10,000 Hour Rule
Malcom Gladwell, in the book The Ten Thousand Hour Rule, suggests that there basically is no God-given talent, but rather if you practice the skill that you want to perfect for ten thousand hours that you will successfully master that skill. He explains how no person is born with a natural talent, but if they are there’s very little of that talent. Gladwell’s theory does not reflect my understanding of scripture. My understanding of Paul’s teachings in the New Testament is that everyone is born with some kind of spiritual or physical talent. I do believe that a talent can be improved by working, but there must be some talent on which to build. Just like a house, you can’t just say “Build yourself”, there must be a foundation (ability/talent). I don't believe practice makes perfect, but I do believe you can get better by practicing. Also, I don't think you can ever fully master a skill. You can be really good or amazing at what you do, but not perfect. If it is a learned skill, perfection is based on opinion. Everyone’s perspective of perfect is different. For example at a gymnastics competition all three judges at each event have different perspectives of what perfect is. In baseball, the umpire has to judge the pitch whether it is a strike or not. So the pitcher tries to meet the umpire’s perspective of a perfect pitch. We say “curiosity killed the cat”, but don't you think scientist are like cats with their curiosity? Wouldn’t you say that Louis Pasteur had an indwelling gift of curiosity when he found mold and researched to develop penicillin? What about Benjamin Franklin and the key on the kite, was he not curious? Do you think he planned for electricity to strike him? Was that something that occurred because he had flown kites with keys for ten thousand hours or was it curiosity? I would say that not everyone has a gift of curiosity, but those that did used it to their ability. A person who considers them self a perfectionist is not always perfect.