The person praised for being effortless may have learned to hide the preparation.

Effortlessness is usually a performance choice. Somebody decided early that visible work looked like struggle, so the rehearsal, the notes and the early mornings all happen out of sight, and what arrives in public is the polished version with the scaffolding taken down. Praise then rewards the concealment, which makes the work harder to admit later. Ease can be laborious to produce.

If you admire somebody’s fluency, ask how long it took them. If the hidden one is you, let a person you trust see a rough version this week. Being known for effort is more sustainable than being known for having none.