The Theory of Natural Talent and its Impact on Youth

By Andie Ettenberg

Countless doting parents have told their children that they’re naturally talented, or that they are the most skilled at whatever hobby they decide to pursue. They possess natural talent, more so than those they’re competing against. They are competing, aren’t they? Everyone else is below their natural talent anyway, which they were born into. Natural talent is widely accepted by most people who are not in the scientific field- making it extremely difficult to have a conversation about; no adult wants to admit that their child did not, in fact, inherit incredible skill and become child prodigies. 

In its purest form, natural talent is defined as the ability to pick up a skill or activity without any prior knowledge or practice; with the implication that the person had been born with the ability to do so. Others may describe it as being able to improve specific skills at a faster pace than that of the average person, but regardless of its description, the general idea stays the same. It sounds extremely helpful: a way to enhance talent and a confidence booster for many young children who are trying to figure out what kind of hobbies they want to pursue. If a student is creative, they are an artist; if they are good at math and science, stick them into STEM classes: it all depends on whatever they pick up on the quickest. In mastering their skills, people will be able to harness what they do and rise to the top, stemming from a mindset which started when they were just children.  

Learned skill sets are the complete opposite, rather than harnessing what they were supposedly “born with”, children are taught that they can accomplish anything if they try hard enough- and from an early age they are shown to explore new hobbies that  they may not be good at- but with practice and discipline they could achieve whatever goals they set for themselves. In recent research, chess skill was shown to have been impacted by skill rather than IQ as was previously believed. With the right amount of rigor, there are hardly any limits. 

Psychologist Anders Ericsson states that “The belief that one’s abilities are limited by one’s genetically prescribed characteristics.... manifests itself in all sorts of ‘I can’t’ or ‘I’m not’ statements,”. Once the difference between the two concepts are understood, most people find it easier to believe in natural talent alongside learned skills, as it was most likely how they were raised- and it is always a compliment to be told that one is a ‘natural’ at something. However, as Ericsson said, it could bring about the very mindset that actively prevents people from being able to learn and grow past their original expectations. This becomes especially dangerous when it comes to children and teens, who at that age are just beginning to harness their intellectual abilities and favorite hobbies; being told that they are a ‘natural’ at one skill may give them a boost and cause them to enjoy it more, as well as feel more confident in themself, however they may start to see any other skills they cannot pick up as quickly as ‘weaknesses’ and accept that they cannot do them. It has been seen time and time again, within school systems and extracurriculars, that when lower expectations are placed on a student, that student is less likely to be successful in that particular field. Even subtle changes in the behavior of teachers, coaches, parents or other mentors can affect the self esteem of a child who is trying to learn inside or outside of school. It can make learning environments less supportive for all, forcing students into a system where they then prioritize certain classes for the foreseeable future of their schooling. The National Association for Gifted Children describes the schooling of those who are academically talented to “...require modification(s) to their educational experience(s) [in order] to learn and realize their potential.”. The idea of natural talent goes much farther than a few compliments and pats on the back. 

Those who are dubbed ‘gifted’ as youth are set to higher standards from a very young age, forcing them to work harder and at a faster pace than most at their age. This results in burnout in most 

cases, harming the child’s development through their teenage years. They tend to hold themselves to higher standards, and their giftedness ends up affecting every facet of their schooling experience. Haily Peck writes “The constant pressure of having to live up to the expectations schools unknowingly place on students takes a toll. Suddenly, students are signed up to take every standardized test the school has to report. Friend groups are determined based on what classes are taken. It becomes a need for gifted students to be better than their peers because they are taught that their worth is defined by their intelligence.”

Due to the implications of natural talent and the schooling environment it creates, a rift is created between those who were told as children that they would become the best, and those who had to practice to get to the point where they began being praised and prioritized. The differences between these two groups and the struggle to become the best of all the children born with natural talent can create a hotbed of competition in an area where it does not need to exist. Parents and their children bash heads- seen in the stereotypical “soccer mom” or any other adult who is too demanding of their child. There are of course exceptions to this situation, however in many cases those who do not engage in the competition are seen as less than or uncommitted.