MADISON, WI, US: This is with reference to Feisal H Naqvi’s article “Time to be untalented” (August 14). The writer has reduced a varied problem to a single variable. The article is too simplistic and does not tell the whole truth. There is no doubt that hard work is very important but it is not the answer to all ills. Hard work may be important when it comes to mastering a skill or running a production line. However, it is not of much use when it comes to innovation. Let me clarify by giving some examples.
Indian students excel over Americans and Europeans in mathematics at the school level just because of their hard work. However, in the last 1,000 years, India has not produced a single mathematician of any significance. Indian boys can multiply odd numbers but have not been able to invent a calculator.
It is the right mix of intelligence and hard work, which is the key to success. Neither of them alone can produce positive results.
Now, coming to the definition of resource. Oil was nothing but underground mud. It was the invention of the white man who made it a resource. The same applies to most so-called resources. Solar energy is fast becoming a resource. Can we exploit it simply by working hard? Hard work is the last step in any process. Our brain has to put a working plan in place before the so-called hard work begins. Moreover, people of the subcontinent are not risk-takers, which is another ingredient for success. The Western world took risks when it ventured into unknown seas and the skies. Many people lost their lives in the process. However, the West discovered many continents and landed on the moon. Could hard work alone have allowed for that to happen?
Rajendra Kalkhande
Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2012.
