If you were average as a child and not a brilliant student, don't worry — because most individuals who achieve elite performance peak their success much later in life, according to a new scientific study.
Researchers have discovered that only a small percentage of child "geniuses" manage to maintain their greatness into adulthood.
They analyzed data on more than 34.000 world-class performers, including Nobel Prize winners, Olympic medalists, the world's best chess players and the most famous classical music composers.
"A common pattern emerges across all disciplines," said Professor Arne Güllich, one of the study's authors from the University of Kaiserslautern–Landau.
"First of all, the best at a young age and the best later in life are usually different people."
Second, those who reached elite level had a gradual development in the early years and were not among the best in their age group.
And finally, individuals who later reached peak performance did not specialize early in just one discipline — rather, they kept their options open.
These findings help to understand why some of the most talented people in history did not excel in school, including Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, JK Rowling, Michael Jordan and Walt Disney.
The study, published in the journal Science, suggests that the traditional image of the child prodigy — like Mozart, who began composing at the age of five, or characters like Matilda from the famous film — does not realistically reflect the way most elite adults have grown up.
Instead, many of them have followed much more gradual paths to success.
Albert Einstein, for example, had a speech delay and was often slow to respond. In school, he was considered less intelligent than his peers, but in his teens he began to show extraordinary abilities in mathematics and science.
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, dropped out of college without telling his parents. He later admitted that he had "no idea" what he wanted to do with his life, but simply followed his curiosity and intuition.
JK Rowling, who later achieved unimaginable success with the Harry Potter books, was initially rejected by Oxford University and graduated from Exeter with an A.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney, who built a global entertainment empire, left formal education early and was fired from a newspaper because he "lacked imagination" and "had no good ideas."
Even Michael Jordan, widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, failed to make the high school team because he was "too short."
Researchers emphasize that experiencing diverse interests in childhood increases the likelihood of finding an optimal field in life.
"Those who find the right discipline for themselves, develop greater potential for long-term learning and have fewer risks of their careers being damaged, have higher chances of achieving world-class performance," explained Professor Güllich.
He warned that those who peak too early may get stuck in a discipline they don't like or experience burnout. Over-focusing on a single area at a young age can also lead to injuries, especially in sports.
Based on these findings, he has made several recommendations on how society can help talented young people develop into future elite performers.
“Here's what the evidence suggests: don't specialize in just one discipline too early,” he said.
“Encourage young people and create opportunities for them to explore different areas of interest. Support them in two or three disciplines.”
These disciplines do not necessarily have to be directly related to each other — for example, languages and mathematics, or geography and philosophy.
He mentions Albert Einstein, who from an early age also had a great passion for music.
According to him, these findings "could increase the opportunities for developing world-class performers — in science, sports, music and other fields."
In the study's foreword, Ekeoma Uzogara, associate editor of the journal, writes:
“From athletes like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps to scientists like Marie Curie and Albert Einstein, identifying extraordinary talent is essential for innovation.
But how is talent born?
In an analytical review, Güllich and his colleagues analyzed studies in science, music, chess, and sports and found two patterns: young exceptional performers peaked quickly, but were narrowly focused on just one interest — e.g., a single sport.
In contrast, elite adult performers reached their peak gradually and through extensive, multidisciplinary practice.”
What is intelligence quotient (IQ)?
IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is a measure of mental ability. The term was first used by psychologist William Stern to describe the German concept Intelligenzquotient.
Historically, IQ was calculated by dividing a person's mental age (determined through tests) by their actual age and multiplying the result by 100.
An IQ of 100 is considered average. Because of the way the tests are structured, a person with an IQ of 60 is not “half as intelligent” as someone with an IQ of 120.
The scores are normally distributed, meaning that just as many people score below the average as above it. For example, just as many people have an IQ of 70 as do people with an IQ of 130.
Although the accuracy of intelligence tests is often debated, they continue to be widely used. To be accepted into Mensa, a person is required to be in the top 2 percent of the population, which usually means an IQ of at least 130. /GazetaExpress/
IQs of some famous people:
Albert Einstein & Stephen Hawking – 160
Donald Trump – 156
Emma Watson – 138
Arnold Schwarzenegger – 135
Nicole Kidman – 132
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