Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Too Many Trophies

Interesting Op-ed in the paper about the problems with today's generation getting too much positive feedback and how this does not prepare them well for a future in which, as my boy Tyler Cowen points out in his new book (which I've just started), an increasing share of the pie is going to a decreasing number of people.

I've read two books on the subject that focus on children over the last couple of years, Mindset and Grit, and I recommend them both, although they are sometimes a little slow-going. I've also been following the recent back and forth about the legitimacy of Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours rule, which I think is a little misinformed, and I think his response demonstrates what is the basic point: that talent only gets you so far, and hard work is what separates you from your similarly talented peers.

I suspect, like most things, the answer for parents is a balanced approach, along with the acknowledgment that not all kids are the same. That's thin gruel, but it's better than the extremes on either end of the spectrum.

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