Talent vs. Character

Alright, so my fellow graduate students have prompted this thought with the following quote (which is not quite a real quote, but gets the general idea across): "I'm not dropping the class because I'm stupid but because I don't want to do the work." This represents an attitude which I have seen in other students as well.

The general idea is that a person would rather be thought to have high traits that one cannot have any control over rather than thought to have high traits in areas where we can control. I can see the logic in it as well. If you think yourself smart, you think that you can overcome anything that you need to overcome, whereas if you are just a hard worker, you may or may not be able to overcome a particular obstacle.

However, I've never seen an inspirational film on a very talented person who decided to go the easy route in life. I have seen a film about a person who was born with no arms or legs and yet is able to function autonomously. Which commands the greater respect, the above mentioned man or a Stephen Hawking flipping burgers? Of course the bright and talented man could overcome more obstacles than the dull-witted or clumsy man, so perhaps in this line of thought the talented might have a good self-esteem.

In the end however, I believe that self-esteem, self-worth, and the amount of us respect one commands is achieved from what has accomplished, what actions one has taken, what obstacles have been overcome, as opposed to gifts one was born with that were not earned or worked for.

Yet at the same time, I believe most of us would rather to be thought of as smart or naturally athletic than a hard worker. This is the paradox upon which our self-esteem rests.