10,000 Hours to Greatness
"10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness", written by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers. Though I haven't read the book and it’s not currently on my reading list, the concept has stuck with me over the years. It has given myself this ideal that mastery in any subject or skill is possible.
I first heard this idea during a livestream from Olofmeister, CS:GO professional from Fnatic. A top-tier player known for winning numerous tournaments, the 10,000-hour rule seemed apt for someone like him. Over the years i've constantly heard this notion echoed by athletes and professionals, but these few figures happened to be the most impactful for me.
Specifically Bill Gates, Andrej Karpathy, Kyrie Irving, and Hikaru Nakamura have all spoken on this and it really embedded this ideal into my head. [I can't find the exact Hikaru clip]
Despite the inspiration I got from this idea, the wider reception is mixed. A quick google search shows "Rule of 10,000 hours debunked" or "Why the rule of 10,000 hours is BS." Common counterarguments I hear from those around me include: "10,000 hours is an excessive amount; proficiency doesn't require that much time," or "You can spend 10,000 hours practicing and still suck."
This feedback has shown me how this rule can be interpreted so differently amongst everyone. To me, this rule suggests the simple view: expertise in any skill or subject is achievable with dedicated time. To put into perspective, dedicating two hours daily to a skill translates to about 14 years to accumulate 10,000 hours.
Now hypothetically with this idea, if I wanted to learn the piano or improve at chess, it seems possible with just time and constant effort. While I may not perform at concert halls or beat Hikaru at chess, the ideal that I can reach a high level seems to be in reach and in time.
I'm writing this not trying to convince people to invest 10000 hours into a subject. I am just really curious on how others view learning, improvement, and mastery. Feel free to reach out to me on IG or X dms if those are areas you would be willing to discuss me about. If you want my number and you want to talk about this kind of thing over coffee just let me know. If you think my view is stupid, wrong, or crazy I'd gladly listen to that as well. I love listening to people talk about their passions and ideals.
I appreciate everyone who made it to the end!
TLDR: I think you can be at an expert at a skill or subject. It takes a lot of time.