i am tone deaf, and the idea that people would select against my kind when considering their offspring is an affront to my human rights! imagine how many razibs we may lose! the horror!

Imagine if Beethoven as a child was told that his genetics suggested he would have hearing problems in adult life and therefore should not take up music.

My brother is tone deaf and left handed - but it never stopped him from being a fairly good piano player - though a lousy singer.

My mother claimed to be tone deaf, recognising tunes purely by their rhythm. She was a good dancer, though. I am not tone deaf but my wife claims that she can recognise tunes that I "sing" solely from the rhythm. Question: is my inability to produce notes with any precision - even though I can hear pitch perfectly well - related to my mother's condition?

Imagine if Beethoven as a child was told that his genetics suggested he would have hearing problems in adult life and therefore should not take up music.

I'm sure he would have become an inspirational story to us all. theme: never giving up on your dreams. maybe people would even make lifetime movies about him.

Imagine if Beethoven as a child was told that his genetics suggested he would have hearing problems in adult life and therefore should not take up music.

if people focused on the highest likelihood of success given their skillset the numbers would balance out and compensate for these amazing exceptions and counter-trends. we'd all be richer if britney spears had become a back up dancer instead of a pop queen.

LOL! I gave up on my dream of taking Venus Williams as my second wife and spawning a generation of brilliant multi-coloured tennis players some time back.

Between pconroy's brother and his model aeroplane making uncle, his relations sound a bloody sight more entertaining than most of mine have been.

Back in junior high and high school I took those gigantic banks of tests to determine what career path I should follow. It suggested as its three most likely "Mason, Drywaller and Forest ranger."

It struck me as strange, because I read a great deal (but sucked in turning in homework and classwork) and hated doing chores. Oddly enough, while I've stayed in academia and have been told I'm "gifted" in my field, I've come to a realization that few things give me the sheer pleasure and sense of accomplishment that working in the yard or around the house does, and that presenting papers and debating things makes me stressed out and unhappy.

It's ironic how life turns out sometimes. Right now I'm debating whether to continue my academic career by pursuing a doctorate, or leaving to work a blue collar job. Frankly, with my difficulty with math and languages, I sincerely wonder if whatever I could contribute to the feild of religion would be outweighed by the pleasure and permanence of working with my hands, especially as I near the age of 30 and the way I approach the study of religion is unpopular (I've learned not to bring up hbd with my colleagues).

Mr. Gomes, if I might presume to offer advice:

You will ultimately be far better off if you pursue a job that makes you happy than if you stay in a job that makes you unhappy. (Neither academia nor park ranger pays well, so you have that going for you.) Academia might provide status of a limited sort, unless status makes you happy, it's not much of a compensation.

Spike,

That's funny, I was perceived as being very intelligent in HS, and in subjects I liked - science mostly - did very well, in other subjects I did only average. I was also anti-social and aloof. I remember taking a test and it said my ideal job would be, "Prison Warden"...

I wonder if perfect pitch runs in families too. Wikipedia says reports are mixed whether it is more learned or genetic.

Tracy - My daughter was born with perfect pitch. She won first prize in a solo singing competition out of 74 secondary schools, and was a qualified piano teacher by the age of 15. We never pushed her, she just does it because she loves it. But she doesn't want to be a musician or music teacher, she wants to be a medical practitioner.

My wife is quite musical. I have worked as a professional musician, so I'm no slouch, but I don't have perfect pitch and I'm nowhere near as good as my daughter. My sister and mother are not musical at all. My father was very musical, but his brother is completely tone deaf.