Counter-point for Val: If you think ability is fixed and unchangeable, why would you be a member of a forum that advocates for appropriate challenge (and therefore, growth opportunities) for gifted children?
Honestly, I think you're caught up in a false binary, and thereby making the same mistake as Dweck, just in the opposite direction.
Going back to your quote:
One of the most damaging myths has been that some people are born with more intellectual ability than others, and that they retain this competitive advantage throughout their lives.
Yes, it most certainly IS a myth. If someone is born with an unusually larger proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, that individual has a natural advantage in sprinting. But after 50 years of sedentary lifestyle, excess weight gain, and natural wear-and-tear, that individual isn't outrunning even casual athletes with normal muscle fibers. So much for natural advantage.
Yes, it's also true that an individual with a normal or low proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers will be unable to win a 100m dash against other athletes with high proportions, no matter how hard that athlete tries. But here's the difference: those other athletes are also, just like the average hard-worker, in active training. They're simply getting more benefit from it, and they're accomplishing amazing times because they're combining their natural gifts with a rigorous program that improves their performance even more. So it's not an either/or for training and ability, it's both.
And that's why I'm here, because my DD has a natural cognitive advantage, she can be great
if given proper training, and the school is offering her a mental training regimen akin to couch surfing and junk food.
