[The World on the Page] Not Early Education, but a Late Start Leads to Success in Life

The Secret of Late Blooming Geniuses, According to Epstein
Van Gogh, Mirzakhani, Federer, and More:
Most Masters Succeeded After Exploring Many Fields in Youth
Early Specialization Narrows Perspective
Early Education Can Become a Trap

I often watch television programs with my wife that travel around the country introducing local cultures. The diverse natural landscapes, unique cultures, and dynamic ways of life are captivating. Especially fascinating are the stories of artisans who have dedicated themselves to a single craft for a long time. Scenes where every aspect of our lives?food, clothing, furniture, dolls, clocks, musical instruments, cotton candy?is treated like art are truly moving.

We are indeed in the era of artisans. It is a world where people who have honed their skills with lifelong blood and sweat are respected. An era where artisans become role models reflects the maturity of our society. Regardless of money, power, status, or occupation, anyone can become an expert and realize themselves, entering a spiritual advanced nation.

But how can one become an artisan? People often like stories of geniuses who discovered their talents at a young age and devoted themselves to that path. Mozart, Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods, and others had parents who recognized their talents early and, after long and careful training, saw their talents blossom and reach the top of their fields. Naturally, early talent discovery and accumulated effort lead to good results. The story is smooth and neat, making it easy to understand. This is why we easily get caught up in the early education craze. The problem is that the world is not so neat.

In The Sports Gene (Open Books), David Epstein argues that early education is a myth. The overwhelming majority of great masters who achieved tremendous success wandered through various fields in their youth and only later discovered their true path and devoted themselves to it. Examples abound: tennis emperor Roger Federer, who explored many sports; Duke Ellington, who loved baseball more than music; mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, who dreamed of becoming a novelist but became the first woman to win the Fields Medal; and Vincent van Gogh, who tried numerous jobs and techniques before finding his unique style. They mostly entered their fields in their youth.

It is not good to “go all in” on a specific field at a young age. Those who broaden their exploration, test many possibilities, and experience a lot tend to produce better long-term results in life’s race. Most successful artisans go through a “sampling period” instead of following the path of prodigies. Regardless of innate talent, they touch on various fields. In the process, they acquire knowledge and skills unrelated to their expertise.

The idea that they would have achieved greater accomplishments if they had entered their field earlier is a misconception. The sampling period is not a waste. Epstein has long said, “Learning about yourself is more important than learning something.”

Moreover, most early education programs exhibit a “fade-out effect.” These programs usually teach things that can be quickly acquired through repetitive training. For example, memorizing multiplication tables or learning Hangul shows a momentary genius effect. However, as time passes and most children learn the same things, the early advantage quickly weakens and even disappears entirely. Numerous studies show that children who learn letters at age three have lower long-term language abilities than those who learn at ages seven or eight. A sufficiently developed brain combined with accumulated experience is the key to unlocking language potential.

Early education assumes that life’s narrative will proceed as predicted at a very young age. If the world changes slowly and life paths have few major twists, those who master a skill even a year earlier have an advantage. Repeating certain patterns can solve most problems. For example, in “friendly” areas like chess or golf, early education is not bad. Although competition is fierce, strict rules and fixed patterns determine victory or defeat. K-pop, characterized by “precision choreography,” might be similar.

However, according to Epstein, the world is wicked. This does not mean it is evil but extremely tricky. Rules change frequently in every field, and new problems arise that never existed before. There are almost no fields where investing talent early and building skills guarantees lifelong superiority. In many areas, early education becomes a trap. As often seen with elite athletes or idol entertainers, narrowing one’s vision by optimizing for a specific field leads to failure to properly perceive situations or come up with creative solutions to complex realities. Even the best tools honed over many years cannot alone navigate this tricky world.

The world is nothing like a chessboard, golf course, stage, or sports field. Challenges are not clearly defined, and strict rules are scarce. In such a wicked world, premature repetitive mastery often leads to failure. Conversely, those who experience many things early on and have the ability to connect, infer, and synthesize knowledge from entirely different fields are more likely to achieve great success. Scientists who have won Nobel Prizes were tens of times more likely than average scientists to have also worked as actors, dancers, magicians, musicians, sculptors, mechanics, or novelists.

The idea that one must focus on a single field from a young age to succeed is too narrow-minded. Most people who received early education and went all in on their field did not become great innovators (Big Creators) who revolutionized their fields. Repetitive learning usually stifles creativity. True early education should encourage children to learn in more diverse contexts and develop the ability to apply knowledge in unprecedented situations.

Only children who wander through various fields and endure major mistakes become masters. They creatively solve humanity’s complex problems and open new paths. We must open the way for children to try many things and learn from failure. When late starts are regarded as essential to success rather than early education, an era of artisans producing world-class experts in all fields of life will finally open before us.

Jang Eun-su, Publishing Culture Critic