Are people born with a natural ability to do certain things really well? e.g maths

If someone is really bad at maths through hard work would they be able to achieve an A at a-level or is maths only for those that have the natural ability?

Is it possible to become excellent at something if you don't have the natural ability?

Because in our society a lot of people assume that people are born intelligent which I think is true, but if your not born intelligent and you don't have the natural ability to study maths or sciences is it the end? You can't get into a STEM degree so you will be most likely unemployed.

So what do you guys think?

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Reply 1

Glib

Question 1) Someone who works hard will certainly achieve a good grade in A level maths.
Question 2) Yes

Hard Work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard

Reply 2

two cities

I personally believe that there are different beliefs on how intelligence can be expressed. I wasn't always the most able in my class until this year, when I began to believe in myself. There are an array of factors as to how performs in a subject but yet again, some may rebuke this answer.

Reply 3

username2452153

Original post by sweetiemelx

No, people are not born with natural ability to do really well at maths.

Certain mindset allows people to outperform others at maths.

Reply 4

z33

People who are not born intelligent can still be just as successful, if not more successful, than people who are born intelligent by working their arse off.

They may not be intelligent but they might have a lot of motivation and drive and may be very hardworking and focused so there's no reason why they couldn't be super successful.

Where as if you had a naturally very intelligent person and they were lazy as **** they obviously wouldn't achieve half the stuff the hard working individual would.

So its not about how naturally intelligent you are, it's about how hard you work. Yeah sure naturally intelligent people work less for the same grade but that doesn't change much really.

Reply 5

PossiblyNotGod

Being hard working is a talent in its own right.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

the bear

maths ability is definitely genetic. by working hard you can pass school exams without natural ability, but to progress further is very difficult.

Reply 7

xylas

Original post by sweetiemelx

If someone is really bad at maths through hard work would they be able to achieve an A at a-level or is maths only for those that have the natural ability?

Yes absolutely. Everyone starts off bad.

Is it possible to become excellent at something if you don't have the natural ability?

There is no such thing as natural ability.

Because in our society a lot of people assume that people are born intelligent which I think is true, but if your not born intelligent and you don't have the natural ability to study maths or sciences is it the end? You can't get into a STEM degree so you will be most likely unemployed.

It is completely false and meaningless to think that people are born intelligent. There is only desire, if you don't want to be good at something then you won't. No-one starts off good.

So what do you guys think?

If you want something, put in enough work and you will get it. Simple as that.

answers in bold ^

Reply 8

Zacken

FWIW, Maths at A-Level isn't really maths per se, it's just a bunch of crap you can half-ass and get an easy A* - whether or not you're good at maths, let alone whether or not you have an innate ability for it.

Reply 9

sweetiemelx

Original post by the bear

maths ability is definitely genetic. by working hard you can pass school exams without natural ability, but to progress further is very difficult.

so if you don't have the genetics but you still work really hard would it be difficult to do a STEM degree. Is it even possible?

Reply 10

the bear

Original post by sweetiemelx

so if you don't have the genetics but you still work really hard would it be difficult to do a STEM degree. Is it even possible?

it would be very hard. but worthwhile. *

Reply 11

SheldorOfAzeroth

Of course everyone is born with different set of natural abilities!

And yes everyone can do maths with varying levels of effort. But why not stick to what you ARE naturally good at? You might draw more joy/ fulfilment from it. I would question your motivation to do maths at A-Level/ degree level before jumping into it.

Reply 12

Chief Wiggum

I think innate ability is hugely important. Although you can't change that, so I guess it's always worth trying as hard as you can, since that is something you have control over.

Reply 13

InvestmentBankin

Some of it is inherited but the vast majority of it develops at various stages of cognitive development in the early childhood: 3-5 years old in particular and at several stages of growing up. There are a lot of studies on this. Even then, if you have a developed a particular ability for something but do not utilise it through the hard work it can as well be wasted. So hard work is crucial as there are countless of examples of people born with the same ability who took a radically different paths of cognitive development, or people with a similar level of development to adolescence (i.e. similar GCSE grades) with different work ethics later in life. The vast majority of it is shaped not by genetics but by socio-economics.

Reply 14

Whomp

Original post by sweetiemelx

Yes it is possible but you must really have the commitment and drive. Just as a separate example: I play the piano. In 9 years of playing the piano I have gained a grade 5 ABRSM recognition, At the same time I know someone two years younger than me who in 5 years has achieved grade 5 piano AND grade 8 violin! Yes, some people have talent others of us have to work very hard to even begin to replicate that talent.
So if you feel that you have the drive to do A-level maths even with no talent, you can still get an A in it. I would recommend as much as 5 hours a week practising or revising it though, even natural mathematicians struggle at a little at A-level.

Reply 15

xylas

Original post by melissadh

I personally believe that there are different beliefs on how intelligence can be expressed.

lol that's not an opinion but a fact

Original post by the bear

maths ability is definitely genetic. by working hard you can pass school exams without natural ability, but to progress further is very difficult.

Absolutely not. You can progress as far as you like if you put in the work. No-one is born already good at maths, you have to want it. Natural ability doesn't exist.

Original post by tangotangopapa2

No, people are not born with natural ability to do really well at maths.

Certain mindset allows people to outperform others at maths.

Hit the nail on the head.

Reply 16

jamestg

Original post by sweetiemelx

For maths, hard work IMO. I was second bottom set in primary school, got an A* at GCSE, should have a decent A at AS and predicted an A* at A-level.

I just worked at it, simple as that!

Reply 17

DanielleT192

Some people will be naturally more competent at a certain subject (having a more art mind or logical mind), however it doesn't mean that you can't develop into being good at something.

That's why you need to work hard to get to where you want to get to and I personally believe most people are capable of achieving that.*

Reply 18

username2230787

I think art is something you either have or haven't got. I think you can only teach it to an extent but you need to have a type of brain which can interpret objects into drawable shapes etc.
I have basically been doing art all my life ever since nursery (yeh ik that isnt art but i was making stuff and learning how to make etc) so I have had a lot of practise so it is kind of nature and nurture if you will, as in I have a sort of '3D brain' but that alone isnt good enough, you have to practise pretty much everyday for years :smile:

as for maths idk, i did so much maths for GCSE because i found it hard so in the end I got quite good at doing certain types of questions but i would not have had any mathematical ability when it came to application, I think some people just have that 'mathsy' brain and similarly to art practise it a lot so build on that inate mindset :smile:

Reply 19