In 1993, Swedish psychologist (心理学家) K. Anders Ericsson set out to find the secret to turning a typical teen into a violin master. His answer? Practice: 10,000 hours of it. The reporter and writer Malcolm Gladwell even described it as "the magic number of greatness" in his 2008 book Outliers.
The idea of "practice makes perfect" has been drilled (灌输) into the heads of youths since the Roman period. Anyone can be the next Albert Einstein, Kobe Bryant, or Taylor Swift as long as they can spend enough time doing the same thing. But can it be that simple? Not every expert agrees. While training is necessary to learning, spending much of your life trying something over and over doesn't mean you'll go professional, says Zach Hambrick, a psychologist at Michigan State University.
Being great isn't just about the quantity of work, he says, but also about the workers themselves. In reviewing different studies about the role of practice in music, games, sports, education, and professional success, Hambrick found that practicing time makes only about one-quarter of any noticeable (显而易见的) difference. Other reasons—like age, intelligence, and natural gifts—all played big roles in setting apart the better from the best.
Genes (基因) mainly shape physical abilities and our mind. Height might be necessary for a basketball star, and a good voice could help you take the lead in singing. And no practice will make you taller or able to hit notes across every octave (八度). Plenty of piano playing will not make your fingers grow longer.
Of course, this doesn't mean we should all give up practicing, Hamorick says. Nobody is a born dancer or singer. But perfection in 10,000 hours? That is not sure.
