| What is the difference between the brain of the | | | | You get the point from here. The question is not |
| talented and the less? | | | | 'what else did he won?' but 'what was happening |
| Why do the top world athletes or musicians start | | | | inside his brain?' |
| young? | | | | Playing golf involve complex movements, requiring |
| What is the formula of being a Nobel-prize genius? | | | | precise coordination between the mind and muscles. |
| In one of my articles, 'The Scientific Difference | | | | When I say complex movements, it means that it |
| between Liking & Wanting', I have mentioned about | | | | involves a lot of muscle-brain circuits. For example, |
| brain circuits. In this article, I would expand on them. | | | | the one controlling hand movements, the one |
| Specifically, how it determines our talent, and how | | | | maintaining the hip positions and the ones keeping the |
| can we use it to improve our skills. Brain circuits | | | | eyes on the ball. Everything needs to be precisely |
| consist of a few 'wires' we call neurons, which | | | | coordinated. However, as stated before, the more |
| transmit signals from our senses to our brain. From | | | | we use these wires, the more connections are built, |
| there, the brain processes the information, decides a | | | | the stronger, faster and more precise the |
| response and 'wires' back the information through | | | | connections, and hence, the less aware he is that |
| another set of circuits to appropriate parts of the | | | | he's using it. Remember the first time you try to play |
| body. Like when you are eating hot dogs when you | | | | the guitar, piano or learn dancing? It was a struggle |
| are supposed to be on a diet, and then your friend | | | | wasn't it? You need a lot of effort. You need to be |
| suddenly comes up to you and say "Hey, why are | | | | so attentive to the movements of your hands, your |
| you eating? Aren't you on a diet?" The words made | | | | fingers or your feet. But after hours and hours of |
| its way from your ears to your brain, processes it, | | | | practicing it feels less of an effort, until you reach a |
| decides a response, and sends back signals to your | | | | stage where you can play a song or dance and talk |
| hand, mouth and tongue muscles, throwing away the | | | | to your friend at the same time. That is because the |
| hot dog and say "Oh no, no, I was just looking | | | | wire connectors inside your brain have become |
| through that hot dog. I think it is really hot...uh...the | | | | strong enough that you start doing the movements |
| dog...anyway, why are you here?" Your brain tries to | | | | automatically. We call this 'automaticity'. Once you |
| change the topic of hot dog to distract your friend. | | | | have reached automaticity, you do not need to pay |
| That is our brain, it is smart. | | | | enormous amount of attention on what your muscles |
| A neuron is like a wire cut off at both ends where at | | | | do. Hence, allowing you to play music or dance while |
| each end will be the shrub of shiny coppers sprouting | | | | paying attention to other things, like talking to your |
| out from the plastic insulator at the middle. In | | | | friend. That is exactly what happened to Tiger |
| neurons, these ends are called dendrites on one end, | | | | Woods. |
| and synaptic knobs on the other. In between those | | | | Since 5 months old, Tiger has started strengthening |
| is the long part of the wire we call axon. Most neuron | | | | his connections, at the age of 13, he already |
| do not have axons long enough to make it all the | | | | perfected his craft, with connections as solid as steel. |
| way to the brain. So the synaptic knobs connect to | | | | By that time, the complex movements of hitting the |
| the dendrites of another neuron by small divisions | | | | golf ball ceases to be an enormous effort. It is |
| called synapse (like soldering ends of wires to make it | | | | already automatic, and when that is combined with |
| longer) until it reaches the brain. For the sake of | | | | focused attention, he starts shooting like a machine. |
| simplicity, I will refer a neuron as a 'wire', and | | | | Tiger keeps on winning because he has an advantage |
| synapses as 'wire connector'. | | | | over others: he has strong wire connectors since |
| Unlike fishes or worms, most of our wires cannot be | | | | young, and all he has to do is keep on practicing to |
| grown again after childhood. Logically, the more wires | | | | keep ahead of others. There are many other |
| we have, the faster, the more accurate we respond, | | | | world-class athletes that start young. Roger Federer |
| right? However, the good news is, we can always | | | | starts playing tennis at six. Lionel Messi started playing |
| add more 'wire connectors'. We do not really have to | | | | soccer at five. This is not limited to sports. Mozart |
| grow new wires. These wires form basic function, | | | | started composing his first piece at 4. Jimi Hendrix |
| like lifting your hand, or tilting your head (even a baby | | | | started playing the guitar at 10. Each and every one |
| can do that). Scientists believe that even if we have | | | | of them started stimulating their wires at a young |
| the brain of a fish, we can still button our shirts! But | | | | age, and day by day strengthening them to |
| that is as long as we add wire connectors. Fishes do | | | | perfection so that when they reach adulthood, |
| not have as much wire connectors as in humans | | | | they're already the master of their art. |
| hence they do not wear shirts. Adding more wire | | | | Now do not be disappointed when I said that most |
| connectors will strengthen the connection. In science | | | | of them start young, thinking that it is too late for |
| we call this 'synaptic plasticity', the strengthening of | | | | you. The essence of what I have explained earlier is |
| synaptic connections. A strengthened connection | | | | not actually starting young, but spending a whole lot |
| allows you to respond faster, more accurate, and | | | | of time honing your craft more than anyone else. For |
| with less effort. | | | | example, before the rise of The Beatles, there were |
| Now here is how wire connectors work: | | | | many other bands that started playing young. |
| | | | However, The Beatles went the extra mile by playing |
| 1. The more we use the wire, the more wire | | | | for 8 hours a day even before their first hit single, |
| connectors are built | | | | strengthening their 'music wire connectors' each and |
| 2. The more wire connectors there are, the stronger | | | | every minute they play. Soon, they surpassed the |
| the wire connections | | | | abilities other bands which mostly played 3 to 4 hours |
| 3. The stronger the wire connections, the faster and | | | | a day. Pablo Picasso once did a painting in 2 minutes |
| more precise the connection signals | | | | and sold it worth millions of dollars. When asked how |
| 4. The faster and precise the connection signals, the | | | | he created the masterpiece in just 2 seconds, he |
| less aware you are that you are using them | | | | answered: "It took me 20 years of practice to do |
| Remember, wires are just parts of a circuit. So when | | | | that painting in 2 seconds'. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and |
| a circuit is used, not only one, but a few bunch of | | | | the founders of Sun Microsystems were given |
| wires gets stronger. The last two points are the | | | | access computer at a time when computer access is |
| most profound. It holds the key to our talents, to | | | | limited to others, allowing them to strengthen their |
| being an Olympic athlete, a world-class musician, or a | | | | wire connections long before others. Today, they are |
| Nobel-prize winner. Now let us go back to the | | | | the big players in the computer industry. |
| questions: | | | | Hence, it is apparent in that world-class achievers |
| What is the difference between the brain of the | | | | either start young or spent countless hours on the |
| talented and the less? | | | | things they're focused to. 'Focused' means that they |
| Why do the top world athletes or musicians start | | | | aim to be the master of one, instead of being the |
| young? | | | | jack of all. Tiger Woods never changed his focus to |
| What is the formula of being a Nobel-prize genius? | | | | tennis. Federer never tried to be a musician. Bill Gates |
| To answer these questions we will need real-life | | | | never wanted to join the bands. They are all focused |
| proof. Let us start with Tiger Woods. Taking scandals | | | | on the things they like and good at. They focused on |
| aside, Tiger Woods is no doubt the world's greatest | | | | it like crazy, strengthening their wire connectors |
| golfer. However, he did not turn into a world | | | | related to their craft. As what Robin Sharma, the |
| champion overnight. He became a champion after | | | | author of the bestselling book 'The Monk Who Sold |
| decades of brain wire strengthening. There is no | | | | his Ferarri' once wrote: |
| doubt that he started playing golf when he was very | | | | Daily improvement + focus = genius |
| young, but how young? It was accounted that at | | | | It means find something that you like and focus on it, |
| the age of 5 months, Tiger started watching his dad | | | | improving it each and every day. It doesn't have to |
| play golf on a baby chair. By 9 months, his father | | | | be golf, tennis, or music. It could be literature, |
| made him a sawed-off golf club which he could | | | | business, science or even Lego-building. You can |
| handle. By 1 year old, he started going to golf | | | | become a genius in any field you want by applying |
| courses. At 2, he already won Under Age 10 golfing | | | | the formula. So, what kind of genius you want to be |
| competition. After the age of 11, he surpassed his | | | | in the future? Start practicing today. Nothing is too |
| father's skill, and was never again beaten by his dad | | | | late. If you practice and improve every day, no |
| in golf. He won his first national junior tournament at | | | | matter how little, in 5 to 10 years from now, you will |
| the age of 13. I guess I do not need to keep on. | | | | become a world-class achiever. |