Apropos of tact or talent.

It was a usual cellphonic conversation with my daughter who lives away from me in the course of her studies.

 My daughter asked me. Papa! Which is more important? Tact or talent?

I answered with least hesitation-

Presentation is very important. It matters considerably in one's success or failure.

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Whereas presentation in matters of conversation/communication is more a matter of skills than knowledge, it is knowledge that has an upper hand over skill in respect of writing. 

A person proficient in presentation skills knows how well to hide or compensate for one's deficiency in knowledge. He is expert in using knowledge to his advantage.

But where you are judged by your mere writing,a good presentation without an element of knowledge may be misleading.Without content,it serves as a ruse. At best it's a paper flower sans fragrance. 

It is not unusual to see an unsuccessful one yet being meritorious but devoid of presentation skills. However, generally speaking success follows one with good presentation skills despite being deficient in knowledge.

To conclude; I said to her- Tact is more important than talent.

I feel I answered her query. Whether it was to her satisfaction,I can't say with certainty. 

Though I advised her to work on both;tact as well as talent.Because be it tact or talent; both are subject to cultivation. As also;I explained to her that since I worked on neither,I am there where I am.

               Which would you rate higher; presentation or merit?

                     R.R.Prabhakar.

                       12.03.2023.