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Achieving the Impossible: on genius, chess and more (30sleeps.com)
34 points by hhm on Nov 13, 2007 | hide | past | favorite | 6 comments



All that buildup for some Tony Robbins flapdoodle? Here's a classic article touching on similar topics:

"Before he was two years old, it is said, Wayne Gretzky watched hockey games on television, enraptured, and slid his stockinged feet on the linoleum in imitation of the players, then cried when the game was over, because he could not understand how something so sublime should have to come to an end. This was long before Gretzky was any good at the game itself, or was skilled in any of its aspects[...] But what he had was what the physical genius must have before any of the other layers of expertise fall into place: he had stumbled onto the one thing that, on some profound aesthetic level, made him happy."

-- From The Physical Genius, by Malcolm Gladwell: http://www.gladwell.com/1999/1999_08_02_a_genius.htm


wow ! that (Gladwell's article) was inspiring! Thank Zach!


Of course! Say, if you have the time, watch his recent video on the changing face of genius:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/conference/2007/gladwe...

I think it has something to say about living near a startup hub, why the great hackers of the past are different than the ones of the present, and maybe even the future of tech startups.


That was a great read zach, thanks.


I read Tony Robbin's book(s) and frankly I think he doesn't know too much about the science part of things he talks about. Nevertheless, even dubious reinforcement can be helpful. I kind of needed it, so thanks.


Good things come to those who wait. Great things come to those who don't.

Great things come to those who don't screw around with games.




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