Before i continue - or rather, before i can continue - let me clarify what is meant by the title.
That is done by clarifying what is meant by talent. That is done by comparing and contrasting it with related terms, namely ability, skill and gifts.
Ability is strictly a process towards an immediate result. For example, the ability to cut refers to enacting a process which results in something being cut after the ability is used. Because they are fundamentally processes, abilities are often applicable towards other ends. For example, cutting can achieve the effect of mowing the lawn. For the sake of practicality, it is then said that one possesses the ability to mow the lawn, even tho they only technically possess the ability to cut. So while it is practically so, the effects of applying ability are not the same as the basic ability. Ability is used interchangeably with 'a skill', but not skill.
Skill is not what you do, but how well you do it. It is a measure of finesse or level of execution, not the execution in itself. For example, two people can cut, but the one who achieves a more accurate cut is considered more skilled at cutting. Because the application of skill is both practical and leads directly to a result while directly giving birth to a process, it is said that a process based on skill is 'a skill'.
A gift is a non-specific term for anything given (hence 'gift'). In the context of this thread, it refers to anything possesses relative to ability. Becuase anything possessed can be given, anything possessed can be called a gift. This includes abilities, skills and talents. So gift is really just a broad term for any 'thing' that one has, especially when it serves a purpose.
So now that the object (gift), process (ability) and quality (skill) have been identified, what is left for talent to be? Talent is also non-specific, but not broad. Talent is an affinity or inclination towards a particular discipline or technique. When someone is called talented, that does not speak for how they may complete a task or even what specific task they can complete, but rather that they are suitable for it. In this way, talent can be considered as a measure of suitability for any discipline or course of action. It looks at how suitable one's abilities or skills are to any specific purpose.
Similar to a gift, talent can be connected to both skill and ability - with gift being their category and talent being what lies behind them. Because it can be the cause of ability and skill, talent becomes very imprecise. For example, if a character uses a water release technique, it can mean that they are talented at inventing water techniques or that they are talented at learning them from others. The precise talent is difficult to identify because the same result can be achieved from different routes, but it can definitely be said that the character has a talent that lends itself to the casting of water release techniques. Even when the precise talent is known, measuring the level of it is difficult. This is because the precise requirements for achieving a result are not always known. For example, it can be safely said that Killer B with his Disruption Sword Style is more talented at sword play than Zabuza with his basic swings. However, it may be that in order to be perfectly level when performing a swing, someone must still their body to almost impossible levels of stability, while Killer B only really stuffs swords between his elbows. Because of this, it could then be that Zabuza possesses a talent that is far beyond what Killer B can do. So talent is a somewhat vague factor behind abilities and skills, which are the ones we can measure precisely.
While the talent can be vague in itself, it is generally precise in any context. For example, someone talented at football possesses a precise quality that is difficult to identify or single out, but that the quality applies towards football is very clear. When talent is then spoken of in general, without specified context or direction, the context is taken as being implied. For example, with this thread, the context is implied by the nature of our discussions (Naruto, battle ability).
Now that was originally supposed to open up my Neji thread, but i realise it can serve more purpose. I'll make it a spoiler in that thread too.
So in light of this . . .
1. Who would you consider the top 5 most gifted characters? That is, those with the best gifts relative to their level.
2. Who are the top 5 most skilled characters, being able to do whatever they do with the highest level of proficiency?
3. Of these 10 choices, which are your top 5 most talented?
(Im gona do an ability question in its own thread, but you can comment on that too if you want)
And of course, what are your feelings on the whole topic?
That is done by clarifying what is meant by talent. That is done by comparing and contrasting it with related terms, namely ability, skill and gifts.
Ability is strictly a process towards an immediate result. For example, the ability to cut refers to enacting a process which results in something being cut after the ability is used. Because they are fundamentally processes, abilities are often applicable towards other ends. For example, cutting can achieve the effect of mowing the lawn. For the sake of practicality, it is then said that one possesses the ability to mow the lawn, even tho they only technically possess the ability to cut. So while it is practically so, the effects of applying ability are not the same as the basic ability. Ability is used interchangeably with 'a skill', but not skill.
Skill is not what you do, but how well you do it. It is a measure of finesse or level of execution, not the execution in itself. For example, two people can cut, but the one who achieves a more accurate cut is considered more skilled at cutting. Because the application of skill is both practical and leads directly to a result while directly giving birth to a process, it is said that a process based on skill is 'a skill'.
A gift is a non-specific term for anything given (hence 'gift'). In the context of this thread, it refers to anything possesses relative to ability. Becuase anything possessed can be given, anything possessed can be called a gift. This includes abilities, skills and talents. So gift is really just a broad term for any 'thing' that one has, especially when it serves a purpose.
So now that the object (gift), process (ability) and quality (skill) have been identified, what is left for talent to be? Talent is also non-specific, but not broad. Talent is an affinity or inclination towards a particular discipline or technique. When someone is called talented, that does not speak for how they may complete a task or even what specific task they can complete, but rather that they are suitable for it. In this way, talent can be considered as a measure of suitability for any discipline or course of action. It looks at how suitable one's abilities or skills are to any specific purpose.
Similar to a gift, talent can be connected to both skill and ability - with gift being their category and talent being what lies behind them. Because it can be the cause of ability and skill, talent becomes very imprecise. For example, if a character uses a water release technique, it can mean that they are talented at inventing water techniques or that they are talented at learning them from others. The precise talent is difficult to identify because the same result can be achieved from different routes, but it can definitely be said that the character has a talent that lends itself to the casting of water release techniques. Even when the precise talent is known, measuring the level of it is difficult. This is because the precise requirements for achieving a result are not always known. For example, it can be safely said that Killer B with his Disruption Sword Style is more talented at sword play than Zabuza with his basic swings. However, it may be that in order to be perfectly level when performing a swing, someone must still their body to almost impossible levels of stability, while Killer B only really stuffs swords between his elbows. Because of this, it could then be that Zabuza possesses a talent that is far beyond what Killer B can do. So talent is a somewhat vague factor behind abilities and skills, which are the ones we can measure precisely.
While the talent can be vague in itself, it is generally precise in any context. For example, someone talented at football possesses a precise quality that is difficult to identify or single out, but that the quality applies towards football is very clear. When talent is then spoken of in general, without specified context or direction, the context is taken as being implied. For example, with this thread, the context is implied by the nature of our discussions (Naruto, battle ability).
Now that was originally supposed to open up my Neji thread, but i realise it can serve more purpose. I'll make it a spoiler in that thread too.
So in light of this . . .
1. Who would you consider the top 5 most gifted characters? That is, those with the best gifts relative to their level.
2. Who are the top 5 most skilled characters, being able to do whatever they do with the highest level of proficiency?
3. Of these 10 choices, which are your top 5 most talented?
(Im gona do an ability question in its own thread, but you can comment on that too if you want)
And of course, what are your feelings on the whole topic?
