4/17/2017 HowtoRaiseaCreativeChild.

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HowtoRaiseaCreativeChild.StepOne:BackOff
AdamGrant JAN.30,2016

THEYlearntoreadatage2,playBachat4,breezethroughcalculusat6,andspeakforeignlanguagesfluentlyby8.
Theirclassmatesshudderwithenvytheirparentsrejoiceatwinningthelottery.ButtoparaphraseT.S.Eliot,their
careerstendtoendnotwithabang,butwithawhimper.

Considerthenationsmostprestigiousawardforscientificallygiftedhighschoolstudents,theWestinghouse
ScienceTalentSearch,calledtheSuperBowlofsciencebyoneAmericanpresident.Fromitsinceptionin1942until
1994,thesearchrecognizedmorethan2000precociousteenagersasfinalists.Butjust1percentendedupmakingthe
NationalAcademyofSciences,andjusteighthavewonNobelPrizes.ForeveryLisaRandallwhorevolutionizes
theoreticalphysics,therearemanydozenswhofallfarshortoftheirpotential.

Childprodigiesrarelybecomeadultgeniuseswhochangetheworld.Weassumethattheymustlackthesocial
andemotionalskillstofunctioninsociety.Whenyoulookattheevidence,though,thisexplanationdoesntsuffice:
Lessthanaquarterofgiftedchildrensufferfromsocialandemotionalproblems.Avastmajorityarewelladjusted
aswinningatacocktailpartyasinthespellingbee.

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Whatholdsthembackisthattheydontlearntobeoriginal.Theystrivetoearntheapprovaloftheirparentsand
theadmirationoftheirteachers.ButastheyperforminCarnegieHallandbecomechesschampions,something
unexpectedhappens:Practicemakesperfect,butitdoesntmakenew.

ThegiftedlearntoplaymagnificentMozartmelodies,butrarelycomposetheirownoriginalscores.Theyfocustheir
energyonconsumingexistingscientificknowledge,notproducingnewinsights.Theyconformtocodifiedrules,
ratherthaninventingtheirown.Researchsuggeststhatthemostcreativechildrenaretheleastlikelytobecomethe
teacherspet,andinresponse,manylearntokeeptheiroriginalideastothemselves.Inthelanguageofthecritic
WilliamDeresiewicz,theybecometheexcellentsheep.

Inadulthood,manyprodigiesbecomeexpertsintheirfieldsandleadersintheirorganizations.Yetonlya
fractionofgiftedchildreneventuallybecomerevolutionaryadultcreators,lamentsthepsychologistEllenWinner.
Thosewhodomustmakeapainfultransitiontoanadultwhoultimatelyremakesadomain.

Mostprodigiesnevermakethatleap.Theyapplytheirextraordinaryabilitiesbyshiningintheirjobswithout
makingwaves.Theybecomedoctorswhohealtheirpatientswithoutfightingtofixthebrokenmedicalsystemor
lawyerswhodefendclientsonunfairchargesbutdonottrytotransformthelawsthemselves.

Sowhatdoesittaketoraiseacreativechild?Onestudycomparedthefamiliesofchildrenwhowereratedamong
themostcreative5percentintheirschoolsystemwiththosewhowerenotunusuallycreative.Theparentsof
ordinarychildrenhadanaverageofsixrules,likespecificschedulesforhomeworkandbedtime.Parentsofhighly
creativechildrenhadanaverageoffewerthanonerule.

Creativitymaybehardtonurture,butitseasytothwart.Bylimitingrules,parentsencouragedtheirchildrento
thinkforthemselves.Theytendedtoplaceemphasisonmoralvalues,ratherthanonspecificrules,theHarvard
psychologistTeresaAmabilereports.

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Eventhen,though,parentsdidntshovetheirvaluesdowntheirchildrensthroats.Whenpsychologists
comparedAmericasmostcreativearchitectswithagroupofhighlyskilledbutunoriginalpeers,therewassomething
uniqueabouttheparentsofthecreativearchitects:Emphasiswasplacedonthedevelopmentofonesownethical
code.

Yes,parentsencouragedtheirchildrentopursueexcellenceandsuccessbuttheyalsoencouragedthemtofind
joyinwork.Theirchildrenhadfreedomtosortouttheirownvaluesanddiscovertheirowninterests.Andthatset
themuptoflourishascreativeadults.

WhenthepsychologistBenjaminBloomledastudyoftheearlyrootsofworldclassmusicians,artists,athletes
andscientists,helearnedthattheirparentsdidntdreamofraisingsuperstarkids.Theywerentdrillsergeantsor
slavedrivers.Theyrespondedtotheintrinsicmotivationoftheirchildren.Whentheirchildrenshowedinterestand
enthusiasminaskill,theparentssupportedthem.

Topconcertpianistsdidnthaveeliteteachersfromthetimetheycouldwalktheirfirstlessonscamefrom
instructorswhohappenedtolivenearbyandmadelearningfun.Mozartshowedinterestinmusicbeforetaking
lessons,nottheotherwayaround.MaryLouWilliamslearnedtoplaythepianoonherownItzhakPerlmanbegan
teachinghimselftheviolinafterbeingrejectedfrommusicschool.

Eventhebestathletesdidntstartoutanybetterthantheirpeers.WhenDr.Bloomsteaminterviewedtennis
playerswhowererankedinthetop10intheworld,theywerenot,toparaphraseJerrySeinfeld,doingpushupssince
theywereafetus.FewofthemfacedintensepressuretoperfectthegameasAndreAgassidid.Amajorityofthe
tennisstarsrememberedonethingabouttheirfirstcoaches:Theymadetennisenjoyable.

SINCEMalcolmGladwellpopularizedthe10,000hourrulesuggestingthatsuccessdependsonthetimewe
spendindeliberatepractice,debatehasragedabouthowthehoursnecessarytobecomeanexpertvarybyfieldand

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person.Inarguingaboutthat,weveoverlookedtwoquestionsthatmatterjustasmuch.

First,cantpracticeitselfblindustowaystoimproveourareaofstudy?Researchrevealsthatthemorewe
practice,themorewebecomeentrenchedtrappedinfamiliarwaysofthinking.Expertbridgeplayersstruggled
morethannovicestoadaptwhentheruleswerechangedexpertaccountantswereworsethannovicesatapplyinga
newtaxlaw.

Second,whatmotivatespeopletopracticeaskillforthousandsofhours?Themostreliableanswerispassion
discoveredthroughnaturalcuriosityornurturedthroughearlyenjoyableexperienceswithanactivityormany
activities.

Evidenceshowsthatcreativecontributionsdependonthebreadth,notjustdepth,ofourknowledgeand
experience.Infashion,themostoriginalcollectionscomefromdirectorswhospendthemosttimeworkingabroad.
Inscience,winningaNobelPrizeislessaboutbeingasinglemindedgeniusandmoreaboutbeinginterestedin
manythings.Relativetotypicalscientists,NobelPrizewinnersare22timesmorelikelytoperformasactors,dancers
ormagicians12timesmorelikelytowritepoetry,playsornovelsseventimesmorelikelytodabbleinartsand
craftsandtwiceaslikelytoplayaninstrumentorcomposemusic.

Nooneisforcingtheseluminaryscientiststogetinvolvedinartistichobbies.Itsareflectionoftheircuriosity.
Andsometimes,thatcuriosityleadsthemtoflashesofinsight.Thetheoryofrelativityoccurredtomebyintuition,
andmusicisthedrivingforcebehindthisintuition,AlbertEinsteinreflected.Hismotherenrolledhiminviolin
lessonsstartingatage5,buthewasntintrigued.Hisloveofmusiconlyblossomedasateenager,afterhestopped
takinglessonsandstumbleduponMozartssonatas.Loveisabetterteacherthanasenseofduty,hesaid.

Hearthat,TigerMomsandLombardiDads?Youcantprogramachildtobecomecreative.Trytoengineera
certainkindofsuccess,andthebestyoullgetisanambitiousrobot.Ifyouwantyourchildrentobringoriginalideas

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intotheworld,youneedtoletthempursuetheirpassions,notyours.

AdamGrantisaprofessorofmanagementandpsychologyattheWhartonSchooloftheUniversityofPennsylvania,
andacontributingopinionwriter.ThisessayisadaptedfromhisnewbookOriginals:HowNonConformistsMovethe
World.

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AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonJanuary31,2016,onPageSR12oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:HowtoRaiseaCreative
Child.

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