Part 2/7:
Prodigies like Tiger Woods exemplify the story many aspire to emulate. Tiger’s father gave him a putter before he even turned one, and by two, he was on national television showing off his swing. By three, he was already dreaming of being the next Jack Nicklaus, and by twenty-one, he was considered the greatest golfer alive. Such stories create a compelling narrative: early focus and intensive training lead to inevitable mastery.
However, Epstein warns us against overly simplistic assumptions. The idea that early success in narrow domains guarantees long-term excellence is misleading. Human development does not follow a straight line; it’s often messy, nonlinear, and influenced by a multitude of factors.