Talent Matters More Than Practice

When you were little and wanted to be able to spell a word, do a new soccer move, hit a baseball, or any other skill, what did your parents or coach or teacher say? Mine almost always said, "Practice makes perfect." Well that line just went right out the door after reading David Hambrick and Elizabeth Meinz's New York Times article "Sorry, Strivers: Talent Matters". Hambrick and Meinz write an informative article based on many research accounts. They write of how a person's intellectual ability matters a lot in their success of fields. Personally, I agree because that intellectual ability already gives someone an advantage over someone else who has to practice to get to the same level as them. However, I also believe that practice can help those without that outstanding intellect to succeed. Some of the most hard working people are the most successful, while those with that above average intellect can be arrogant at times.

The rhetorical techniques that Hambrick and Meinz use to appeal to their audience are very effective. The write with a large appeal to the logos of the audience because Hambrick and Meinz write about three different scientific research studies: one conducted by Florida State University, one conducted by Vanderbilt University, and one they conducted. This technique establishes Hambrick and Meinz as creditable authors with the audience. The descriptions of the studies prove that they know what they are talking about and that they did their research before compiling it all into the article. This article really makes the audience think about practice and intellectual ability when it comes to talent. One particular line that showed the authors' opinions was "None of this is to deny the power of practice. Nor is it to say that it's impossible for a person with an average I.Q. to say, earn a Ph.D. in physics. It's just unlikely, relatively speaking. Sometimes the story that science tells us isn't the story we want to hear," (Hambrick, Meinz 1). David Hambrick and Elizabeth Meinz write a convincing informative article about the need for intellectual ability to have a specific talent.

Source: Hambrick, David Z. , and Elizabeth J. Meinz. "Sorry, Strivers: Talent Matters." The New York Times 19 Nov. 2011, Sunday ed., sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.