Sterling Terrell

recovering economist

Child Prodigies Lack This

Child Prodigies Lack This

Child Prodigies often lack originality.

This is not categorically true, of course.

But of you check back with the “typical” kid finishing an undergraduate degree in engineering at 17, you will find them happily employed as a staff engineer 10 years later – not reinventing the wheel like Elon Musk or whoever else.

So much time is spent practicing X that rejecting the premise of X, to do things in a completely different way, is not considered.

It seems odd, but creativity must be practiced too.

Understand: Everything is practice.

Although child prodigies are often rich in both talent and ambition, what holds them back from moving the world forward is that they don’t learn to be original. As they perform in Carnegie Hall, win the science Olympics, and become chess champions, something tragic happens: Practice makes perfect, but it doesn’t make new. The gifted learn to play magnificent Mozart melodies and beautiful Beethoven symphonies, but never compose their own original scores. They focus their energy on consuming existing scientific knowledge, not producing new insights.

-Adam Grant, Originals

Just Go

Just Go

You don’t need more preparation, just go.

Understand: Action will get you further than additional planning.

If you are overwhelmed with fear on this, starting small is a great place to start.

Then do it again, and again, and repeat.

You know you are ready. It is just this last little bit of fear that has to be overcome. And you know how you do that?” “I have no idea,” I told him. “You go.” “Just go?” I asked Uncle Jake, now partly thinking he was just joking. “Yes. You just go. You see, fear lives in the moment—that powerful moment—between when you decide you are going to do something and when you do it. Once you go—once you start—you won’t be afraid anymore. You overcome the fear by going—and it is the same in many aspects of life. Parachuting. Talking in front of a crowd. Taking a test. Running a race. Competing in jiu-jitsu. The fear is in the waiting. So. Once you have prepared and trained and studied and planned, there is only one thing left to do: go.”

-Jocko Willink, The Way Of The Warrior Kid

Sterling Terrell