Re: Re: Success: Talent or hard work?

[unknown-user]

Diane Michaels wrote: “I like Carl’s Schumann quote, but if a genius just stands on top of
that mountain, laughing arrogantly rather than continuing to challenge
himself, the world will tire of his gifts.”

I agree 100% with you, Diane. Being on top of the mountain would allow
one to see so much further, resulting in a passionate drive to
explore that vast landscape more intimately. To continue with that
metaphor: when I am on top of a mountain and take in the vastness I
become gratefully small. My own insignificance, and my small part in
something so much more grand fills me with reassurance. Those moments
that I cannot see past the boundaries of myself are the same moments I
feel imprisoned. I would
hope with all my heart that genius is about the grand perspective and
not the small prison of self.

But to explore this question from another angle, not possessing the
highest giftedness does not diminish a person. We all have more locked
up potential than we realize. Helping a student to catch a glimpse of
what could be, can help lead them towards this potential. Every
person’s experience and feelings are equally valid. The great artist
possesses more skill in communicating this, and empathizing with their
expression helps us to understand our own. Helping students to
communicate more accurately their own expression is a venture always
deserving the highest respect.