I wasn't comparing some average people with talented people. I was simply showing that it takes time to reach a certain level of expertise. This implies that even if you have a talent, you'll still have to invest a lot of time.
"A friend" is not stats. This is stats:
Long periods of necessary preparation can also be inferred for writers and scientists, although the starting point of their careers is more difficult to determine. Scientists have reported that they made a career decision during their middle or late teens, whereas they most often published a truly major contribution one or two decades later (Lehmann, 1953). Raskin (1936), who analyzed the 120 most important scientists and 123 most famous poets and authors in the 19th century, found that the average age at which scientists published their first work was 25.2; poets and authors published their first work at the average age of 24.2. Moreover, many years of preparation preceded first publication. The average ages at which the same individuals produced their greatest work were 35.4 for scientists and 34.3 for poets and authors. That is, on average, more than 10 years elapsed between these scientists' and authors' first work and their best work. In many other domains, the highest level of expert performance is displayed by individuals with more than 10 years of experience: evaluation of livestock (Phelps & Shanteau, 1978), diagnosis of X-rays (Lesgold, 1984), and medical diagnosis (Patel & Groen, 1991). This evidence is consistent with Gallon's (1869/1979) claim that motivation and perseverance are necessary for attainment of eminent performance.
"A friend" is not stats. This is stats:
Long periods of necessary preparation can also be inferred for writers and scientists, although the starting point of their careers is more difficult to determine. Scientists have reported that they made a career decision during their middle or late teens, whereas they most often published a truly major contribution one or two decades later (Lehmann, 1953). Raskin (1936), who analyzed the 120 most important scientists and 123 most famous poets and authors in the 19th century, found that the average age at which scientists published their first work was 25.2; poets and authors published their first work at the average age of 24.2. Moreover, many years of preparation preceded first publication. The average ages at which the same individuals produced their greatest work were 35.4 for scientists and 34.3 for poets and authors. That is, on average, more than 10 years elapsed between these scientists' and authors' first work and their best work. In many other domains, the highest level of expert performance is displayed by individuals with more than 10 years of experience: evaluation of livestock (Phelps & Shanteau, 1978), diagnosis of X-rays (Lesgold, 1984), and medical diagnosis (Patel & Groen, 1991). This evidence is consistent with Gallon's (1869/1979) claim that motivation and perseverance are necessary for attainment of eminent performance.