Being a Natural

 In the book Mindset, Carol Dweck describes a natural as a person who can do great things, such as play sports, "without trying" (Dweck, 2008 p. 83). She goes on to say that naturals do not really exist but those who are "naturals" are actually the products of hard work and hours of practice. If I had to pick something that I was a "natural" at, it would probably be math. However, like Dweck says in her book, I can attribute my math skills to a great deal of practice in my young childhood. 
Ever since the third grade, I have been in the highest level of math class that my school system offered. In third grade, a class of students was given fourth grade level work and this trend continued through high school. There, I took the hardest math class that the school offered and got an A and then got a 34 on the math portion of the ACT. It probably sounds like I'm bragging but I am really just trying to show why people considered me a natural. In reality, my math skills were mainly from the extra practice I had as a young child. Math intrigued me and my parents encouraged me to learn as much as I could. As a result, I was always ahead of the school's curriculum. I know that if my parents had not encouraged me and the teachers had not been willing to give me different work, I probably would not be a "natural."
Some people may say that I am just blessed with some unfair math advantage. I've been told that the amount of time it takes me to figure out math problems is insane. However, I strongly believe that the only reason I am the way I am is because math interested me and my parents strongly encouraged me to learn as much as I could as quickly as I could as long as I was retaining the material. I believe that proof for my claims lies in my math experience in the last couple years. Since starting calculus, I have had trouble seeing the real world applications of it and therefore did not try as hard in class. When I learn something, I like to be able to connect it with a time that I will use it in my life. Calculus does not have a good connection,. I did not try as hard and now I would say I am an average calculus student.
Dweck says that naturals do not have to try to accomplish anything and can still be great. I don't see how this can be true given my personal experiences and all of the examples she provides.  A natural is actually a person that has interest in a topic or activity and then practices that activity a great deal and slowly develops talents. The ideas of a natural seems to be a fixed mindset excuse for things. For example, that person did better than me because they are naturally good at that subject. I'm naturally bad at it. This allows the fixed mindset person to have a reason for their failures and blame them on some other cause. 


Dweck, Carol. Mindset:The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine Books, 2008. 83-91. Print.