Necessarity of being a prodigy for successful career in Physics

[THHEP]

Necessarity of being a "prodigy" for successful career in Physics

Hello!
I'm just curious about one thing. I want to be a Theoretical Particle Physicist in future. And there is a one thing that stops me from choosing that path in my life.

Is it necessary to be a kind of mathematical/physics prodigy to do things that really matter? I mean, can I get to the same heights as prof. Edward Witten, for example, by just hard work and passion to physics and mathematics?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Simon Bridge]

Welcome to PF;

Is it necessary to be a kind of mathematical/physics prodigy to do things that really matter?

No.

I mean, can I get to the same heights as prof. Edward Witten, for example, by just hard work and passion to physics and mathematics?

Yes. In principle.

Though there is no "just" about it.
And there is a lot of luck involved.

There is no harm in getting involved in science to make a big name for yourself, but that should not be all that is on your mind. Science is a calling rather than a profession. You either feel strongly drawn to it or you don't.

Some prodigies seem to get the calling at an early age but most that I've actually met suffer from a lack of direction and tend not to get very far. Beware of drawing conclusions from a limited data set.