Do extraordinary people create extraordinary times, or do extraordinary times create extraordinary people?
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aprilfifth wrote:
Do extraordinary people create extraordinary times, or do extraordinary times create extraordinary people?
I'm sure there have been extraordinary people during ordinary times, but I think extraordinary people can create extraordinary times. Sometimes nature creates extraordinary times too.
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There's a new book out called Outliers that basically says that great people only become that way if they are in a place where their talents and interests are nurtured. From the excerpts I read it was a really good point. So I would say that exceptional times play a great role in helping people to meet their potential.
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Orpheus wrote:
There's a new book out called Outliers that basically says that great people only become that way if they are in a place where their talents and interests are nurtured. From the excerpts I read it was a really good point. So I would say that exceptional times play a great role in helping people to meet their potential.
that's malcolm gladwell's book if i am not mistaken. he's written some other books (tipping point, blink) and i've read none but am interested in giving them a try.
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aprilfifth wrote:
Do extraordinary people create extraordinary times, or do extraordinary times create extraordinary people?
both.
Although I tend to think that extraordinary times are more likely to create extraordinary people more often than vice-versa. Something like people rise to the occasion more often than people influence the occasion to 'rise' to them...
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:15 pm Posts: 25452 Location: Under my wing like Sanford & Son Gender: Male
corduroy_blazer wrote:
Orpheus wrote:
There's a new book out called Outliers that basically says that great people only become that way if they are in a place where their talents and interests are nurtured. From the excerpts I read it was a really good point. So I would say that exceptional times play a great role in helping people to meet their potential.
that's malcolm gladwell's book if i am not mistaken. he's written some other books (tipping point, blink) and i've read none but am interested in giving them a try.
Yeah I read an interview with him about it as well, seemed like a really smart guy.
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Orpheus wrote:
corduroy_blazer wrote:
Orpheus wrote:
There's a new book out called Outliers that basically says that great people only become that way if they are in a place where their talents and interests are nurtured. From the excerpts I read it was a really good point. So I would say that exceptional times play a great role in helping people to meet their potential.
that's malcolm gladwell's book if i am not mistaken. he's written some other books (tipping point, blink) and i've read none but am interested in giving them a try.
Yeah I read an interview with him about it as well, seemed like a really smart guy.
blink is really repetitive and simple. but all the little stories he has to drive the one idea in the book home are cool.
this debate seems similar to the nature or nurture debate. clearly the answer is there is no or. its all a spectrum with varying degrees in between it. some people are born and can play the piano at 6, others jump off of buildings and grab on to a piece of a helicopter and shoots a gun at some terrorist saving the day. the person born to play the piano was extraordinary, then he or she lived in a time where there were pianos. the other guy may have been ordinary, but he had wind in his favor, he lived in a time where grabbing on to helicopters was a cool thing to do, and he had enemies to vanquish. that guy had to deal with a much more circumstantial situation which would say the times, but he also had the balls to jump off of a building and grab a helicopter, which i would label extraordinary. basically i just wasted my time talking about how this discussion is a waste of time so i'll stop now.
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