the problem with overvaluing genius/prodigy/talent in our society

I tested into the GATE program as a child, so naturally I started researching intellectual giftedness once I had a phone with steady internet access. There's certainly an element of variance in cognitive processing and function that can lead to feelings of alienation or isolation in some, so I am not referring to that here. 

Rather, I am referring to our society's collective fascination over things like: genius 5 year olds that are savants at violin, the kid who can randomly just draw super well, the athletic stars who are just naturals, the kids who skip 5 grades. Etc. I am guilty of this myself. I knew the kids who had skipped grades in my classes and I always wanted to be like them. 

I think this fascination represents a subconscious sort of laziness that has permeated our society. Let me explain. 

How many times have we heard this sort of crap --

• I "can't draw" -> No, you CAN, you just choose not to invest energy into that sphere and you assume that lacking natural talent means you will never be any good. Our society loves to imply this for some reason. 
• I "can't sing" -> same thing lol. 
• I "can't do math" -> No, you freeze up when you see a math problem because you haven't been properly trained in how to actually approach it. Most likely your math education has been crap unless it was from Salman Khan. 'Murica. 
• I "don't have the right genetics to lift" -> Same thing. 
• I'm "not an X person" -> you get it. 

I do the same thing but with social skills, so I am guilty of it too. Same with stuff like yard work -- I am not naturally good at it and I don't actually like it, so I end up saying stuff like "Oh hands-on labor just isn't my thing" or "I'm just not very good at social things." 

A part of me thinks it's linked to this fascination with easy success / inherent genius. If you over-focus on this, you'll start seeing talent as this sort of...essential part of doing well at something, and then you'll have a built-in excuse to not try. A copout. 

You have no control over your own genotypic expression, so you have to stop obsessing over it. Fixed vs. growth mindset. 

It doesn't matter if you're not good at something. If you want to do it, and you want to be good, you just do it anyway. You keep spamming and pushing and learning and you ignore every single person who tells you that you can't do it. You follow the strategies of the best, the ones who had to work for it, and you emulate them in every way you can. 

I was "talented" at writing the same way I was reading at a 5th grade level in kindergarten. I consistently performed well in advanced English courses. And then I got to my college-level English literature and creative writing classes and got my butt kicked repeatedly. I have not published any novels. And I won't get there until I actually learn how to write well. But I will get my writing up to par and I will get published. 

I was "talented" at clarinet, easily getting to be first chair in beginning band, and then the train derailed in high school and I've been struggling ever since. 

Seriously, nothing is particularly impressive about being talented. You didn't do anything to achieve that. It just...sort of...is there. 

I was not talented at art, math, etc. but I do them anyway. In the end, once you're at the top levels, no one is going to be able to tell the difference anyway.