High-achieving adults rarely began as child prodigies

undefined 23, 2025

Source: newscientist

A review of 19 studies on nearly 35,000 high achievers finds that childhood prodigy status or intensive early training rarely predicts adult world-class performance. Most top performers developed their skills gradually while engaging in diverse activities, which may foster flexible learning and prevent burnout. Only about 10% of top youth performers excelled as adults, suggesting broad early experiences are more effective for long-term elite achievement than early specialization.

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