maybe that’s true for some folks! I think the semantics of “talent” have gotten complicated over time, so I use “interest” and “curiosity” instead! “talent” just seems to get conflated with “skill” so much, but they are different, yeah!

I gave him my very first scallop for this little nugget of knowledge. worth it.

I think the semantics of these words is different for different experiences. using “talent” has never worked for me. it’s rooted in some religious weirdness and not my own curiosity and self-expression. I also prefer to acknowledge the environment that nurtured my interests, which is how they grew

yes! the word has been used socially to glorify and marvel at the “effortlessness” of a skill being used, especially when it comes to creative skills. not to mention “gift” being used in a religious context. it’s thought-cancelling, erasing the questions of “how did they do that? could *I* do that?”

THIS THIS!!

I’ve heard the words “talents” and “gifts” weaponized a lot throughout my life, and neither fit into my experience. I was lucky to be encouraged as a kid to build skills from my interests, but the early *curiosity* is the key, rather than an innate biological talent, imo

I think this is a good reflection of the social semantics of the words “talent” and “skill” being conflated. I personally, currently, don’t think anyone is innately talented and it’s a “nurture (access, encouragement, privilege) over nature” subject for me, but your points are food for thought!

BE 👏 BAD 👏 AT 👏 STUFF 👏

I can track my progress through time. I was interested in expressing my ideas on paper even when I was little, drawing when elementary classmates were doing other things. that early interest was slowly nurtured by me and my environment into what I do now. an early start is lucky, but not innate, imo

consider that it might be more complex. I think natural interests and curiosities lead to skill-building, and environmental factors (encouragement, privilege, access) can enhance that. I wasn’t born with the ability to draw well, but I was raised in a family that encouraged it, which was chance/luck

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It's difficult to sum up the abject chaos Trump has caused by using people's ability to eat as a bargaining chip. Communication re: SNAP varies widely state by state, and it's wonderful to hear some have gotten November benefits, but many, many millions still haven't. This was totally avoidable.