Rethinking Human Potential in Terms of Strength and Fragility: A Case Study of Michael Jackson

Abstract : The case study of Michael Jackson illustrates the concepts of high potential, talent, and precocity in the musical domain. Studying this case of exceptional musical talent highlights the usefulness of a multidimensional approach to exploring human potential, which is not limited to academic abilities. It offers a better understanding of the process of transforming a gift into talent and allows us to examine the asynchronies observed in some high-potential individuals between extreme talent and impaired socioaffective development-the interplay between strength and fragility where cognitive functioning cannot be dissociated from emotional functioning.