Why don't child prodigies seem to amount to much as adults?

Question

except Mozart, I can't think of any brilliant children who grew up to be brilliant adults.

Answer 1

Most individuals formerly identified as prodigies, go on to lead generally happy lives. A famous study by Lewis Terman indicates this, and although the participants were pre-selected to some extent, the results are true of the majority of individuals. The spectacular reversals of celebrity are held in the upper echelons of public awareness, but it should be emphasized that our history is filled with geniuses who have displayed phenomenal early talent. One must note that phenomenal early talent is de rigueur in classical musical performance, startlingly commonplace in the hard sciences and engineering, extremely well established in writing, journalism, debate, and law, and as is becoming increasingly clear as the World Wide Web opens up a showcase for blossoming talent, in artistic endeavours as well. One author notes that an extraordinary number of Nobel Prize winners in physics, Fields medalists, Dirac medalists, Abel medalists, and Turing Award winners were educationally accelerated (sometimes remarkably), had remarkable school careers, had an early obsession with computers, or more recently, won major international academic olympiads. Thus, it is to be determined that while people find it phenominal that a child exhibits such talents, people find it is less impressive when an adult does. Therefore, though you hear a lot about the child prodigy, there would be less interest in the adult. Check out this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_prodigy

Answer 2

I think that child prodigies often have so many expectations of them so early on that that weight and burden is often too much to carry through life. As people grow older, they are expected to achieve better and greater things. Standards are set higher and higher until they become seemingly impossible and insurmountable.There are always exceptions to the rule, but many times, there is only so much a person can handle. Also, some are forced to grow up so fast that they realize they cannot physically or mentally maintain that pace anymore.

Answer 3

~You are so right. Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Alexis Claude de Clairault, Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss, William Rowan Hamilton, Ruth Elke Lawrence, Colin Maclaurin, John von Neumann, Blaise Pascal, Terence Chi-Shen Tao, Shakuntala Devi, Truman Henry Safford, Steve Wozniak, Yehudi Menuhin and Jascha Heifetz, to name but a miniscule few, were such losers later in life. The jury is out on Akrit Jaswal and Sho Timothy Yano because they are still so young but they seem to be doing quite well for teenie-boppers.

That you have never heard of them or their accomplishments does not demean their genius or their contributions. One trait they all seemed to share: they knew what they were talking about and were able to support, justify and prove their statements before they opened their mouths.

Answer 4

Eventually everyone either catches up to their level of intelligence, they go on Jeopardy and win money and then retire, or they die from lack of common sense. Sad. Doesn't it seem like whenever a teenager dies in a car accident, they always say the victim was a high-school valedictorian? That thought just popped into my head. But it's quite valid. Smart people just can't make it in the world, unless all their social needs are met in that small bubble they call home.

Answer 5

Many brilliant people come to their most brilliant moment all at once, like a supernova, any time in their lives, and then spend the rest of their lives pursuing the light.

Answer 6

Shirley Temple didn't fall off the turnip truck either. Tiger Woods is doing well, too, and he was on the Johnny Carson show as a very little kid demonstrating his golfing abilities.

But I think you have a point there: the majority get spoiled, have a grandiose self-image, and believe that they are immune to the pressures of the law, drugs, and celebrity status.

Answer 7

Child prodigies have to deal with a lot of stress and pressure from the adults. To escape this pressure they tend to give up on their dreams and just have fun.

Answer 8

they get use to the fact that they are intelligent, but usually only in one field. this sets them up with the false beleife that life will be easier for them, but as they get older they have to learn other things besides their given talent. i remember a kid named Nathan cavalerie. he could play guitar like a pro at age 9 and was fantastic. but being so young and in the spotlight so much, he lost alot of oppourtunities to learn other things at school. as he got older it wasn't cute anymore, he was just some guy playing a guitar.

Answer 9

because when they are children they are high above other children in whatever area they excel in (music, medicine, art, etc.). as they get older & become adults, everyone else catches up & when they are adults they do not stand out as much.

Answer 10

Because 15 minutes of fame don't last for hours....