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Hi, Eden. I'm glad you brought up the topic of effort vs. ability, however, I cannot unreservedly agree with your assertion. I agree that with practice we can learn skills that we do not have an innate knowledge of or ability for, as this is the nature of learning. Though I disagree with you when you argue that with 15 years of practice you could become a good pianist. Maybe you could, I don’t really know you, but the point I’m trying to make is that while one would certainly improve with 15 years of practice and, as Leigh pointed out, they would develop muscle memory thus altering their consciousness, they could never become the next Franz Liszt. Effort is certainly important for improving one’s skills, but ability is imperative. If success were only a matter of effort, maybe I wouldn’t have to watch Peyton Manning play in the super bowl.

However, I do think that your main point/question about our ability to go against our natural tendencies is very interesting. How autonomous am I really? Who knows? But I am interested in your point that we do have the ability to go against our natural tendencies. But then how much of our decision to go against these tendencies is really our own choice and how much is ruled by heteronomous factors? I suppose the question doesn't really have an answer.