I’m not sure how I can express that any more succinctly in the title, but here is what I mean.
For a long time, I always sort of wrote off certain video games because, “all you have to do is spend a bunch of time on it and you’ll beat everyone else”.
Generally, I was referring to MMORPGs where you literally just spend time and level-up. Once you’re at a sufficient level, you’ll be unstoppable except by others of a similar level.
Instead, I preferred games that reset every time. Where your past progress didn’t matter: only your current skill.
But what’s the difference?
If you spend time on anything, you’ll get better. Sure, some people might have pre-existing skills, or a better mindset that allows them to advance faster, but at the end of the day: the more time you spend on something, the better you get.
Period.
Not only that, but there are lots of things that essentially anyone can achieve, if they only spend the requisite time.
For example, learning a language. There’s really no big secret about it. If you spend enough time practicing, you’ll learn how to speak a language.
Again, some people might learn slightly faster, but nobody ever became proficient at a language without putting in a great deal of time.
In the past, maybe I was dismissive of things that simply required time because I believed in the erroneous idea of “innate talent” or simply the superiority of an individual, in all ways. Which are both just stupid.
“Natural talent” has been proven to be almost entirely a myth. Sure, to be a star athlete, you might need to be born with the right body type. But I guarantee you all of those super “athletic” individuals spent a ton of time to become skilled in those areas. Nobody is born knowing how to throw a perfect spiral.
To a large extent, any skill or talent is simply the accumulation of the time put into it.
And it’s only now that I’m realizing: that’s not any reason to dismiss it or to find it any less impressive.
Sure, anyone could achieve advanced proficiency in a language if they spent 1000-2000 hours practicing in it. So what’s the difference between someone who learned another language and someone who didn’t?
They actually did it.
They had the dedication, the perseverance, and the resolve to continue doing something that’s difficult until they mastered it. And that is impressive.
So ultimately, the most impressive thing about a person may not be their abilities or talents at all.
It may simply be their dedication to learning and improvement.