He made it happen by simply showing up when no one else did. He found an angle that he could exploit. No athlete will ever get to compete by simply being the only one from their country to show up. Any other telling is a romantic revision of history.
What about the variation of entering in a small division in the sport? For example, a marathon time of 6:47:31 is good enough to set a record for age 90+: 90 'just a number' for marathon record-setting B.C. senior | CTV News
The Eddie the Eagle Rule is only applicable to the Olympics. That was the context of that post and athlete. 
Rudy. Rudy. Rudy.
I believe that even one’s “grit” or lack of it is part of who we are at birth. So are many other qualities both good and bad. Does environment influence this. Sure but I do think that people come into a life a certain way. I don’t think any one group of people is more likely to have or not have certain qualities. But individuals, yes. Can one overcome to a certain extent deficits. Yes. But some people are born smarter, more empathetic, more athletic, with more resilience or a natural capacity for hard work. And when we have some of these qualities and worked to enhance them it’s difficult to acknowledge sometimes that we were given more natural ability than others in a certain area. One of my kids was built for hard work. Meaning it’s less taxing on her mentally to make herself do so. I could see this at age 5 when she’d work to complete tasks that other 5 year olds would just not have the wherewithal to do. Complete all of her homework without parental involvement ( even though kindergarten homework was designed to have that involvement. ) She was a hard worker because it came naturally to her. She naturally could stay on task and took pleasure from it. My other one was born empathetic and she took an inborn pleasure from helping others. Even In Preschool She would “ cheat” to let friends games. Why I asked. “It makes her so happy when she wins” was the answer. My other one would never have thought that way. And the empathetic kid would never have been able to stick to tasks as easily as her sibling. Can they do what their sibling does ? yes. But it’s harder and takes more of them for a likely lesser result.
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I have a friend who has 3 daughters. Each in their mid/late 20s. First two did very well in school. Didn’t give them any problems. Parents patted themselves on the back for a job well done and being great parents. Third daughter struggled academically (but has a high EQ which has served her well) and got into some trouble. Had they suddenly become bad/worse parents? No. Just a different kid with different strengths and weaknesses.
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+1000
-1000
I believe grit can be learned as can almost anything else. I also believe in playing to your strengths and interests, but if you are interested in learning a foreign language but don’t pick it up easily grit can get you there.
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Add me to the inborn part on various talents (or lack thereof). It’s there in equines, cats, and dogs too, not just humans. (Four species, including humans, that I’ve had a lot of interaction with.)
Sure, anyone could learn the rules and how to play X sport just like anyone can take a specific class, but some are naturally more talented than others at it. People can put the same number (or more) hours into something they love or really, really want and still not make the cut. I’ve seen it happen in academics and sports. Basics only get one so far.
I’m more on the fence with grit because I don’t think that’s common across the board. Some with “talent” for grit will have it with everything they do, but most humans have it when they want it and don’t for things they don’t care about. Then there are a few who don’t seem to have it at all, but that’s rare. For the bulk who have it when they want it, a teacher or influential other can bring it out. No teacher I’ve seen has been able to bring it out in everyone, no matter how hard they try. Good teachers can bring it out in most.
Simply put though, we can’t take Student A and put them into Major X expecting them to do really well simply because we want them to. Humans were created (nature or God, take your pick) to prefer different things and be better at different things. It’s how our world goes around.
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My post was not about college but about life in general.
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This made me chuckle. The first think that I thought of was frankly Mic Jagger, who is one of my favourite musicians and who has done quite well in life, and who is very much celebrated.
I know someone who was born with a heart defect and would have died without surgery at a very young age. Were they unlucky do have the defect, or lucky to live in a location where the defect could be treated effectively and with parents who had the knowledge and ability to support them? Perhaps they were both lucky and unlucky.
I do agree that being born with the brains to attend a top university is lucky. However, unless you put in the effort all of those brains will be a waste.
I think that we each need to do the best with whatever we were born with.
Top universities are not top universities just because they have a famous name. They are considered top universities because of the professors that they have, the students that they have, and the research that goes on there. This would not be possible without a lot of people who are born with brains, willing to put in the effort, and lucky enough to get to be part of it. Without people like this, that baby who was born with a heart defect would not be studying for a doctorate right now. Without people like this, we would not all have the possibility of getting the COVID vaccine because a COVID vaccine would not exist. Without people like this, we would not have an Internet over which to hold this discussion.
Perhaps real “merit” is to do the best that you can with whatever talents and opportunities you have been given, and leave the world a slightly better place than it would have been if you had never existed.
I have gotten to know the guy who pumps out my septic tank every two years (or more often on rare occasions). I have had to call on him for advice a couple of times (most recently when I dropped the filter through a tiny hole into the septic tank). He does not have a celebrated profession. However, he earns his living in an honest way. IMHO he will at some point leave the world as a slightly better place than it would have been if he had not been part of it.
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I’m confused. Mic was gorgeous in the androgynous teen girl crush sort of way when he became famous.
Mick Jagger was quite the heartthrob when the Stones were first starting out.
I think the idea of who is deserving of being celebrated and viewed as deserving of merit probably differs in different areas of the country. In NYC it is different from NC. In Los Angeles it’s different from LA (Louisiana).
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Agree with you @Sweetgum I just find it baffling that @DadTwoGirls somehow thinks that Jagger is a good example of someone “not beautiful “. He was a gorgeous young guy. I (and many other women) thought he was extremely attractive for most of his pre senior citizen life. I assume @DadTwoGirls is a straight man? Maybe he like some straight men can’t fathom the attractiveness of androgynous men?
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I saw Mick up close in 1978. He was dressed in gold lame pants and no shirt. Pretty scrawny guy and wouldn’t have been on my heartthrob list.
Mick Jagger was OK. David Bowie on the other hand…that was my major crush. Still listen to his music. And as for now a days, Harry Styles gets my seal of approval (not crush because that would be weird)
(I know I’m going towards derailment of the thread. I will stop now)
I can understand thinking Jagger isn’t the epitome of beautiful but I thought it was bizarre to have him come to mind as someone so affirmatively not good looking. Just baffling.
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I was thinking of him more as the epitome of someone who is “celebrated”. He is very rightfully celebrated for his great talent, and for what he has accomplished.
However, that was not the main point of my post, nor as far as I can tell the main point of this thread.
Perhaps real “merit” is to do the best that you can with whatever talents and opportunities you have been given, and leave the world a slightly better place than it would have been if you had never existed.
I agree. Kati Kariko seems to have been overlooked for most of her career, but her contributions have certainly made the world a much better place.
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