Quote:
Originally Posted by EGarrett
Define genius, as you're using it.
I think HunterX should define it as he's using it. He said you can train someone to be a genius. I don't see how Mr. Polgar "proved" this because his daughters are good at chess.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HunterX
He basically forced them to study chess all day since they could talk though.
From Wiki:
"[Polgar sisters]...were part of an educational experiment carried out by their father László Polgár, in an attempt to prove that children could make exceptional achievements if trained in a specialist subject from a very early age.[5] "Geniuses are made, not born", was László's thesis."
I agree that (some) children can make exceptional achievements if trained in (some specific) subject from an early age.
Completely disagree that geniuses are made, not born. Nature has way more to do with who is a genius and who is not than does nurture. And I could argue that the sisters' desire and wont to learn and get better at chess was "born", though brought to light by a forceful parent.
Finally, I still don't see how he "proved" anything. Because there may be another family named the Raglops somewhere that underwent the same experiment and failed miserably and were never heard from again. Probably because the brains of those children were not strong enough or wired toward the activity.
The Gladwell 10,000 hours theory has a lot of merit, though, obviously. But probably >90% of the world could put in 10,000 hours of chess study (or, infinite hours) and never come close to becoming a Grandmaster. Nature > nurture