The 10,000-hour rule is wrong and perpetuates a cruel myth – Business Insider

recent research has demonstrated that deliberate practice, while undeniably important, is only one piece of the expertise puzzle — and not necessarily the biggest piece

Deliberate practice left more of the variation in skill unexplained than it explained. For example, deliberate practice explained 26% of the variation for games such as chess, 21% for music, and 18% for sports.

There may be a critical window during childhood for acquiring certain complex skills, just as there seems to be for language.

What all of this evidence indicates is that we are not created equal where our abilities are concerned. … Pretending that all people are equal in their abilities will not change the fact that a person with an average IQ is unlikely to become a theoretical physicist, or the fact that a person with a low level of music ability is unlikely to become a concert pianist.

If we acknowledge that people differ in what they have to contribute, then we have an argument for a society in which all human beings are entitled to a life that includes access to decent housing, healthcare, and education, simply because they are human. Our abilities might not be identical, and our needs surely differ, but our basic human rights are universal.

Source: The 10,000-hour rule is wrong and perpetuates a cruel myth – Business Insider
Source: Practice Does Not Make Perfect – Slate