200 years ago most be people were "unintelligent" illiterate farmers, and yet today there descendents are literate, many doing highly intelligent work.
The parent commenter was speaking about making a transition in one's own career. Like him, I have doubts about my ability to become a top-notch violinist, especially since you have to find the tone centers by ear for that instrument. I don't know of anybody ever developing perfect pitch as an adult. Similarly, I doubt my grandmother, who even now is an extremely talented cellist with perfect pitch, could ever become a good programmer.
However, her son did become an excellent programmer, I am confident that my own children could become excellent programmers, musicians, visual artists or speakers of any language... if they start as children or adolescents. Yes people can change an learn... but drastic changes rarely happen after a certain age.
The parent commenter was speaking about making a transition in one's own career. Like him, I have doubts about my ability to become a top-notch violinist, especially since you have to find the tone centers by ear for that instrument. I don't know of anybody ever developing perfect pitch as an adult. Similarly, I doubt my grandmother, who even now is an extremely talented cellist with perfect pitch, could ever become a good programmer.
However, her son did become an excellent programmer, I am confident that my own children could become excellent programmers, musicians, visual artists or speakers of any language... if they start as children or adolescents. Yes people can change an learn... but drastic changes rarely happen after a certain age.