There’s a saying: “A child prodigy at ten, a genius at fifteen, and an ordinary person after twenty.” The opposite of this saying is “a late bloomer.” I’ve been curious to know which is preferable and which is true. A German university recently published the results of a study. A research team from Kaiserslautern-Landau University in Germany compiled a database of approximately 34,000 people, including some of the world’s top performers. The research team created a database of people active in various fields, including sports, academia, and music. Using this database, they published an analysis of world-class performers in sports, academia, and the arts. This analysis revealed that, across multiple fields, approximately 90% were not prominent in their youth. Conversely, only about 10% of those who were recognized for their excellence at a young age continued to be active at the forefront of their fields in adulthood. A comparison of Nobel Prize winners and non-winning candidates revealed that the winners were less highly regarded in their youth. It seems that early education and gifted education do not necessarily lead to top-class success. This also seems to be related to the high possibility of late bloomers. This time, we considered late bloomers and early education.
Currently, people with diverse behavioral patterns are valued. In a sense, people with brain activity that is flexible in responding to challenges seem to be in demand. Brain development is created through thinking, physical activity, and receiving various stimuli. By using the body and sensory organs, the nerves develop and the brain becomes more sophisticated. This brain generates imagination, thought, and vitality. A concrete example of this can be seen in the early grades of elementary school. When children enter elementary school, they are compared between those who are lifestyle-oriented and those who are academic-oriented. Those who are lifestyle-oriented are children who are absorbed in helping with housework and playing. Those who are academic-oriented have mastered reading and writing before starting school so that they will not fall behind in elementary school. In some ways, they enter elementary school fully prepared. Initially, those who are academic-oriented dominate. However, after a while, this advantage becomes even, and eventually the advantage in learning also disappears. The strength of the lifestyle group is that they have made many mistakes and experienced many failures. They learn important lessons from these mistakes and failures, and this amplifies their motivation. These children seem to develop their talents.
Typically, those who aspire to study or exercise (sports) begin by mastering the “kata” (form) given to them by their instructor. It is futile to try to build on something without a solid foundation. There is a saying: “Shu, Ha, Ri.” “Shu” is the stage that you faithfully follow the instructor’s teachings and continue practicing, firmly mastering the “kata.” “Ha” is the stage that you add your own originality to the basics learned in “Shu.” “Ri” is the stage that you become independent from your instructor and forge your own path. Through the three stages of Shu, Ha, and Ri, you will grow into a capable individual. Learning unfolds like a mandala, and you never know what will trigger it. The joy of learning new things and being able to do things that were previously impossible makes children more positive. Things they’ve been learning up until that point suddenly become clear, as they connect and understand. This process of understanding followed by a sudden realization is called a paradigm shift. In most cases, a paradigm shift marks a “change in dimension,” and comprehension rapidly improves. Paradigm shifts occur many times throughout a child’s life, contributing to their growth. Late bloomers seem to experience many paradigm changes in various situations and throughout their development.
German research also documents the reality of stagnation. In sports, people who are top-class in their country at age 14 often plateau around age 17. Intensive training in youth improves skills, but this ultimately leads to a plateau. If a person has high ability in their youth, their ability will eventually plateau at a relatively high level. If they perform at a relatively stable level, they will often be overtaken by world-class athletes by age 19. Those who developed their talents to the top level tended to progress more slowly than those who received early education. Another characteristic was that those who developed their talents to the top often participated in two different sports during the first nine years of their youth. This characteristic was also seen in fields other than sports. This tendency was also seen in those engaged in scientific fields, non-scientific professions, and activities such as the arts. One possible factor contributing to growth is the contribution of diverse experiences to improving abilities. Conversely, a reason for stagnation in growth seems to be a lack of opportunities to encounter other areas of expertise. If this is the case, then, it seems that providing diverse experiences in early education may also lead to late maturity. Currently, special programs aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent that realize the benefits of early education and late maturity are becoming common worldwide.
