In answering this question, it may be helpful to compare and contrast the unfolding of intellectual talent with that of athletic talent.
Comparison
Those gifted with superior athletic ability, usually discover early in their lives that they are more agile than most, can run faster or jump higher, or have greater physical strength. As they outperform their teammates or competitors, they receive special recognition for their abilities and this usually fuels their drive to hone their skills and achieve more.
Such gifted athletes are often motivated by their early successes to work harder than most to further increase their performance and capabilities. For example, Michael Jordan, a gifted athlete, worked harder than virtually everyone else in the NBA to become the person whom many sports commentators regard as the greatest basketball player of all time.
Of course, some gifted athletes never reach their potential, because they can perform at a relatively high level with a modicum of effort. In golf, we observed John Daly who had significant natural ability, winning the PGA Championship in 1991 and the (British) Open in 1995, with relatively little attention to physical training or disciplined health habits.
Like gifted athletes, those who are intellectually gifted usually show special cognitive abilities at an early age. Mathematician, Terrence Tao, learned to read at two years of age. Physicist, John von Neumann was readily recognized as a child prodigy, possessing an eidetic memory and at age 6 displayed the ability to divide two eight-digit numbers in his head. His family often entertained guests with demonstrations of his prodigious memory. By age 8, he had become proficient in calculus. Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com) attended a Montessori pre-school where he became so engrossed in each project that he had to be picked up–chair and all–and moved to the next activity. Such “naturally talented” people rarely experienced difficulty in learning, yet they worked harder than almost anyone else. Throughout their lives, these child prodigies were immersed in intellectual investigation at an intense level, and by the time they reached their intellectual peak, they were advancing the frontiers of human knowledge and technology.
However, like the gifted athletes who never reach their athletic potential, many gifted children who do not receive instruction commensurate with their cognitive abilities become bored with unchallenging school work. In many cases they feel socially isolated and uninspired to achieve. They drop out of school and drift aimlessly through life or they settle for existence without purpose. Such people often use their intellectual talent to survive with minimum effort.
Contrast
Those who are athletically gifted usually achieve high status among their peers. Their athletic ability brings glory to the school when they score a winning touchdown in football or a buzzer beater shot in the final minutes of a basketball game. Everyone in the school receives the reflected glory of their achievements. In short, it’s “cool” to demonstrate athletic prowess. Furthermore, their physicality adds some protection against becoming a victim of bullying. No one messes with the school wrestling champion.
Those with cognitive gifts learn easily and mastering the school curriculum presents little challenge. However, such people are more likely to face social challenges. Their intellectual advantages often render them different from the average in their interests and hence their ability to relate to others of average intelligence. Consequently, they become isolated, or bond with other students who are deemed “nerds.” They are perceived as “different” and are often the target of bullies. Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk were bullied during their elementary school years. On one occasion, Musk was thrown down a flight of stairs and his head was thrust against the pavement resulting in a loss of consciousness. A small scar on his nose reveals the rhinoplasty that restored his crushed cartilage.
So, the short answer to the question is: the intellectually gifted do not have to work as hard as others to master the school curriculum or workplace demands, but many gifted people work much harder than the average to achieve at a higher level. Of course, some will use their gifts to get through life with less effort. It’s a choice.
is: the intellectually gifted do not have to work as hard as others to master the school curriculum or workplace demands, but many gifted people work much harder than the average to achieve at a higher level. Of course, some will use their gifts to get through life with less effort. It’s a choice.
