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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on January 15, 2008, at 16:47:22
I haven't been able to finish it yet, because I'm reading it when I get a few minutes. But I'm finding it very interesting.
And wondering where they'd rank my therapist. :)
Posted by caraher on January 16, 2008, at 12:04:41
In reply to I've been enjoying this article., posted by Dinah on January 15, 2008, at 16:47:22
Fascinating. The implications go well beyond therapy, too, if the theory behind expert performance is true
Posted by Dinah on January 16, 2008, at 12:21:54
In reply to Re: I've been enjoying this article., posted by caraher on January 16, 2008, at 12:04:41
I'm actually finding parts of it a bit unbelievable. I think I could practice all my life and never be as good as Michael Jordan. I haven't even a dribble of athletic ability, and my spacial relations are poor. I could get better, but I could never be spectacular.
I'm thinking it's more likely to be some sort of combination. You have to have a certain degree of natural talent, then do what they describe.
I used to be involved with showing dogs, and in order to be a great best in show winner you needed to have the basics of wonderful conformation and excellent breed characteristics. But that needed to be coupled with a certain something extra. And I had a dog who had that something extra, but had a few flaws in the basics.
I'm thinking this is a similar thing. What sets experts apart may be the working hard with feedback. But I'm guessing that if you really have no ability, somewhere along the line your feedback would tell you that.
Posted by raisinb on January 16, 2008, at 13:15:43
In reply to Re: I've been enjoying this article., posted by Dinah on January 16, 2008, at 12:21:54
I think accepting--and soliticing, and learning from--negative feedback is important. Even when my T and I are in the worst place possible, the fact that she'll hear how much things suck helps.
But I know from my own work (teaching) that practice and feedback are only part of it. There's something else--something I could call "self" or "love" or both--that makes you want to *do* the practice and hear the feedback. The moments I'm best, in the classroom, are the moments I'm being the most myself. And that makes me love it, because something about it is vital to me. And so I want to be better, to hear feedback--even if it hurts--so that I can keep growing.
I think the authors of that article are doing great work, but I wonder whether the quality they're talking about can be created in people who don't have it? What if the mediocre Ts just don't love it enough? What if their true selves are opened up by something else entirely?
Interesting discussion!
Posted by caraher on January 23, 2008, at 16:31:27
In reply to Re: I've been enjoying this article., posted by Dinah on January 16, 2008, at 12:21:54
> I'm actually finding parts of it a bit unbelievable. I think I could practice all my life and never be as good as Michael Jordan. I haven't even a dribble of athletic ability, and my spacial relations are poor. I could get better, but I could never be spectacular.
This does remind me of a sports article a few years ago when the Detroit Lions changed coaches. The new coach brought along most of his old staff, and one of them remarked that when they were with their previous, much more successful team, they thought they succeeded because they outworked the other teams. But what he saw was that the Lions worked just as hard... but just didn't get the same results. It was kind of an, "Oh crap, this is gonna be harder than I thought" moment for him.
That was a couple coaches ago...
Posted by Dinah on January 24, 2008, at 8:00:55
In reply to Re: I've been enjoying this article., posted by caraher on January 23, 2008, at 16:31:27
Yeah, I think it's what we want to believe, and I even think we're taught that from the earliest age.
But I think there's a combination of factors. Boiling it down to one just isn't fair.
Posted by Dinah on January 24, 2008, at 8:03:33
In reply to Re: I've been enjoying this article., posted by raisinb on January 16, 2008, at 13:15:43
It would be sad if the theory convinced people that all they had to do was listen to feedback and try to make changes based on it, when they might not be suited to the work.
I'd love to be in the helping professions. I'd feel so much more like my work made a difference. I'd also be completely unsuited for it.
This is the end of the thread.
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