The Editor's View

Are Gifts and Talents Innate?

Volume 6 / Issue 1 / Fall 2005

Are gifts and talents innate? Are geniuses born or made? Nature or nurture? These are questions that educators, psychologists, and philosophers have pondered for years. The consensus in the gifted field seems to be that while talents can be developed, some individuals are born with an unusual capacity to master certain areas.

In the movie Good Will Hunting, a mathematics professor at MIT has worked for his entire career toward proving some complex mathematical theorems. In a matter of minutes, a young man with no formal mathematical training solves the equations that the professor cannot. “I can’t do that proof,” the professor acknowledges, “and you can. And when it comes to this, there are only 20 people in the world that can tell the difference between you and me. But I’m one of them.” So while talents can be developed with dedication, practice, and perseverance, for some individuals mastery appears effortless.

However, other individuals with magnificent gifts may never be exposed to the areas in which they would excel. How many musical geniuses like Mozart lie dormant? Has society ever lost the great discovery that some unknown Marie Curie would have made? The search for talent is crucial, and the potential benefits to the world are limitless.

But finding talent is not enough. Providing an environment for it to grow in is imperative, not only for society’s sake but for that of the individuals who possess it. Given the chance, they will thrive among others with similar abilities, challenge and stretch themselves and their intellectual peers, and relish the company of those who truly understand and appreciate their complex thoughts.

Other Will Huntings are among us. We must become more proficient in identifying them and cultivating their extraordinary talent.
—Kristen R. Stephens, PhD