The world has been full of talented people. There is talent in everyone, but the simple fact is that most people never realize their talents, and those talents go to waste. These are people who knew what their talents were, but for one reason or another, their talents were wasted or their lives cut short before fully utilizing their potential.
1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - He is perhaps the most brilliant human to have ever lived. He played the piano at age one, composed music at age five and wrote full symphonies at age seven. His premature death at age 35 deprived the world of countless more symphonies. Although he wasn’t as appreciated during his life as he was after his death, no one doubted that he was talented.
2. James Dean - Considered by some to be the best actor of his generation, but because of his untimely death at 22, he never fulfilled his potential. He starred in three films - Giant, East Of Eden and Rebel Without A Cause - with only East Of Eden being released during his life.
3. Mike Tyson - Being the youngest world heavyweight boxing champion ever, many believed Tyson was bound for great things. But his anger and personality clashed (maybe combined) to created many problems. A troubled marriage and a rape conviction halted Tyson’s rise to boxing greatness. Although many say his performances in the ring were tainted by the fact that he faced inferior opponents, the fact that he had so many hiatuses from the ring really hurt any real or accurate evaluation of his true skill. But that is Tyson’s fault. He not only deprived us of great fights, but he deprived himself of possible greatness.
4. Albert Einstein - Try me on this one. As the most popular scientist to have ever lived, this man might have achieved more and discovered more had he not had to fear for his life during the onset of World War II. As a Jew, he had to worry about being captured by the Nazis and being sent to concentration camps like the millions of other Jews in Europe at the time. Seeking refuge, Einstein fled to the United States along with a few other Jewish scientists, and were sought by the U.S. government to create the atomic bomb. Although the bomb itself helped usher in a new age of technological discovery, Einstein himself regretted his involvement in the Manhattan Project. Had Einstein not had to redirect his life toward these endeavors, he might have discovered fusion (I think) or some other great discovery. Who knows?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - dietdoc
Tan: Very thought-provoking and deserving of much commentary. However, it is distinctly different to lump Mike Tyson and Mozart (and even James Dean) in the same list. To "waste" a life, I think it would have to be more Tyson-esque - have everything and voluntarily toss it - is one thing. Premature death, as in the case of Mozart and Dean are entirely different animals, at least in my humble opinion. Was JFK's a "wasted" life?
For my entry, having just seen the HBO special on his life, I nominate Mickey Mantle. As he admits himself, "I was given so much. You talk about 'role models,' look at me! Don't live your life like I did." [Paraphrased but accurate] Had he not been an alcoholic and played at 50% for much of his career I think Mickey, himself, would admit he would have accomplished much more. That is a life - with so many atletic skills - wasted.
Cheers,
Ron
2 - Victor Plenty
If I recall correctly, Mozart and Dean's premature deaths occurred, at least in part, through their own recklessness. That could place them in the same general category as Tyson.
By Tan's reasoning, Einstein and Kournikova (now there's an unexpected pairing) would belong in a different category because their talents got dissipated by events entirely beyond their control. (World war in Einstein's case, excessively obsessive media attention in Kournikova's.)
It seems to me both categories qualify to be described as wasted. Whether the wasting was done by those around them, or by the talented ones themselves, the world lost out on what it could have gained from a fuller expression of their talents.
As best I can recall right now, my top candidate for a talent lost to the world before fully developing would be Srinivasa Ramanujan, the mathematical genius from India who died prematurely in the early 20th century.
3 - dietdoc
Victor, as you wish. It's your world; I am just a squirrel trying to get a nut. However Tan wants to define "waste" is perfectly fine with me!
Cheers,
Ron
4 - Victor Plenty
You could always do your own list of the Top 5 Talented People Who Wasted Their Own Gifts.
;-)
5 - dietdoc
Victor, I want Tan's thread to grow exponentially to a discussion of the whole topic....wasted, squandered, undiscovered, you name it! I am not nearly as imgainative as Tan and clearly don't have as good a recall as you and most others here. I will just watch the flow and take my inspiration from these talented folks. It is so much fun and I always learn something I didn't think of.
Cheers,
Ron
6 - visualsimplicity
Since you're listing a few tennis stars (or former tennis stars) in your list of wasted talent, I'm going to have to add to that.
Andre Agassi - Through out his younger career, he was basically a playboy. Half concentrating on tennis, half just having fun. He didn't really dedicate himself playing and training for tennis until his late 20's (when he almost won all 4 grand slams in 1 calendar year). Just imagine if he had actually dedicated himself earlier in life, during his prime.
Monica Seles - She was crushing all of her opponents in her early career. Then a crazy fan stabs her and she was never the same again. She couldn't have controled what happened, but it is still wasted talent.
7 - JR
Charlie Christian
Clifford Brown
Buddy Holly
Eric Dolphy
Tommy Bolin
Randy Rhoads
8 - Duane
Tommy Bolin ??!! Alright. Good call, JR. And let's not forget SRV.
9 - Duane
Interesting that you would include Einstein, Tan.
A couple of things:
Einstein left Germany in 1933, and took up permanent residence in the US. He was never in any personal danger.
His involvement in the Manhattan Project went no further than drafting and signing two letters to Roosevelt, at the urging of Leo Szilard and Eugene Wigner. His regret is summarized in the following statement:
"Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, I would not have lifted a finger."
It is also worth noting that the years of WW I were among the most scientifically productive of his career.
10 - Tan The Man
I thought I had Mickey Mantle in there. I guess I forgot.
I second Srinivasa Ramanujan.
In the case about war - just the number of those died had their lives cut short and any thing they could have or would have done if they lived were wasted.
11 - Tan The Man
Another thing with Agassi is that there was a time when he focused mainly on his marriage to Brooke Shields. His marriage was in trouble and he took off tennis for 1-2 years.
12 - Duane
Ramanujan is an excellent choice. You might also look up Evariste Galois (1811-1832). He died from a gunshot wound inflicted in a duel over a woman, evidently. Just before the duel he scribbled down some mathematical ideas that eventaully became what is called group theory, an essential branch of mathematics. 21 years old.
13 - Victor Plenty
Alexander Hamilton was another taken from us too early by the primitive custom of the duello.
14 - RJ
Here are a good five:
Hamilton
RFK
MLK
Mike Utley
Pat Tillman
15 - Tan The Man
I understand Tillman's place, but he isn't as famous or as important as Hamilton or MLK. But you could say that MLK's death made him more famous and his death accomplished more than his living might have.
16 - RJ
Pat Tillman, had he lived, would have almost certainly been elected a Republican Senator (at least), had he chosen to run.
17 - Tan The Man
Yeah, but who really takes "celebrity/sports figure" politicians seriously? I'm not saying he couldn't have contributed... I'm just saying that he wouldn't be taken as seriously as other non-public figure types.
18 - RJ
Yea, Steve Largent and Jim Bunning aren't exactly Presidential timber...
But, then again, Ronald Reagan was merely a Hollywood actor... :)
19 - Celeste O.
"Tell me future boy, who's President in 1985 then?"
"Ronald Reagan."
"The act-tor?!? Then who's VICE-President? Jerry Lewis?"
20 - Celeste O.
Sorry, I should have added that Tillman was just a poster child for soldiers lost in the Iraq war, because of his athletic fame. Nothing against his sacrifice, but he does not represent a greater loss than any other war victim.
21 - RJ
Tillman died in Afghanistan...
22 - AR
I think you should add skier Bode Miller to this list.
23 - zingzing
brian wilson. der. james dean is overrated. good, but not the best of his generation by any means.
24 - zingzing
oh yeah. alex chilton.
25 - zingzing
fuck. rod stewart.