Is everyone special in their own way?

[sans culottes]

Growing up, I'm sure we've all been told how everyone's good at something. But is this really true? Is there really no such thing as someone who is terrible at everything?

I question this because this ideal does not seem to apply to me. My whole life, just like anyone else, I've been looking for the thing I'm great at. I'm ugly, weak, and unathletic, which already kills plenty of potentials. Usually, people who are ugly, weak, and athletic are supposed to be intelligent. I've got a B-average in school and barely pass through a lot of academic subjects. Okay, so what if I'm supposed to be artistic? Tried visual art, didn't work, tried music, and I'm naturally untalented, and though a lot of people think I'm a funny guy, my attempts at comedy have been extremly half-assed. I think about things too much and I'm terrible at making decisions. I haven't found one single thing about myself that makes me special.

Every day that I'm in school, I feel disappointed and depressed by this. Not only do academics make me feel stupid, but I'm also reminded of my inability to honestly express feelings and my social inadequecy. Is it really true that no matter how awful you may seem, you have one extraordinary quality? Is it true that we all belong somewhere? I highly doubt it.

[YPrrrr]

Well I sort of think people are primarily a product of their environment, so no, I don't think everyone has some innate ability they're supposed to be good at...

[rdl]

Getting Bs in school isn't bad, asshole.

[Hiro]

I don't believe so, but does it truly matter? Everyone at least has one good quality, but that doesn't mean they're the very best at it or that It's even a talent. There's too many people in this world for everyone to be special, sorry. Just gotta do what you like and what makes you happy

[Hiro]

I think the only thing truly special and unique in a person is the experiences in their life. but at the same time, everyone's more or less equal. You just need to learn to be okay with that and just live a happy life

[Boogus Epirus Aurelius]

I dont think everyone is born with some particular talent.
Obviously some are. I used to go to high school with a virtuoso who could naturally play violin since he could pick it up.
You find a niche I guess, and try to surround yourself with people who feel a similar way.

I guess in my own right, I can become moderately good at a number of things, but that takes an incredible amount of time, practice, effort, and frustration.

[sans culottes]

Getting Bs in school isn't bad, asshole.

I forgot my GPA but it's probably averaging between 80 and 85. In my class of around 350 students, I'm about 150th. This is not something colleges would get excited about.

You find a niche I guess, and try to surround yourself with people who feel a similar way.

That's the thing - finding a niche. Even if you lack talent or extraordinary skill, you find your role in society. Even if you're poor and uneducated, strength, endurance, and a good work ethic can make you a great worker. But what if you don't fit in any role? I really don't see myself having any function in society. I could definitely go to college and get a job that I'm awful at doing, and I'd contribute nothing to society. It seems as if everyone should have a purpose, but I feel like a leech. I'm not sure if it is true that everyone has a purpose or role in the world.

[the shortest route to the sea]

Part of it is what you start with when you're young. Some people bloom later. Some people really define themselves later. In my mind, it's all about figuring out what you want to do and doing it, and I think that everyone can get there. It doesn't mean that you'll be recognized by society for having a talent, but that doesn't validate you as a person. Doing what you love, being true to your own thoughts and heart is a beautiful thing that, in the end, no one can ever take away you for, or bring you down for.

And you're still young! Haruki Murakami talks about talent like water. Sometimes you are born and you have an entire river to yourself, and it lasts your whole life. Some are born with nothing and get nothing, dry to the day they die. Some river's stop, some beds become rivers. And if you dig deep enough into the river, you may find an underground river, a place you never expected. It starts and stops, it's esoterically removed from how you'd like it to work, but there's always deeper to dig, water to find.

Talent or not, though, it's all about digging.

And dancing, which is a much better metaphor on his part.

Haruki Murakami novels are very good for people maturing, actually. On the whole. Highly recommended.

[Boogus Epirus Aurelius]

That's the thing - finding a niche. Even if you lack talent or extraordinary skill, you find your role in society. Even if you're poor and uneducated, strength, endurance, and a good work ethic can make you a great worker. But what if you don't fit in any role? I really don't see myself having any function in society. I could definitely go to college and get a job that I'm awful at doing, and I'd contribute nothing to society. It seems as if everyone should have a purpose, but I feel like a leech. I'm not sure if it is true that everyone has a purpose or role in the world.

I can remember back in eighth grade, I know it was before freshman year, we actually started doing preliminary career skills tests and shit and that made me terrified.
There's so much emphasis on finding the right college and the right career path.
I'm two years into college and I'm still not completely sure of where I'm headed.

[The Speaker Of Words]

I recently read something saying it 10,000 hours of practice to be an expert at something. So no, I don't believe most people are born with natural talent. You just have to try to stick with something and do it for a long time, really.

So, trying things out to see if you're good at them isn't a good idea. Try things to see if you like them.

[rdl]

I don't really believe in natural talents. People told me I was a natural at music. I tried and I sucked, and it's taken me a few months to be able to do what most people probably could've done their first time with any mixing program. Then people told me I was a natural at math. That's probably because of how much I liked to do extra math poblems as a kid. People say my siste is a po at dawing. but that's only because she drew more often than most kids when she was younge.

see what im getting at? it's all elated to pactice. the moe you do it the better you get at it. some people may be more inclined towads one subject than another person, but that just means that it might end up being easier for them to become better at it. it doesnt mean that they were just bon being pros. also my "r" key isnt woking so well right now so dont make fun of me ok?

also if youre looking for someone who is pretty much terrible at everything i think i might be your man

[snorkel]

Some people definitely have more general aptitude than others, which makes it easier for them to learn things and thereby succeed or produce impressive things or whatever. I believe there are completely "average" people.

There are intangible talents that some people possess, though, but not nearly to the extent that society likes us to think. For instance, the idea that "being really good at anything takes unlimited dedication" is not a fact. For many people that is true, but the degree to which they have to dedicate themselves is just the inverse of the degree to which they're able to comprehend things and be competent (ie, the smarter you are, the more stuff you can do and the better you can do it). For a select few others, their "special" shit flows naturally without work, regardless of a typical definition of intelligence (sports legends, amazing artists, scientists who figure shit out like elementary forces of the universe...)

so, no, everyone is not necessarily special in their own way.

[j o e i n c]

dude, all you need to do is grind one of your skills to get XP, so you can level up

[Houdini]

You can tell yourself you're naturally untalented, but the truth is that the percentage of people who are naturally talented at certain things is really, really, really fucking small. Most people suck badly at whatever they do when they first start out. It takes years to really develop a talent to the point where you're happy with it.