RS1-"How
to be a Genius" by David Dobbs-Reaction
In his article, "How to be a Genius", David Dobbs writes about what
he feels takes a person from being considered ordinary to a genius. He
argues in his article that it is not just genetics that make a person extremely
talented or gifted, but rather it is hard work, determination, and drive that
make them a true genius. After reading his article, I agree with Dobbs in that
the emphasis on hard work and determination is really what makes a genius, a
genius.
Dobbs in this article starts off with a quote from Thomas Edison saying,
"Genius is 99 percent perspiration." Dobbs then adds that it is
really, "One percent inspiration, 29 percent good instruction and
encouragement, and 70 percent perspiration." I could not agree more
with these men. An example in my life is the comparable talent that my
sister and I have when it comes to playing softball. I have been playing
since I was 5, but I started off not as interested in the sport. My
little sister on the other hand started off extremely interested in the
sport. I work hard at practices and I am dedicated when I am playing but
I do not practice as much as my sister does. At the age of thirteen she
practices four or five times a week and is pitching a 58 mph fastball,
something that is rare coming from a thirteen year old. It was not
genetics that slipped and gave my sister more of the softball genes than I got;
it is her hard work and passion for the game that makes her more talented and
gifted than I ever was at her age. Had I put in the time and effort that
she does I could have been as talented as she is now, but I chose not to.
Dobbs said in his article, "The elite are elite partly because they have
some genetic gifts- for learning and hand eye coordination for instance- but
the very best rise because they take great pains to maximize that
gift." At just thirteen, my sister dreams of going to college and
playing softball for a division one team. She works her hardest at every
practice, hitting lesson, and pitching lesson to attain that goal; sacrificing
some other things that she may want to be doing as well. Dobbs also says
that having someone to mentor you and motivate you is very important as well if
you want to be a genius. I like to think of myself as one of my sister's
mentors. Being six years younger than me, she would always come to my
softball games and see me play, and I like to think that watching me encouraged
her to play as well. I know for a fact that when my sister needs help
with something she will turn to me or my dad for help and that if we weren't
there to guide her along her softball "career", she would not be the
same athlete she is today.
Dobbs stresses in his article that it is not genetics that makes a genius but
it is rather hard work, determination, and help that make a genius. My
sister may not be the next Jenny Finch, or a softball legend, but it is the
hard work and love for the sport that makes her as good as she is. More so than
just her talent and physical attributes for the sport. After reading this
article it is very clear to me as to why this was our first assignment for the
class. The lesson was to teach ourselves that A's aren't just going to be
handed out in this class. We are going to have to push ourselves and work for
them to the best of our abilities in order to obtain the grade that we
desire. I know that I just want A's, and I know that I am going to have
to push myself and work for it, but I can get help and that I am not alone on
this journey of Economics. Dobbs said, "Geniuses are made, not
born". I know that I am not going to be the next master of Economics
by the end of the semester, but I do plan on working my hardest and getting the
most out of this class as possible.
-----------------------------------UPDATED------------------------------
My
first time reading this essay by Dobbs, I related it to my own life and the
experiences my sister has had with softball.
Now, after taking Microeconomics, I realize that this essay is more than
just telling us that practice and effort is what makes us “genius” not genetics
or a high IQ. This essay can also relate
to two of the eight guideposts: incentives matter, and secondary effects.
One
of the eight guideposts is incentives matter.
That is saying that a decision is influenced on the possible outcomes of
the situation. For example, a person would not bend over to pick up a penny but
would bend over to pick up a twenty-dollar bill. In the situation of this article, a person
has the choice to excel in life or breeze by.
If they choose to excel then they are going to have to practice hard and
put a lot of effort into the things they do.
However if they choose to breeze by in life then they can do whatever
they want with little effort. In the
article they mention Mozart who started playing the piano at the age of three
and started composing symphonies at the age of seven. The one thing Dobbs stresses is that the
Mozart we know did not come about genetics or by being blessed with a talent,
but by practicing and putting his total effort and attention into music. By knowing a situations outcomes or
incentives, a person can make the proper decision and follow the steps needed
to achieve that incentive.
Another
one of the guideposts is secondary effects.
Secondary effects are the relationship between an action and its
effect. For example, a person eats too
much cake and pies at dessert. The
secondary effect is that he has a really bad stomachache and gets sick. In the case of this article, a person has the
ability to work hard or to relax and let genetics and IQ take charge. If a person works hard, then the secondary
effect is that he can become extremely skilled and talented in a particular
area. However, if a person just uses his
natural talents and abilities, and doesn’t challenge them, then he will just
bottom out and never excel in that area.
For example, the article mentions Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods has been playing golf for his
whole life. When he was younger he was
good at golf, but never as good as he is today.
Woods became as good as he is today with the help of drive to excel and
constant practice. Had he not practiced
as hard when he was growing up, he would never be as good as he is today. In order to become a “genius”, it takes a lot
of effort, practice, and hard work.
Secondary effects can help explain the difference of becoming a “genius”
and just being talented.
The
eight guideposts of economic thinking do not just apply to economic situations,
but it can relate to everyday life as well.
After reading “How to be a Genius” by David Dobbs for the second time, I
realized that the guideposts can also be applied to the difference between
being a “genius” and just being gifted with a talent. Incentives matter and secondary effects are
the two guideposts that best relate to Dobbs article and can explain his point
that it takes more than just natural talent to become a true genius.
No comments:
Post a Comment