Talent vs. Tenacity

Over the years I have come across some of the most talented individuals with varying interests. Nascent talent, whether latent in an individual or at work conscientiously, is a gift many do not have. Indeed, I can recall the numerous conversations I’ve had with people who lamented their lack of talent – or those who basked in theirs. The spectrum is full of people who are truly all over. It really has been a benefit of mine to have met so many people born with natural, raw, unadulterated talent.

Still, there is another quality vying for the attention of many, longing to be noticed and upheld. In fact, some would argue it is often in direct proportion to the lack of talent a person has: the less talent someone has, the more of this quality they will have. Conversely, the argument says the more talent a person has, the less of this quality they possess. Tenacity is the quality we are talking about here, and it has its place, of that there can be no doubt. But what place is it? Where can it be found, what are the ramifications, and, as the title of this article suggests, which quality is better?

What is Talent

According to Lexico, the online dictionary powered by Oxford, Talent is “natural aptitude or skill.” That makes sense. Maybe we think of those who are good at sports. Perhaps we think of those who have some aptitude for mathematics. Could we reflect on those who are superb with music? In many ways, we value that talent, and one way we do this is to compare the abilities of someone with ourselves and think “That person is talented.” I think the point is made here, though: when we think of those with talent they are good at something.

What is Tenacity

Now, according to the same online dictionary, we find the definition of tenacity: “The quality or fact of being very determined; determination.” To be sure, we all know people with this quality as well. It’s seen from the student putting in more hours to simply squeak by in classes. It’s demonstrated in the musician who practices far more than most. We can observe it in those who devote themselves to a certain discipline with fervor. Most of the time, however, the people displaying this quality are making up for a lack of talent – a big point I want to bring out of this post.

What’s the difference between Talent vs. Tenacity

The two couldn’t be more different

To the untrained eye, the two might appear to be the same thing. After all, they do share some commonalities. Someone might confuse a person with a natural talent for another who is fueled by tenacity. When you see someone shredding a guitar, is that talent or tenacity? Excelling at their job: talent or tenacity? A student maintains academic excellence – is that talent or tenacity? What about some of the skilled tradesmen you’ve likely worked with over the years? Did you witness talent or tenacity?

Perhaps it’s both – talent AND tenacity. Recall the distribution of one is often in proportion to the other. So, perhaps a welder displays some talent for laying down good weld metal and then hones that talent with tenacity. With that displayed tenacity, he has now grown his talent past where it began. Can you make the connection, then? Can you see how quite possibly the two can be mistaken for one another? How one can augment the other? How they are often intertwined and interdependent?

Despite the above and the plethora of examples I could proffer up, the question (and title of this article) remains: which one is better?

Comparing The Two – Talent vs. Tenacity

Comparing the two allows us to get a more complete picture of just how different they are

This question, like so many others, is often dependent on several variables; the answer isn’t always black and white. Still, many would likely say talent is the better of the two. After all, it’s hard to improve on a photographic memory or add tenacity to some people’s nascent talent; it could perhaps be viewed as a waste of time.

For all the evidence people put forth that talent is the better of the two, there is one caveat to consider: talent often makes people lazy. There is an abundance of evidence to support this claim. I could point to studies (they are out there), or personal examples (we ALL have them), but I want to interject a little light humor in this discussion when I say we need to look no further than the iconic children’s book “The tortoise and the hare.” Yes, you read that right.

The Tortoise And The Hare In Talent vs. Tenacity

The hare is faster – but does that always mean better?

In case you aren’t familiar with the tale, the tortoise and the hare is one of Aesop’s fables, a collection of interesting stories. The tortoise and the hare are in a race against one another, and clearly one is more talented than the other. The hare, then, represents natural talent while the tortoise represents tenacity. The hare, enthralled with his superior talent, takes it for granted and lays down on the job – literally. The talented hare falls asleep, lulled there by the false confidence of his unmatched talent.

The tortoise, however, stayed the course and forged on. The tenacity he possessed was second to none as he continued on in discipline. By the time the hare woke up from his slumber, it was too late: the tortoise, fueled by tenacity, was too close to the finish line for the hare, fueled by natural talent, to win. The hare didn’t just get a piece of humble pie that day – he got the whole thing.

Which is better – Talent vs. Tenacity

Which one is found wanting?

A little light-hearted humor helps to drive home the point about talent: it often produces laziness. We’ve seen this time and time again. Ever seen a kid with musical talent not fully appreciate it or follow it up with discipline? I have. That talent is latent, waiting to be unleashed but all too often those with talent opt for laziness.

I’m left to conclude then that even though these two traits are apples and oranges, it’s better to have tenacity than talent. Nascent talent is a gift, but it often needs developing. Tenacity, which ushers in discipline, does the developing necessary to turn talent into a powerful instrument. These things don’t happen overnight either; in today’s society of instant gratification, we want what we want, and we want it now. That’s not how this works. While some have objections to the 10,000-hour rule, it certainly is true that anything worth doing is not only worth doing right but also taking the time to do it.

Tenacity the developer

Tenacity has massive potential

Do you know how many people want to write a book? According to this website, 81% of Americans have expressed interest. That is A LOT of people who have thought about writing a book – but almost all of them NEVER do it. Why? Some may say it is difficult to break out in the publishing world – and it is – but for most, that is a smoke screen argument. Instead, most NEVER write the book at all. That has nothing to do with access to publishing but the lack of tenacity to actually write.

People often look at a book as if it’s an elephant. It’s too big to deal with, and they get overwhelmed by the sheer size. How do you eat it, though? One bite at a time. Instead of looking at a book in its entirety imagine what would come about if you wrote ONE page a day – just one. After a year you would have 365 pages. What’s easier to imagine: writing a 365-page book or writing one page for 365 days? You already know the answer.

What’s more, the number of people who talk about wanting to start a blog/website is quite large, too. A quick Google search demonstrates a huge number of websites with articles on how to do it. While I’m sure the reasons are as many as those who say they’d like to start one, you can bet your bottom dollar many are driven by the possibility of making money. Get-rich-quick schemes rarely pay out dividends, though. You would be better off taking that energy and using it to develop natural talents instead.

Some examples

In another article I have, I detail some of the costs associated with this website – tangible and otherwise. After two and a half years, I have posted 41 articles, this post being number 42 – with probably an additional 25 articles in draft form. My average word count for posts is 2,830 – which is a lot. Still, it’s worth noting that it is only recently I have started to get any traction here AT ALL. For the longest time, I didn’t advertise this website; instead, I concentrated on writing substantive articles with depth and perspective. I don’t write/advertise/publish/promote as frequently as website gurus say you should, and I wanted to have some articles on here before I tried to drum up an audience. I like to write – always have – but it is tenacity that has stayed the course. Tenacity has kept many going when there is no inherent value perceived by others. Talent may start things off, but tenacity is what brings the fruit, the finish, and the success. It is tenacity we need more of, not talent. Tenacity hones the talent of people, taking the rough shapes many have and polishing it to perfection not often seen but wished for all the same.

Now that I have demonstrated tenacity and all of its perks, I’m left to wonder what others make of it. I did a quick Google search and found a ton of articles comparing the two. Naturally, each article has its own take and focus on it, and I’m no different. As the wealthy ironworker focuses on the skilled trades, there are things that should be highlighted. I know guys who have a talent for their respective trades, and they seem to relish it. I know so many who have “mechanical inclination” or are “mechanically inclined” – 20 years in the trades will have you meet all sorts of people. I observe this because of my own deficiency concerning mechanical inclination. I have been aware of my lack of talent in this field all my life, and it has been exacerbated working with people who are brimming with it.

I had a friend who once took apart his transmission, placed each part on a towel he had set out, replaced what was broken, and reassembled it – all by himself and without any previous experience – or a manual to guide him. Just a guy and his wits. I can assure you I lack the talent for that, but he sure didn’t. He augmented his natural talent with some tenacity to see it through and the result? A fixed transmission and an impressed friend.

Conclusion

So, where does that leave us? What do we say of talent vs. tenacity? How do we deal with the two, often vying for attention and affection?

If you have natural talent, be thankful for it because not everyone has it. But don’t stop there, either; forge that natural talent with tenacity to really bring out the true potential you have.

If you lack the talent you believe is in others, look to tenacity for help in developing yourself. Tenacity is the great equalizer, the superior quality, and the best-developing agent there is.

In short, tenacity > talent – and always will be.