Talents, intellect don’t dictate potential
February 15th, 2010Potential can be a bit elusive. We talk about it as if it’s easy to measure, and at other times it sounds as if it’s infinite. “Living up to our potential” is a lifelong theme heard at home, school and the office.
But what is it? How do you measure it? Has anyone ever reached their full potential? All are good questions; let’s take a stab at some answers.
Behavioral scientists throughout time have agreed that, in general, we use a fraction of our potential. They vary on the specifics, with that fractional use ranging between 5 and 25 percent.
No one seems to claim that anyone has ever demonstrated using anything close to full potential. Einstein is purported to have said that he tapped about 10 to 12 percent of his potential. Psychologist William James estimated that 10 percent was about what most humans use, and anthropologist Margaret Mead believed most use only 6 percent.
Does it matter if we use 6 percent or 10 percent? What’s a few percentage points of potential really mean, anyway? Perhaps it’s all in how it’s measured.
We are led to believe that we all have potential, though not to an equal degree. This belief is usually based on findings about intellect and talents.
There are tests to measure IQ, but it has been repeatedly shown that IQ is not equivalent to potential. Neuroscientists can measure the percentage of the brain used, and at the same time cite many examples of how the brain reconfigures itself, growing synapses and the possibility for more potential.
When it comes to talents, it has historically been believed that, like intellect, they are a part of the equation that determines one’s potential. Not everyone agrees. In his book, Outliars, Malcolm Gladwell attributes much to effort and lucky opportunities. Let’s assume we can’t do a whole lot about lucky breaks and focus on effort.
Gladwell quotes neurologist Daniel Levitin, who concludes achievement is equal to talent plus preparation. And, Levitin says, preparation plays the biggest role.
He repeatedly found, no matter what the talent, 10,000 hours of preparation was required to achieve a level of mastery or be a world class expert in anything. This was true for athletes, composers and musicians, as well as intellectual pursuits like chess playing.
To put it into the context of our discussion, the key to achievement or living up to more of our potential is directly linked to the level of our efforts, according to Levitin.
That means you can cross intellect and talents off your list of excuses. Realizing more of your potential, however it’s measured, is a matter of choosing and doing so.
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