Interest, competence and excellence.

I heard that my junior takes French, and I was completely taken aback. She had appeared to be a generically quiet, studious sort of girl. She doesn't speak much, and generally communicates with tentative glances and sheepish smiles. My impression of people who take up a third language are people who love talking so much that they have to find another language to communicate what they can't in the language they are already familiar with. Little did I know that her reticent personality belied such an expressive nature! I was surprised to find out that she was quiet, sporty and language-y at the same time.

People who are talented in a wide range of disciplines are always worth admiring. I'd hardly expect your average jock to be well-versed in literature or music, for example. That's really because I judge people too quickly and form assumptions that don't necessarily concur with reality. But to find a person who is talented in both sports and the arts, or any other supposedly contradictory disciplines, is extremely cool.

One of my main aims in life is to be like a Renaissance man, or woman, if you like. I want to dabble in as many fields as possible, and be good at everything. However, this is quite a tough challenge to take on, because the scope of knowledge has since expanded tremendously since the Renaissance, and trying to know everything would probably take an eternity. The disadvantage to being interested in everything is that I end up being a Jack of all trades and master of none.

Yet, it is one thing to be interested, and another to be competent. And to excel is a totally different matter altogether. I actually think that it's fairly easy to be competent in any subject. Two requirements which I think are essential for competence in most fields is a propensity to follow instructions, and loads of practice.

Let's take cooking for example. If you follow the recipe to a tee, what could possibly go wrong with your dish? All you need to do is follow instructions! That's provided that the recipe is succinct and comprehensive. Also, for a subject like math, as long as you keep doing it over and over again, you'll do well in it. Quite simple, isn't it? As simple as it sounds, people aren't all that great at following instructions, and people aren't always diligent enough to practise frequently enough.

However, following instructions and practice is probably only sufficient for competence. What if you want to excel in something? What if you want to be an extraordinaire, a connoisseur? What sets the truly talented apart from the rule-abiding minions? Is it interest? Passion and enthusiasm surely helps in improving one's competency in a subject, but is it the defining factor that distinguishes between excellence and competence? Or is it just a difference in pure capability? Clare asked me why I'm such a fast runner. I told her, "Willpower? And maybe I am just more physically fit than you, though I can't be sure of that." Do you believe that some people are just born to be better than others in certain fields? Scientists have examined Einstein's brain and noted that certain areas of his brain which contribute to mathematical thought are larger than average. Perhaps we are just born different, and some are just born better than others. Some people just possess better manual dexterity and can create beautiful forms with their hands, or some people just have more efficient muscles that can go faster, stronger, higher.

Because I maintain the viewpoint that some people are just born better than others, possessing the ability to follow instructions and being very hardworking doesn't necessarily mean you'll excel. This is why up to this day, I have yet to dabble in the performing arts. I have always maintained that I am not cut out for performing; be it dancing, singing, acting, or playing an instrument. I have adamantly insisted that I suck at any form of performing arts.

Music confounds me, and I am quite sure that I am more of a visual person than an auditory one. I was trying to recall a tune which I heard on an advertisement on TVMobile, and despite spending half an hour trying to do so, my memory could only retrieve vivid images of the advert itself and my memory was rewinding like a silent film. Only a vague auditory impression was formed. The only thing I remembered strongly was the fact that I liked the tune when I heard it, and that was all. As for dancing, I simply cannot remember dance moves. My kinesthetic memory is quite poor, and moves that look so natural in MTV videos appear awkward on me. I've always had a secret desire to act, but I have this psychological barrier that prevents me from appearing all confident and entertaining. Yet, I always have visions of myself wowing crowds, slick lines rolling off my tongue, a perfect picture of confidence. It still remains a vision.

Despite the multitude of excuses I've conjured for myself, I still have an inclination to develop my knowledge further in this area, for the simple reason that I want to try everything out. JC was an avenue for me to unleash my inner jock; and I am satisfied to know that I am not born a complete dunce at sports after all. Therefore, to prove that I am willing to let go of my inhibitions, I will attend my first ever dance class tomorrow. Let's cross our fingers and hope it goes without a hitch.