Are geniuses made or born?

Have you ever looked at someone at the very top of their game, whether in sport, music or business and thought that they were so naturally gifted that they must be some sort of genius?

Consider this: a Hungarian chess teacher, Laszlo Pulgar, challenged that theory with his own human experiment. He aimed to demonstrate that children could achieve exceptional outcomes if trained in a specific skill from a young age. He believed that geniuses are made, not born.

Laszlo had three daughters, all homeschooled, and he particularly emphasised chess. He believed that his daughters should compete against men and opposed the concept of them participating in female-only events.

1 – His first daughter, Susan, became the top-ranked woman in the world at the age of 15 and remained in the top three for the next 23 years! In addition to achieving American Grandmaster status, she was the first woman in history to qualify for a Men’s World Championship.

2 – His 2nd daughter, Sofia, beat several Grandmasters at 14 and won Olympic golds in 1990 and 1994.

3 – His youngest daughter, Judit, is credited with being the greatest female chess player ever. At the age of 15 years and 4 months, she earned the title of Grandmaster, the youngest player to do so. She is also the only woman to have won a game against a reigning men’s world #1 ranked player.

Three geniuses in the same family? Or does this show that remarkable achievements follow if you start very young, remain consistent, and train at doing the right things in the right environment for long enough?

I’m not advocating living and breathing one discipline. Still, Laszlo’s experiment was startling and serves as a testament to his methods and beliefs about talent development through systematic training and motivation.

I’m sorry if you wanted a miracle message. Instead, for us mere mortals, summon your inner Laszlo and revel in the proof that you don’t have to be a genius to achieve significant improvements. However, just like a Boomerang, it always comes back to you!

#MaximiseYourPotential #personalgrowth #growthmindset #careergoals #Boomerang