What bugs me about Dweck and her ilk is the feel-good lying and the distortions. Admitting that not everyone has the same level of talent for academics or sports or whatever is discomfiting. But instead of accepting reality, Growth Mindset just pretends that anyone can do calculus or be a pro athlete if they work hard enough. And it blames its victims when they crap out, because, after all, if you work hard enough, you'll increase your ability.
A huge result of this is the everyone-can-go-to-college mentality (which, I admit, has other factors driving it). We spoon-feed lies to children and then send a message that they're not working when they fail the college entrance math exam or can't make it through year 1 or 2 of a STEM major. It must be soul-crushing for these kids to realize that they simply aren't up to it after being told that they were for so long. And it must be doubly crushing to keep hearing that hard work is all it takes.
I agree with you Val I no fan of magical thinking here either.
I think that it is shockingly dishonest to lead children on like this.
Obviously, achievement involves more than just IQ, things like luck and grit also play a part. Even IQ comes down to luck or accident of birth, IMO.
The irrefutable fact is, however, that without a given threshold value of 'g' certain things are not going to be fully understood. Denial of that axiomatic truth sets people up for failure far more often than success, I believe.
