Has it ever happened to you that, after listening to some emotionally rich speech, watching some inspiring video, film or reading some motivational statement, you, on the one hand, light up, gain energy, but on the other hand, you are disappointed in that that half of your life has gone to waste? That you could have already accomplished a lot, but some unnecessary abstract things did not allow you to realize yourself... And then the thought comes about the lack of talent or its omission.
In fact, debates about whether any potential is inherent in a person from birth, whether everyone is talented or whether it is “God’s kiss on the crown” of a select few have been going on for a very long time, but most opinions boil down to the fact that a significant part of people are gifted talents in various fields. Why then, in the course of history, talented people appeared like rare flashes in a clear sky?
Alexander Griboyedov - composer
Alexander Griboyedov.
Illustration: stapravda.ru According to the tradition of Russian noble families, little Griboyedov was taught music. Since childhood, he played the piano beautifully and knew music theory. Those around him noted the boy’s impressive performing skills. As an adult, Griboyedov continued to play music both as a soloist and as an accompanist. Thus, together with composer Alexei Verstovsky, he performed the romance “Black Shawl” for the first time.
Unfortunately, of all the musical works of the writer himself, only two have survived - Waltz in E minor and Waltz in A-flat major.
Waltz in E minor (1823)
Waltz in A-flat major (1832)
The first was created in the winter of 1823. At this time, Griboyedov was completing work on the comedy “Woe from Wit” and often attended balls, so that later in his work he could describe the life of Moscow society. He gave his melancholy musical creation to young Elizaveta, the sister of his friend Stepan Begichev, in whom he instilled a love of art, reading serious books, as well as a dislike for secular society.
The Waltz in A-flat major was given by Griboyedov to the famous Polish pianist Maria Szymanowska, whose concerts he attended several times.
How to become talented?
Millions of minds are struggling to figure out how to recognize their talent. Disclosure of outstanding abilities presupposes their identification of abilities, accumulation of experience and full use. The stages of revealing unique talents are as follows:
- Before finding his talent, a person feels certain inclinations towards a certain area: he is interested in news related to this area, accumulates knowledge, and collects material.
- The stage of deeper immersion in the topic, attempts to copy other people's work.
- Attempts to create something unique, inimitable. If at this stage original works or previously unexpressed ideas are born, it means that talent has been born.
- Full use of identified abilities.
Alexander Borodin - chemist
Alexander Borodin (fifth from left in the top row) among the founders of the Russian Chemical Society. Photo: chemsoc.ru
Borodin's interest in chemistry began in childhood. Among his first experiments was making rockets for fireworks, as well as composition for sparklers. Not only my own room, but the entire apartment was filled with jars of various substances. Adults were afraid of a fire - every now and then the house was filled with acrid smoke from solutions, and household members were frightened by the unexpected pops of explosions.
Subsequently, Borodin became a student of the first president of the Russian Chemical Society, Nikolai Zimin. He graduated from the St. Petersburg Medical-Surgical Academy and received a doctorate in medicine, defending his dissertation “On the analogy of phosphoric and arsenic acid in chemical and toxicological relations.” After this, Borodin went on a scientific trip abroad for several years, where he worked and communicated with Dmitry Mendeleev and Ivan Sechenov. Upon his return, he became an ordinary professor, and then the head of a chemical laboratory and academician of the Medical-Surgical Academy.
In total, the composer wrote about 40 works in the field of chemistry. The chemical reaction he discovered bears his name: the Borodin-Hunsdiecker reaction.
What is genius
When we say that genius goes beyond the norm, we do not mean pathology or illness, but the fact that the abilities of a genius significantly exceed a certain standard norm accepted in society. This allows geniuses not only to achieve success, often in several types of activities, but also to influence the very course of development of human civilization.
A talented person differs from a simply capable person quantitatively - in the level of development of abilities, but a genius differs qualitatively.
Highest level of human ability
Characteristics of a genius:
- unusual perception of the environment;
- out-of-the-box thinking;
- the highest level of creativity.
Moreover, spontaneous creativity, when new, original ideas are born as if on their own, and intuitive thinking is ahead of rational thinking.
No less important is such a quality of genius as interest, passion, often turning into obsession. Brilliant people are often interested in different fields and types of activities, and are able to achieve success everywhere not only thanks to their giftedness and talent, but also to their tremendous hard work, perseverance, and determination. For the sake of new knowledge or mastering a new activity, a genius can sacrifice many things, including his own health and the well-being of loved ones.
Geniuses have the ability of scientific foresight not only due to their analytical abilities, but also because they themselves were in many ways ahead of their time, and their discoveries and creations seemed to be taken from the future.
The basis of genius is a very high level of giftedness and talent, which is manifested in various types of activities. It would seem that a genius is capable of achieving success in everything. For example:
- Leonardo da Vinci was not only an artist, but also an architect and an outstanding inventor, whose ideas were hundreds of years ahead of his time.
- Giordano Bruno is known not only as a brilliant astronomer who expressed ideas that were incomparable with the level of development of science of that time, but as a poet and philosopher.
- Johannes Kepler, who discovered the laws of motion of the planets of the solar system, became famous as a famous mathematician, mechanic and optician.
- The outstanding philosopher Rene Descartes was also the creator of analytical geometry, a physicist and even a physiologist. By the way, the Russian physiologist I.P. Pavlov considered him his predecessor.
- One of the brightest Russian geniuses, Mikhailo Lomonosov, showed abilities in very different fields: in poetry and mechanics, chemistry and history, painting and metallurgy, geography and astronomy.
Reading about geniuses, you understand that these are people who are clearly outside the norm. But how abnormal are they?
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - sailor
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in his youth. Photo: ros-kompozitor.ru
Borodin’s colleague in the creative association “The Mighty Handful,” Rimsky-Korsakov was supposed to become a professional naval officer. His interest in service was awakened by his older brother, Voin Andreevich, an outstanding navigator, after whom a group of islands in the Sea of Japan was named.
At the age of 11, Rimsky-Korsakov, known to his family as Nika, learned a star map. He named his canaries after the constellations - Vega, Mizar and Alcor.
Having entered the Naval Training Corps, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov swam, rowed, learned naval affairs in practice and became familiar with the structure of ships. One time Nika fell into the water from the mast. “This incident will help him recover from absent-mindedness,” his brother commented on the incident in a letter to his parents.
By the time he graduated from the corps, Rimsky-Korsakov had become seriously interested in music and planned to retire without rank. Voin Andreevich spoke out sharply against such a decision. In his opinion, it was impossible to live on musical earnings in Russia. Nikolai Andreevich did not go against his brother’s will and in 1862 he set sail as a midshipman on the ship “Almaz”. During his two years and seven months of travel, he visited North and South America. However, the impressions of the trip did not outweigh the severe disappointment in the rudeness and harsh morals of the team. In 1873 he retired and devoted himself to music.
It is interesting that the descendants of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov returned to the “maritime” profession years later. Thus, the great-grandson and full namesake of the composer is one of the leaders of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
What types of talents are there?
Scientists identify certain types of talents depending on the types of intelligence:
- linguistic (possessed by linguists, journalists, writers and lawyers);
- logical-mathematical (mathematicians, scientists);
- musical (musicians, composers, linguists);
- spatial (architects, designers, artists);
- bodily-kinesthetic (dancers, athletes);
- interpersonal (politicians, actors, directors, traders);
- emotional, or intrapersonal (inherent in all professions, this is what a person says about himself);
- There is also a hidden talent that an individual does not subconsciously or consciously develop, sometimes due to a lack of self-confidence, sometimes due to fear of leaving the comfort zone.
Sergei Prokofiev - chess player
Sergei Prokofiev playing chess. Photo: chesshistory.com
The Soviet composer was a chess player of the first category. Within the walls of the Chess Meeting in St. Petersburg, which Prokofiev attended since 1907, he played a draw with the famous German chess player Lasker, lost twice and won once against Capablanca. According to friends, Prokofiev’s game was characterized by attack and pressure, and a non-standard approach to playing the game. Players called his style romantic. He played with inspiration and imagination - but the theoretical basis after the break with the Petrograd chess circle in 1917-1918 was lacking. By the 1940s, Prokofiev's luck began to change, and he lost more and more often.
Nevertheless, he did not give up his hobby. While traveling by correspondence, he played with the director of the Russian Music Publishing House, Gavriil Paichadze. While working on the ballet Romeo and Juliet, he played with himself for several months on a huge board consisting of 12 chessboards.
Fight for place
No one has canceled the constant struggle for a place in the hierarchy. A good team is a team with a stable hierarchy, when “everyone is seated and working.” But until the “seating by rank” is over, the work is worthwhile.
Talent from outside is a blow to the hierarchy system and a sharp escalation of the struggle within the team. If that was the management's goal, great. But if not, then the team will face an uncontrollable crisis.
Inviting outside talent leads to destabilization and increases stress levels to such an extent that employees begin to make mistakes while performing the simplest tasks - tested by neuroscientists.
Scientists from Ohio University believe that stress caused by competition with obviously “stronger” colleagues forms a so-called “brain bubble”, which distorts the perception of events and does not allow employees to use past calculations of the convergent calculator (the process of rapprochement, convergence (in different senses) , compromises; convergence is the opposite of divergence). In other words, the intervention, or intervention, of talents does not inspire colleagues to exploits, but destroys their connection with reality.
Leo Tolstoy - teacher
Leo Tolstoy and children. Photo: peremeny.ru
In 1859, Tolstoy decided to engage in public education and opened his own school for peasant children in Yasnaya Polyana.
Tolstoy believed that any person could be trained, provided he renounced all coercion. An extremely important innovation in his system was the complete renunciation of violence - the most severe punishment was considered to be exclusion from classes. By the way, they were attended by about 40 children from local villages. Education was free and available to both girls and boys. Lessons started at eight in the morning. The teachers were Moscow and Tula seminarians, as well as the count himself. He strove to turn his students into a friendly family. Attendance was optional—and yet few missed classes. In addition to subjects such as reading, history and mathematics, the curriculum included carpentry and agricultural work.
Lev Nikolaevich was not a strict teacher: he often organized games with the children, climbed gymnastic equipment and enjoyed sliding down ice slides. Once I held a lottery and gave the winner a horse.
Soon about twenty schools using Tolstoy’s methods appeared in the district. And the school in Yasnaya Polyana closed after three years of operation. Lev Nikolaevich returned to great literature.
A. V. Suvorov
The most outstanding citizen of Russia in the second half of the 18th century is, of course, the great commander, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Alexander Suvorov. This talented military leader fought more than 60 major battles and was not defeated in any of them. The army under the command of Suvorov managed to win even in cases where the enemy forces significantly outnumbered it. The commander took part in the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774 and 1787-1791, brilliantly commanded Russian troops during the storming of Prague in 1794, and in the last years of his life he led the Italian and Swiss campaigns.
In battles, Suvorov used combat tactics that he personally developed, which were significantly ahead of their time. He did not recognize military drill and instilled in his soldiers a love for the Fatherland, considering it the key to victory in any battle. The legendary commander made sure that during military campaigns his army was provided with everything necessary. He heroically shared all the hardships with the soldiers, thanks to which he enjoyed great authority and respect among them. For his victories, Suvorov was awarded all the high military awards existing in his time in the Russian Empire. In addition, he was a holder of seven foreign orders.
A. D. Sakharov
In addition to Gagarin, there were many other outstanding Russian citizens in the Soviet Union. The USSR became famous throughout the world thanks to academician Andrei Sakharov, who made an invaluable contribution to the development of physics. In 1949, together with Yu. Khariton, he developed a project for a hydrogen bomb - the first Soviet thermonuclear weapon. In addition, Sakharov conducted a lot of research on magnetic hydrodynamics, gravity, astrophysics, and plasma physics. In the mid-70s, he predicted the emergence of the Internet. In 1975, the academician was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In addition to science, Sakharov was engaged in active human rights activities, for which he fell out of favor with the Soviet leadership. In 1980, he was stripped of all titles and highest awards, after which he was deported from Moscow to Gorky. After the start of Perestroika, Sakharov was allowed to return to the capital. The last years of his life he continued to engage in scientific activities, and was also elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council. In 1989, the scientist worked on a draft of a new Soviet constitution, which proclaimed the right of peoples to statehood, but sudden death did not allow him to complete the work he had started.
Outstanding citizens of Russia of the 21st century
Today in our country there live a huge number of people who glorify it in politics, science, art and other fields of activity. The most famous scientists of our time are physicists Mikhail Allenov and Valery Rachkov, urbanist Denis Vizgalov, historian Vyacheslav Vorobyov, economist Nadezhda Kosareva, etc. Outstanding artists of the 21st century include artists Ilya Glazunov and Alena Azernaya, conductors Valery Gergiev and Yuri Bashmet, opera singers Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko, actors Sergei Bezrukov and Konstantin Khabensky, directors Nikita Mikhalkov and Timur Bekmambetov and others. Well, the most outstanding politician in Russia today is its President, Vladimir Putin.
Yu. A. Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin is a prominent citizen of Soviet-era Russia. On April 12, 1961, on the Vostok-1 spacecraft, he flew into space for the first time in the history of mankind. Having spent 108 minutes in Earth's orbit, the cosmonaut returned to the planet as an international hero. Even world movie stars could envy Gagarin’s popularity. He made official visits to more than 30 foreign countries and traveled throughout the USSR.
An outstanding citizen of Russia, Yuri Gagarin, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the highest insignia of many countries. He was preparing for a new space flight, but a plane crash that happened in March 1968 in the Vladimir region tragically cut short his life. Having lived only 34 years, Gagarin became one of the greatest people of the 20th century. Streets and squares in all major cities of Russia and the CIS countries are named after him, and monuments to him have been erected in many foreign countries. In honor of Yuri Gagarin's flight, International Cosmonautics Day is celebrated all over the world on April 12.
