How to Build an Expert Mindset Using Deliberate Practice
What science tells us about expertise
Psychologists, cognitive scientists, and AI researchers have for decades grappled with answering: what does it mean to be an expert, and how does someone become one?
To theorize about human ability, science must consider whether expertise is acquired as a result of nature or nurture. Are you born with the capacity to be one of the best, or can you achieve greatness with the right training?
This debate is as old as philosophy itself, with Plato favoring nature, and Aristotle leaning towards nurture.
However, as with all decisions that initially appear to be binary, the argument is usually considerably more nuanced.
Innate talent versus deliberate practice — a difference in timing?
The real difference between innate ability and deliberate practice is the former happens over many generations, while the latter during just one.
To understand what it means to become an expert, we must define deliberate practice and debunk some of…
