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Sir Alupp Heynrguson
You obviously need practice to get good at something, but people are naturally more predisposed to certain activities, while some people will never be good at others.
10 - Lionel Messi - v3
- Thread starter Barcaman
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I've heard that before, but I'm not so sure... The obvious example is "You can't be a professional basketball player if you're born short!" But, then there's this guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggsy_Bogues
F
Flavia
Guest
Talent is innate. What you choose to do with is something else. Or anyone would be good at anything, by practicing. And messi, with 5 years old, spending countless hours training, up all night? For the love of god. He could just do it, without training. That's what talent is.
DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
That's about physical structure, which does play a factor certainly (disabilities, height, athleticism, etc.) but nowhere near as much as innate talent. Some people just have a natural tendency to learn things a certain way, approach the game with a specific style, any maneuver or play they make is instinctively good and comes off well. It's simply because of the way their mind is structured and how they are better not only in conscious decision-making but in processing things subconsciously. That's what "talent" really is in tangible terms. A kid with talent in a certain area such as football will have that natural cognitive function that gives them an advantage over the rest, (not to say that they are overall "smarter", just function better in the game).
The counterpart to that is the kid who works his ass off every day and can get a disciplined improvement in a certain skill area, but always faces the struggle against himself to do it as well as the talented kid. The people without talent often can't learn as quickly or as fluidly, make the wrong instinctive decisions in games that lead them to do badly, and ultimately can't play as clearly and as openly as the talented kid can. These are the ones who may seem great because they work so hard and build themselves up in one discipline, but when put under pressuring situations can't cope as well and show cracks in their abilities. Stuff like muscle memory, technique, mentality, fitness, and strategy can be taught. Things like unconscious reaction, instinct, and thought process are all naturally obtained. Those are the things that separate talent from mediocrity.
To put this into practical terms, the difference isn't always going to be on polar opposite ends as I described above. Levels of effort and talent vary in players all the time and often only differ by small things but ultimately those shape up success.
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Qonny
New member
Luftstalag14
Culé de Celestial Empire
I think as long as Leo remains healthy and injury-free, he can maintain his current level for a couple more years. I can't wait to see him roaring back and proving those naysayers wrong who claimed Messi is going downhill already.
Elite-BkD
New member
Attitude plays a much bigger role than 'talent'. All this about people being superior from the start is nonsense, Messi was a 5lb little shit when he was born who couldn't so much as hold his own head up, nevermind kick a ball around the way he does now.
This Newtonian conception of things has been exposed as nonsense since early 20th century or so, dunno why people still cling to it.
This Newtonian conception of things has been exposed as nonsense since early 20th century or so, dunno why people still cling to it.
DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
Your conception of talent is wrong in the first place, thus why you choose to mock it so dismissively. Talent isn't some magical entity bestowed onto a baby at birth that makes them superior without reason. It's just a natural predisposition to succeed at specific things based on the way they function cognitively. I don't see how that has anything to do with Messi being a "5 lb little shit when he was born"
KingMessi
SiempreBlaugrana
This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man. 
LeoGotSkillz
New member
If there is no such thing as talent we all would have pretty much equal chances to become world class football players (or pianists, mathematiciancs etc.) by practise alone.
So Sumo, if you had practised as much as Messi, would you be one on the Ballon Do'r list? I'm 100% sure I would not.
serghei
Senior Member
Talent is a sum of natural abilities. Does abilities, combined, make you suitable for something, a sport, an art, a job etc. But the thing is talent is just a predisposition to be great at something, not a certainty. One can have talent and waste it easily, if not taught the importance of hard work and determination. Messi's talent is very easy to spot. His style of play is exactly the same it was 16 years ago, when Leo was just a kid. You see, taking the ball and dribbling everyone is something he's always found easy to do. Others wonder how can he execute all those things, to him they are natural. That's what talent is about.
I think this pretty much sums it up.
I think this pretty much sums it up.
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darthvader7888
Banned
Stric
New member
If by talent you mean competency to do a certain work at a certain level, then of course talent isn't innate!! You're telling me little baby Messi was running around in diapers playing football (before he could walk)?..... as cute as that would be, I don't think so.
The only thing that builds talent is p r a c t i c e!
You see little Messi as a 5 year old doing amazing things.... but what you don't see is the countless hours he spent practising and playing to get that good, staying up all night playing with a ball, getting up early kicking a ball around... I'm sorry, but there's no other way to get good at anything!
You're so wrong it's pointless to discuss. Practice brings talent to a higher level, that's what I said, but it doesn't generate talent. You either have talent or you don't. That's something practice has nothing to do with. Your talent may be evident since birth or since age 5 or 15 or whatever, but it's there, without you doing anything to bring it into existence. Talent is innate, that's not even debatable. The level of performance you reach, of course, isn't innate. That's the result of talent and practice combined, and that's what you're actually referring to. Of course, raw talent without practice won't get you far (depending on what your discipline is), but practice without talent won't even get you started.
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