Sports video games often have "Create a Player" options that allow users to design a character to play with in the game. Part of creating the player is granting "skill points." Sometimes they are called something different, but the concept is the same--the more points granted to a player in a certain area, the more skilled that player is in that area. For example, if the most points possible is 100, and I give my player 100 skill points in the "Sprinting Speed" category, no one will be able to outrun my player. Some games have a cap on the number of total skill points. (If they don't, then the 5'10" white guy named Miles is always unparalleled in every category.) When there is a cap on the total amount of skill points that can be awarded to one player, it is important to distribute the points strategically between the different categories. It wouldn't do to have a striker (soccer) that is faster than anyone else but can't shoot worth beans. But it might be okay to sacrifice some points in more defensive categories to make him faster and a more accurate shooter.
I believe that we truly are granted skill points in life. There is only so much the human brain and the human body can do. While some people may have more total skill points, I think that everyone chooses, to some degree, how to distribute them. We can choose to put all our points in one category, or we can divvy them out to different categories. Those who decide to put all of their points in one category will become great at that skill, but they will be one-sided people with narrow interests. Those who decide to evenly distribute their points will be well-rounded, but they will never be the best at anything.
How we decide to allot our points is no mystery. When we dedicate time and effort to a certain skill we get better and better at that skill. We usually put time and effort into things that we enjoy or that we think are important. And so we get good at those things. Some people are just wired with more skill points in certain areas. Idiot savants are the extreme example. Their "Social Skills" bars read 0, while something else, maybe the "Math" bar, reads 100.
My personal preference is to evenly distribute my skill points among several different areas. I will never be a world-renowned surgeon, a professional athlete, or an award-winning novelist. But I might competently assist with surgeries, win rec league championships in basketball and soccer, and one day get a book published. Most people want to be the best at one thing. The minority, myself included, believe that being good at many things is more rewarding.
Here are some examples of how people have distributed their skill points. (50 points is average.)
Jessica Simpson: Music--60, Appearance--70, Intellectualism--5
Shaquille O'Neal: Athletics--80, Appearance--5, Rapping--49
Paris Hilton: Skankiness--90, Athletics--5, Intellectualism--6
Conan O'Brian: Comedy--80, Intellectualism--65, Dignity--15
Michael Jackson: Music--95, (oops, already used up all his skill points)
Maria Sharipova: Athletics--80, Appearance--80, Social Skills--30
