The Problems with Deliberate Practice (2020)
I think there&#x27;s obviously a confluence of nature and nurture which is going to lead to the final outcome in terms of skill attainment.<p>I think the extent to which genetics varies probably varies a lot depending on the domain.  For instance, something like long-distance running depends <i>a lot</i> on physics and biology: how efficient you can be at moving your body through space depends a lot on how tall you are, how long your limbs are, and things like the width of your pelvis.  You will still need a lot of practice to reach your full potential, but what level you reach, and how fast you reach it will be heavily influenced by genetic factors.<p>However, that being said, practice is still absolutely magic.  In the spirit of the 80&#x2F;20 rule, it&#x27;s amazing how much a little bit of deliberate practice can improve an untrained skill.  Especially when developing a skill from absolute zero, a few weeks of deliberate practice can often take me from the realm of absolute failure, to the point where I can actually enjoy practicing it.<p>I&#x27;ve also sometimes reflected on the fact that skill attainment through practice seems more difficult as one gets older.  I think this is almost certainly true to some extent, as neuroplasticity is real, and for instance a 40 year old will never have as easy a time learning a language as a 5 year old.  However I think it&#x27;s also a bit overstated.<p>When you are a kid, <i>every</i> thing you are learning is relatively new, so when practicing a new skill you have a more uniform point of comparison in terms of how fast you learn things.  As an adult, you have certain skills you might have been practicing daily for 20 years and have completely mastered.  So when you sit down and manage to play Für Elise for the first time at a piano it seems absolutely rudimentary in comparison, even if you are making real progress, which can be demoralizing.<p>There&#x27;s also the factor that adults tend to be more subconscious about failing in public.  We&#x27;ve spent years learning how to avoid situations where we look bad, or can&#x27;t do what we set out to do, unlike kids who aren&#x27;t expected to be able to do much.  It&#x27;s an approach which is really self-defeating if your goal is to actually learn something new.