Unfulfilled potential / Wasted talent

Mutt

Mutt

Mutt

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Have you or anyone you know got a gift that's not being used to it's full extent?

Being brutally honest with myself, I've only ever reached the heights of mediocre to good at whatever I do but nothing beyond that. Friends and family would think I was the best thing since sliced bread but I'd know myself I was only competent, at best.

Between the ages of 12-17 I trained four times a week for my main event, which was the 800m (athletics) and eventually achieved what I considered a good time. A friend of mine decided to join me in a training session, with a view to losing weight. To cut a long story short ... at the end of the training session we had a race over 400m. He left me standing. The guy was 16st and flabby but had a natural ability which I could never match, despite all the training. I'm sure that if he'd concentrated on the sport instead of food he could have gone on to great things.

That's it really. Do you know anyone with an exceptional natural ability? (Fapping is excluded).
 
I know a lot of really smart people, a guy who is good at all sports ever (which is very frustrating if you're teaching him something new and he's better than you immediately) and a guy who can play any instrument.

I did the 400m at school, and I wasn't a slender chap. Anything less than 800m is about size and power, and some ability, being big isn't really a disadvantage, as long as you're not too big. I bet after the race you recovered better than him. If you're including body shape and build in "ability", then yeah, sounds like he was right for it.

You still in touch with the guy?
 
I did recover faster because I had the stamina due to my training but he had the natural speed. Had he have trained for 800m I'm sure he would have easily been better than me at that as well.

He died in a car crash on his way to work a few years back. Lovely chap he was and I miss him ... despite him beating me at my own game!
 
I'm a naturally talented programmer and not putting it to any real use other than some stuff for my own amusement. (As in I doubt it would be boasting to say my abilities probably exceed if you combined the abilities of 99% of the people on these forums) - comes along with borderline autism spectrum tho which kind of makes things a bit difficult in terms of putting it to use on the career side.
 
Rroff, do you mean you wouldn't be able to interact and engage with people because of the borderline autism? Is that even necessary considering the talent you have and the fact you never really need to meet anyone face to face when you can send your work to them via email, etc?
 
Mutt said:
Rroff, do you mean you wouldn't be able to interact and engage with people because of the borderline autism? Is that even necessary considering the talent you have and the fact you never really need to meet anyone face to face when you can send your work to them via email, etc?
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Social interaction is something I have problems with, its not something I shy away from, etc. tho just more than is normal I struggle to follow someone else train of thought and vice versa they can't really follow what I'm getting at a lot of the time. Not something that really bothers me but does mean that career wise I'm not really living upto my potential by a long shot.
 
I changed my career and effectively my entire life to pursue something I appear to have a natural aptitude for, at least that is what the two very knowledgeable people who convinced me to make the change thought. In the almost two years now since I made that decision (which wasn't easy and professionally was a significant risk) I have found I am happier both professionally and personally. It just seems to be a natural fit for me.
 
I was always good at anything under 400m.
Was incredibly unfit, no stamina at all and packing some extra weight but could keep up with the best somehow!
 
Everyone says I should have been a musician or an artist.

[FnG]magnolia;24826062 said:
The better question is 'why are you wasting your talent?'
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Sometimes what you are good at is not what you enjoy and even if it sometimes the act of turning it into a career removes that enjoyment. There are things that I really enjoy and am good at that I wouldn't want destroyed by the pressure of 'having' to perform.
 
elmarko said:
Sometimes what you are naturally good at doesn't match what you love.
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Xordium said:
Everyone says I should have been a musician or an artist.

Sometimes what you are good at is not what you enjoy and even if it sometimes the act of turning it into a career removes that enjoyment. There are things that I really enjoy and am good at that I wouldn't want destroyed by the pressure of 'having' to perform.
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Oh, I know the answer. I just thought it's a more direct question than the OP's "Do you know anyone who isn't using all their potential?"

We all do. The 'why' is always more interesting.
 
Xordium said:
Everyone says I should have been a musician or an artist.

Sometimes what you are good at is not what you enjoy and even if it sometimes the act of turning it into a career removes that enjoyment. There are things that I really enjoy and am good at that I wouldn't want destroyed by the pressure of 'having' to perform.
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I can relate.

I enjoy music & art, but if I'd enjoy doing them for money is another matter I'm not sure of - the pressure of having to be creative by a deadline may remove the enjoyment obtained.

I don't lose any joy by doing predictive modelling as a job, as it's not like I'm going to spoil the "fun" of doing it at home :D.
 
Without sounding like a self absorbed douche, over the years I have excelled in most things I've tryed my hand at, and have had potential to go very far.
Unfortunately my biggest weakness in life is that, I don't have the patience or discipline to stick with things long enough to realise this potential, I'm restless, I am always looking for something new and exciting, the next challenge.
So through the years be it career-wise, hobby or whatever, when I start to get really good at something I lose interest, I don't know whether its because it loses its challenge or what but its something I've just accepted in life.

I always hope I will come across something in life that will hold my interest for long enough to make something of it.
 
I think the best anyone can do is fulfil their potential, and I know a few people who have fallen well short...

The reasons why I imagine are many and complex, but that's life...

I especially remember a chap who could pick up any racket - tennis, squash, table tennis badminton and play competitively. However, he put no effort into things and was grossly overweigh so he never got as far in any sport as he could have done.

Academically, one of the smartest people I know had absolutely no interest in school and is doing a pretty ordinary, low skilled job. Whereas if he had applied himself I've no doubt that he could have gotten a good degree in any subject without too much effort....
 
steve45 said:
Without sounding like a self absorbed douche, over the years I have excelled in most things I've tryed my hand at, and have had potential to go very far.
Unfortunately my biggest weakness in life is that, I don't have the patience or discipline to stick with things long enough to realise this potential, I'm restless, I am always looking for something new and exciting, the next challenge.
So through the years be it career-wise, hobby or whatever, when I start to get really good at something I lose interest, I don't know whether its because it loses its challenge or what but its something I've just accepted in life.

I always hope I will come across something in life that will hold my interest for long enough to make something of it.
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I'm like that, once I perfect something i'm like "I've reached the 'end game', this is not exciting anymore"
 
think people who can adapt to things quickly and master whatever they doing don't stick at one thing long and become tired then move on.

at end of day it comes down to what kind of person you are and what you want yourself.

some people want to be famous , some want money some want the women :p

as long as you happy yourself that's all that matters
 
Do you count people who are "smart" and "idiot" at the same time? In one of my old jobs, we had a CAD guy who drew up some absolutely stunning designs, to the point that he impressed his other CAD peers. Yet it was the same person who would turn his PC off by holding in the power button, only because Windows wasn't shutting down. Then that was because Windows was installing a service pack at the time. His action rendered Windows unbootable and we had to re-image his PC :rolleyes: Luckily for him, his drawings were saved on a shared drive.
 
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