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The Secret to Raising Smart Kids
Hugh Pickens writes "Scientific American has an interesting article on the secret to raising smart kids that says that more than 30 years of scientific investigation suggests that an overemphasis on intellect or talent leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unwilling to remedy their shortcomings. In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. One theory of what separates the two general classes of learners, helpless versus mastery-oriented, is that these different types of students not only explain their failures differently, but they also hold different "theories" of intelligence. The helpless ones believe that intelligence is a fixed trait: you have only a certain amount. Mistakes crack their self-confidence because they attribute errors to a lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. Mastery-oriented children think intelligence is malleable and can be developed through education and hard work. Challenges are energizing rather than intimidating offering opportunities to learn."
Huked on fonix reely wurkz for me, too!
"Engineering is doing for one dollar what anyone else would do for two." "Ten cents holding up the dollar."
Whether this article is correct or just made up it's impossible to trust it based on the magazine's credibility. Check out the latest Scientfic American: a story on Big Foot with the tagline "Sasquatch is just a legend, right? According to the evidence, maybe not..". Another winner is the dubious title "Are Aliens Among Us?"
Looking at their advertisers (paper version), its easy to question the publisher's character. Full pages ads that sell 'valuable collector coins' and these wacky types of stories are the type of thing I expect from the National Enquirer type tabloids not a trustworthy source of science news.
Do you still work with this guy? If so, ask him if he can go fuck himself, and let me know what he says...
"Quoting famous computer scientists out of context is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming." - K
I doubt if there is any causation here, and the correlation probably has to do with money. I've noticed that kids who get anything they want handed to them on a platter usually become the egocentric, selfish, asinine brats that go on to become CEOs of large companies (or President of the US).
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
Why people feel the compelling need to make carbon copies of themselves to fill up our already poisoned planet is a mystery to me. Besides, kids make you old, stupid, trapped and broke. Childfree is the way to go.