> This is a scientific question, to the extent it can be answered and we should probably be unsatisfied with what appears to be obvious.
That seems absolutely fair enough :-)
> The research, as I understand it, just doesn't bear out your observation.
The question is, does it contradict it, or does it just say nothing about it?
If the research suggests that all people have essentially the same level of ability to learn all tasks (given enough application), I'd be surprised. We know for a fact, for example, that IQ is quite highly heritable. Whatever you think about IQ as a means for measuring 'intelligence', that certainly suggests a genetic difference in the way people's brains work. That could at a minimum affect people's ability to quickly pick up (and thus enjoy enough to keep going with) new tasks, and at a maximum affect their ability to perform the task at all.
Now, obviously I don't know for sure the answer to these questions :-). The little research I've read in the past suggests that IQ is correlated with a base ability to perform a given task at all, but once you have that base level practise/application becomes the most important factor.
With respect to sticking with something, if natural talent isn't a thing that exists, inherent desire to stick with something becomes the new natural talent - after all, if someone finds programming fascinating it's always going to be vastly easier/more likely for them to put in their 10,000 hours than someone who has no such inclination.
That seems absolutely fair enough :-)
> The research, as I understand it, just doesn't bear out your observation.
The question is, does it contradict it, or does it just say nothing about it?
If the research suggests that all people have essentially the same level of ability to learn all tasks (given enough application), I'd be surprised. We know for a fact, for example, that IQ is quite highly heritable. Whatever you think about IQ as a means for measuring 'intelligence', that certainly suggests a genetic difference in the way people's brains work. That could at a minimum affect people's ability to quickly pick up (and thus enjoy enough to keep going with) new tasks, and at a maximum affect their ability to perform the task at all.
Now, obviously I don't know for sure the answer to these questions :-). The little research I've read in the past suggests that IQ is correlated with a base ability to perform a given task at all, but once you have that base level practise/application becomes the most important factor.
With respect to sticking with something, if natural talent isn't a thing that exists, inherent desire to stick with something becomes the new natural talent - after all, if someone finds programming fascinating it's always going to be vastly easier/more likely for them to put in their 10,000 hours than someone who has no such inclination.