It Starts with a Spark
Aren’t we discrediting luck a little, though? Don’t some
people succeed just because they get a big break when
others do not? Certainly we can’t deny the existence of
special opportunities for some people. The idea that every
person can be whatever he or she wants isn’t always true.
Success is more than a matter of hard work; it’s contingent
on factors sometimes outside of our control. Where and
when you were born can influence what you do.
But greatness does not just happen—Ericsson’s research
and common sense tell us that. Skill is the result of intense
practice; it’s the product of persistent trial and error until the
person gets it right. Nobody walked on to the set of
American Idol and blew away the judges without practicing,
and nobody picked up a computer and started coding. It
takes a lot of practice to get good.
There are, however, times when practice is not enough,
as with Stephanie Fisher’s seven auditions. And there are
surprising moments of breakthrough, as with Martyn
Chamberlin, when a person picks up a skill on the first try as
if he were born for it.
Maybe he was.
What we are learning from science now is that although
humans are capable of more than anybody thought a
hundred years ago, there are some abilities no amount of
practice can overcome.^19 This is why we consistently see