Does Talent Guarantee Success?
Does Talent Guarantee Success?
Can talent guarantee the success of an individual? Is intelligence (IQ) the most important thing to consider in terms of a person's good performance?
I believe that, like me, you know virtuous people with great talents who are worthy of admiration in areas such as sports, music, art, and sciences. Many of these people have shared their "secret" or "formula" for success. Although socially there is a certain degree of mystery regarding success, we can observe some common variables in people who achieve their goals.
Several authors have linked variables such as passion, self-control, emotional intelligence and commitment to good performance (Barriopedro, Quintana, & Ruiz, 2018). Angela Duckworth (2013) developed the concept of GRIT, which transcends intelligence quotient (IQ) and measures performance based on passion and perseverance to achieve established goals.
To achieve GRIT a combination of both is needed. Passion is the direction towards which we move and invest our effort, related to motivation. Perseverance is the tenacity with which we work and the constancy of behavior to achieve the desired ends. If we have passion without perseverance, the result will be to visualize a dream without materializing. If we have perseverance without passion, we will work hard without clear direction and without purpose.
This concept is reflected in current psychological discourse, but was also previously presented in biblical-theological discourse. In Philippians 3:13-14 it says: “Brothers, I do not claim to have already attained it myself; But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” This biblical text interprets life as a race that is carried out with passion (the goal) and perseverance (discipline and effort).
The apostle Paul uses a metaphor to compare life to a race, drawing inspiration from the Isthmian and Olympic games of ancient Greece. Some thought they had already achieved everything in terms of spirituality and knowledge, but Paul emphasizes the importance of focusing on the goal, not on the past. The goal represents Christ as the highest and most transcendent standard.
Seeing life as a race helps us understand that it is a marathon, not a sprint. In a society that values immediacy, it is crucial to have precision and consistency in all proposed activities and goals.
I think the apostle Paul describes the formula in the following way: passion is Jesus Christ and perseverance is faith put into action. "Forgetting what is left behind" implies not becoming satisfied or defeated by what has already been achieved, but constantly striving for the goal through faith in Jesus Christ.
References:
Barriopedro, M., Quintana, I. & Ruiz, L. (2018). Perseverance and passion in achieving goals: Spanish validation of the Duckworth Grit Scale. International Journal of Sports Sciences, 54 , 297-308.
Duckworth, A. (2013). Grit: the power of passion and perseverance . Scribner.
Reina Valera, 1960, Philippians 3;13-14.