| From
the West Virginia Department of Education |
|
Innate Ability vs. Effort |
"“Great
accomplishment, and even what we call genius, is typically
the result of years of passion and dedication and not something
that flows naturally from a gift.” (Dweck, 2007).
Carol S. Dweck's studies show that focusing on effort rather
than on intelligence or talent encourages a "growth
mind-set" in children.
In
her article, "The Secrets to Raising Smart Kids,"
Dr. Dweck states that children who coast through the early
grades because they already know the material, get the notion
that learning does not take effort. They don't realize that
they learned those skills earlier in their life and begin
to believe that intelligence is innate. Later, when they
encounter more challenging experiences in learning, they
see them as threats to their intelligence, rather than learning
opportunities which may take effort on their part. “And
it causes them to lose confidence and motivation when the
work is no longer easy for them.” (Dweck, 2007)
From
The
Secret to Raising Smart Kids, Scientific American Mind,
Dec 2007.
To
read more about Dr. Dweck's studies, click on this link:
http://highability.org/83/carol-s-dweck-on-the-impact-of-mind-set/
David
Dobbs, in "How
to be a Genius," has a formula for genius "1 percent
inspiration, 29 per cent good instruction and encouragement,
and 70 percent perspiration." Successful people will
tell you that they made an incredible investment of effort.
Sustained,
focused effort is critical to achieve prominence, but successful
people will tell you that they also had a supportive environment
and almost always had a mentor. No matter how hard one works
to succeed, if a person does not have the proper instruction,
it probably will not happen. The importance of good instruction
from teachers and parents cannot be overstated.
So,
although ability and a nurturing environment are important,
effort appears to be the most important factor in success.
|
