Modern scholars suspect that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart suffered from the so-called Tourette's syndrome. A neurological disorder manifested among others with various movement, verbal and mental tics - obsessions, manias, and proneness to jokes. It is an incurable disease showing its first syndromes in early childhood and accompanying the patient for life.
Miloš Forman has magnificently portrayed Mozart in his film Amadeus. The narrator is a composer called Antonio Salieri, envious of Mozart's talent and achievements. It is a story about the life of a great musician seen through the eyes of a man prepossessed by an unhealthy obsession. Mozart was for Salieri a frivolous person, which God undeservedly gave talent to, to whom everything came too easily.
I wonder whether Salieri would still be envious of Mozart if he knew about his condition. The point is that there are plenty of things we don't know about and yet we throw accusations. We so easily judge others.
Mozart, contrary to Salieri's opinion, worked hard for his success. Only after 20 years of intensive composing he began to create masterpieces. At the age of 8 he had already 10 thousand hours of practice! Undoubtedly, Mozart had talent, but mostly his hard work determined his success. And he was an introvert.
I wonder if most of the great achievers and eminent personalities of cultural life, sports and music aren't perhaps introverts. I'm not writing here about business and politics, because I suspect that in these two areas extroverts are a majority.
I wonder, because I just received a reply from Dan McLaughlin, the man who quit his job and decided to devote 10,000 hours of training to become a professional golf player. Answering my question whether he considered himself an introvert or extrovert, Dan replied he was definitely an introvert.
Next time I will write what does introversion and extroversion mean exactly. At the same time dispelling some circulating myths, such as - introverts are shy and antisocial.
More on Dan McLaughlin and the 10 thousand hour rule in my earlier entry - click here
I recommend an interesting book by Andrew Robinson who partially polemics with the 10 thousand hour rule. He describes how geniuses, among others Marie Curie-Skłodowska, came to be, was it just hard work or was talent necessary after all - Sudden Genius - click here
I recommend an interesting book by Andrew Robinson who partially polemics with the 10 thousand hour rule. He describes how geniuses, among others Marie Curie-Skłodowska, came to be, was it just hard work or was talent necessary after all - Sudden Genius - click here
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