100 Pounds of Dynamite

I was pointed to The Expert Mind by Kathy Sierra over at Creating Passionate Users. The article discusses the idea of ‘being an expert’ and where that expertise comes from. The authors argue that expertise is learned and that, wrongly, we all too often ascribe expertise to some kind of innate talent.

As I see it, its really a hopeful argument. Its hopeful to think that there is more to excelling than simply innate talent. It doesn’t however offer any easy answer, but does corroborate what seems to be, more or less, common sense.

Ericsson argues that what matters is not experience per se but “effortful study,” which entails continually tackling challenges that lie just beyond one’s competence. That is why it is possible for enthusiasts to spend tens of thousands of hours playing chess or golf or a musical instrument without ever advancing beyond the amateur level and why a properly trained student can overtake them in a relatively short time. It is interesting to note that time spent playing chess, even in tournaments, appears to contribute less than such study to a player’s progress; the main training value of such games is to point up weaknesses for future study.

“Effortful Study” … I especially like the notion of “tackling challenges that lie just beyond one’s competence.”

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