Does talent exist? Are certain people just naturally good at something? Do we need talent to be successful?

The dictionary defines talent as a „natural aptitude or skill “- something an individual seems to be born with, giving them an edge over others.

Many people believe that successful athletes, artists, or scientists must simply be more talented.

Take Richard Feynman, for example – one of the most famous theoretical physicists of the 20th century. He is known for his groundbreaking work in quantum electrodynamics (QED), the theory describing how light and matter interact. 

In 1965, he received the Nobel Prize in physics for his groundbreaking work on the QED. He introduces Feynman diagrams - visual tools that capture the infinite possibilities of particle interactions using integrals over all possible paths. 

QED introduced the idea that the past doesn’t ‘t follow a certain path but is undefined and gets clearer by observations of the present. His theory beautifully reconciles special relativity wit quantum mechanics, offering a deeper view into the quantum world via a path integral formalism.

That sound impressive. Surely, he must have been born with a special gift.

Yet Feynman himself rejected this idea. He believed that what set him apart wasn’t rare intellectual gift, but rather his relentless curiosity, deep interest, and persistence. 

„I‘m not smarter that other people,“ he once said, „, I just stay with problems longer.“

He was not afraid  to look „stupid“ by asking questions. He simply loved to learn, to think, and to challenge everything.  

Talent vs. Effort: What really matters

The science of neuroplasticity – the brain ‘s ability to rewire itself through experience – shows that skills can be developed through deliberate practice, persistence, and curiosity. They are not fixed. 

Genes may give us starting conditions and a direction (like better memory or faster processing speed), but most „genius“ is built over thousands of hours. The brain literally changes structurally with effort and learning.

In this sense, talent may set the initial conditions, but effort determines the trajectory. What truly matters is how you use what you have.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

This leads us to a crucial idea: your mindset – the way you think about talent and learning – shapes what you become

• A fixed mindest assumes your abilities are set in stone. You are either smart or not, athletic or not, good in maths or not. Effort seems pointless, and failure becomes something to avoid.
• A growth mindset, on the other hand, believes you can change, learn and grow through effort. Intelligence is not fixed – it evolves through hard work and curiosity.

Does the growth mindset imply that everyone is the same?

Definitely not. Some people are born with a more passionate desire to learn and challenge themselves. But that drive isn‘t „talent“ – it is often cultivated from an early age.

For example, a „gifted “child. They are often seen as born smart, when in reality, many are just obsessively curious and spend all their time learning.

As psychologist Dr. Carol S. Dweck puts it in her book Mindset: „Most often people belief that the „gift“ is the ability itself. Yet what feeds it is that constant, endless curiosity and challenging seeking.“

Training beats talent

Success does not depend on a genetic ability. It is the mindset. The mindset of constantly improve and the desire to fail to then improve.

If you are the smartest in the room, I am sorry to tell you, you are in the wrong room. How are you supposed to learn and develop your ability if you can do something at ease?

Was it Feynman’s talent that made him read physics books for hundreds of hours in his free time? Or was it his desire to understand?

Was it Michael Jordan’s natural ability, or his hunger to train, fail, and keep improving that made him great?

And if you think you just don’t have this drive and desire for a certain thing, then you are wrong. Natural curiosity lies in human nature and can be developed.

Of course, some people pick things up faster than others. But that doesn‘t mean others can‘t catch up- or even surpass them – with more effort.

We tend to admire talent because it gives us an excuse. If someone is just „born“ good, then we don‘t have to feel bad about nut purring in the effort ourselves. 

It reassures us – and lets us stay in the couch instead of stepping out of the comfort zone and developing what others mistake for talent.

A world full of wasted potential

The truth is, there is a massive amount of human potential that goes unused – not because of a lack of talent, but because of a lack of believe.

Society often favors immediate success and glorifies natural ability, instead of long-term growth and struggle. Society has a fixed mindset.

But what if more people had the courage to struggle, to persist, to fail?

We might be living in a very different world.

Psychologist Laszlo Polgar was one of the first to assume that expertise is a result of training, not talent. To proof his idea, he trained his three daughters in chess from an early age – despite not being a chess player himself (this eliminated any genetic influence).

All three daughters became chess champions, and one, Judit Pulgar, was named best female chess player of all time by Magnus Carlsen. He raised biological „ordinary“ girls to be world-class through deliberate, sustained effort. 

Training beats talent.

There are thousands of similar examples. Individuals are considered to have a natural talent when in reality they worked for hundreds of hours on their „natural ability“.

We are blinded by the end result of big champions rather than seeing what work came along with it.

Final thoughts

Yes, talent may exist - but it is vastly overrated.

You don‘t need to be born with some magical ability to become world-class at something. Talent might shape your preferences or guide your initial direction, but it is curiosity, persistence, and the willingness to fail that separat the successful from the unsuccessful.

It all comes down to the work you actually put in.

We live in an incredible age. Knowledge is more accessible than ever befor. It is not longer about where you were born or what you inherited – it is about how determined you are to use what you have got.  

Technology has made knowledge so accessible that we all have the opportunity. It is your decision what you do with your life. We all have the potential.