Famous people are said to have some things in common. Maybe they all display perseverance. Maybe they all came from homes which were rich in their area of achievement. Maybe they were all lucky in who they knew. Or maybe there is nothing at all which links them.
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You may choose to study a few individuals in depth. For example, you might choose to look a scientist, say J.K. Rowling, a scientists, say Stephen Hawking, and a musician, say Paul McCartney.
You may consider all or some of the questions below. You may choose people who are not listed in this set of web pages. You are looking for any trends which appear to be occurring across all or most of the achievers you look at - people who come from very different fields. Is there something which is typical of high achievers? You might just come across another trait which is not in the questions on offer. You won't know what you will find until you start reading! And don't forget, the particular focus is what they were like at your age, as well as over their entire lives. |
The Questions and Sample Biographies
| 1. | What was the first indication of interest in their field? What exactly? | Albert Einstein |
| 2. | Is the field of achievement represented in the family background? | The Leakeys |
| 3. | Did they display an obsessive nature and single minded passion for the topic? | Marie Curie |
| 4. | Is there evidence of a chance event which had a huge impact on their direction? | Paul McCartney |
| 5. | Did they not only have to overcome adversity, but turn it to a gain? | Stephen Hawking |
| 6. | Were they able to have a normal life - job, marriage, time at home with the kids? | Charles Darwin |
| 7. | Did they display perseverance? | Thomas Edison |
| 8. | Is it perfectionism or a striving for excellence they show? Is there a difference? | Henry Ford |
| 9. | Did they take that extra step beyond the norm to make their mark? | Richard Owen |
| 10. | Did they have to work hard to get the break? | J.K. Rowling |
| 11. | Did their learning come from within or beyond traditional education? | Mark Twain |
| 12. | What were they like socially at school? | Robin Williams |
| 13. | Were they an only child, first born or one of many? | Beethoven |
| 14. | Did they have mentors key to their development in their field of achievement? | M.C. Escher |
| 15. | Did they grasp at opportunities on the way up? | Oprah Winfrey |
| 16. | Did they not only overcome opposition, but turn it to a gain? | Nelson Mandela |
| 17. | Is genius so very near to madness? | Nikola Tesla |
| 18. | Were they focused in a narrow field or work across different disciplines? | Lewis Carroll |
| 19. | What REALLY motivated them? | Mother Teresa |
| 20. | And was it nature or nurture or a bit of both? | C. S. Lewis |
Comparing the lives of these people, can you say there is a trend revealed which you believe is true for high achievers across the fields?
You will need to consider only one (or two) of the questions given above.
You will need to consider a number of people from various fields in terms of that question.
Even though the biographies of people are listed against other questions, you may well find information in terms of your question in those biographical notes. These biographies are only given as a starting point. They are not to be taken as complete biographies.
