asset or talent?

[LeTyan]

Hi,

"Competitions can help generate talents (or assets?) and eliminate the mediocre"

Which one would you choose?

The reason why I brought this up is because I am not sure when we use the word talent, does talent specifically refer to the kind of abilities that are inborn or both acquired and inborn?

Thank you!

 

[Raymott]

Yes, 'talent' refers to inborn characteristics usually. You can "develop a talent" but, as it's normally used, the talent has to be there for it to be developed. I'd consider "excellence" for that sentence, though there are other words that would fit.

 

[LeTyan]

Yes, 'talent' refers to inborn characteristics usually. You can "develop a talent" but, as it's normally used, the talent has to be there for it to be developed. I'd consider "excellence" for that sentence, though there are other words that would fit.

Thank you for your helpful reply of explaining the word "talent" !
Initially, I wanted a word for describe a type of people. So can I say "competitions help generate assets and eliminate the mediocre people?

 

[Tdol]

I wouldn't. The company in charge of the competition might talk of developing assets, but for anyone else, it doesn't work IMO.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Will it work if 'human' is added before 'assets'?

 

[Tdol]

Not really.

 

[LeTyan]

Not really.

When you use the word "talent" to describe a person.
For example, someone is a talent.
Would you consider this person's abilities more to be inborn or acquired or could them be both?

 

[Matthew Wai]

The Oxford Dictionary says 'talent' means 'people or a person with a natural ability to do something well', so the ability should be inborn.

Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

The problem here is the word "develop". It should be "identify" or "recognize".