Comments on: How To Be Great – At Anything

By: Gary Bourgeault (managersrealm.com)

Gary Bourgeault (managersrealm.com) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 03:49:01 +0000

It’s like the saying goes concerning how “the harder you work the luckier you get.”

While it may be true with the violin example that an occasional hard-working person doesn’t reach the level of others, still, the overall truth is that the harder one works, the better chance you have of being one of the best.

By: Michael Anders

Michael Anders — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 15:19:08 +0000

I think that greatness is something that you are determined to do. It’s will power and ego. I mean look at the truly great ones like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, etc. To be truly great, you almost need obsession.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 03:00:48 +0000

Penelope,
What kind of economy will we have when everyone’s goal is to build and flip a web company? If that is where genY is heading, we are in serious trouble. I think the build and flip thing is a fad. Economic history will judge this fad as a senseless one that contributed very little real value for the world. I mean really, does Digg add any value to anything? I don’t think so. It plays on the same novelty seeking brain circuits that other vices do. Web 2.0 is the new cigarette industry, using popularity instead of nicotine to keep people addicted.

By: Chris Rasch

Chris Rasch — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:13:18 +0000

As stated, it seems a bit unfalsifiable to me–suppose you practice 10,000 hours on the violin, and at the end, you’re still a mediocre violin player. Oh, you didn’t practice “deliberately”. Is there an objective way to measure whether you’re practicing “deliberately”?

By: Alberto

Alberto — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 21:38:36 +0000

I also have that “spite” you talk about. I am kind of hated in college sometimes for it. While everybody tries to get classes off, I chase teachers to at least a little chat on the topic.

Of course that sets you apart, but it gets frustrating sometimes, since you get labeled as “nerd” thus making you incompatible with the rest of the crowd.

But again, with a little smarts, you can also overcome one, and raise your popularity

By: Achilles

Achilles — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 23:48:52 +0000

Tony Robbins has been teaching and preaching this stuff for a long time. Although he had done no formal research on this subject of greatness, he had interviewed and talked to a lot of people. I found his audiobooks particularly useful. He had talked about this “deliberate practice” for a long time in form of “CANI”, a committment to continuous and neverending improvement.
We, humans, are only limited by our belief. The “4 minute mile story” has been quoted many times.

By: revan

revan — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 20:26:02 +0000

Thanks. I will try to be great
wbr