how you can make it work for you. I think everyone will eventually hit a limit or obstacle that will require you to either train/practice a lot more, find a new way of thinking about things (from figuring it out yourself or learning it from the talented people you know), or both.

Talent is more like the promise of something. I can be talented, but if I don't work hard or have the stamina to physically or mentally perform tasks towards my talent, it won't manifest itself. Like if I'm trying to grow crops in a fertile, good piece of land vs a bad one. If I put equal amount of work in both fields, the good field is far more likely to yield better crops. But if I don't do anything to the first field and work like a dog in the second, then the second is more likely to produce more. You just gotta work at it. No one becomes really good at anything without some kind of effort. It may not be equal effort but you still gotta bang away at it

For me it's fun but not on my own if theres no one to compare or challenge then I don't really us my talents. I get a rush from out doing or beating others with little effort but also I want to keep them trying to win so I never really go all out. So it's more of a game then anything else.

I remember seeing all these "Gifted" and "Talented" people when I was younger, some are doing great and others aren't doing so well. It's almost as if some of them leaned too hard on their talents..without sharpening them or they just lacked a good work ethic. I wonder about this myself at times. I feel that were all talented, but the problem is finding out what that talent is. My past 3 jobs all gave me a raise in less than 6 months, while my co-workers either didn't receive anything or were just receiving their first raise after 2-3 years. I had no experience in either of those jobs when I started, yet ended up performing well. Maybe it was my work ethic? I don't know, I don't stop until my goal is completed and I'm always open to learn more. I'm self taught in just about everything, having left school when I was 16. I used to be on equal ground with some of my peers, but now I'm ahead/caught up in a sense. I think it comes down to your work ethic, presentation and overall how well you interact with others. I'd rather hire someone that's mediocre, who's pleasant to be around and wants to work to improve themselves..rather than someone who is talented with a shitty attitude. However if those roles were reversed then I would still pick the person who's pleasant and want's to improve themselves(talented). I've lost a few jobs to people who are absolutely incredible in my eyes and I know they worked just as hard as I did. So now I don't think so much about them being talented..I instead ask myself "What are they doing that I'm not?". I take notes and try to apply them to myself. So with all that said...keeping an open mind, self discipline, willingness to learn and adapt will take you far. It was only when I stopped comparing myself to others and looking at their success..did I start to see real progress and change. These are just some things I've noticed and experienced. Would add/detail this out more, but I'm cooking lol <(*.*)>

I disagree. Not all of it comes with pure effort, some people are really gifted to understand things a lot faster than others. I do agree is relative because there are several ways to express intelligence but in our current system some people are still born 'geniuses'.

Well yes, natural ability does help at first and while going through the basics. However, 9/10 successful people are workaholics and/or have put ridiculous amounts of effort into shaping themselves. Very rarely are there people who don't need to try, or try hard, and still be on the top. The older you get, the more you realize how little talent means compared to a tenacious work ethic. Occasionally there may be outliers who are born geniuses, like Bobby fisher with chess, or the once a year 12 year old in Harvard. But those are outliers, not even rarities.