there are some heavy duty personality issues involved that are hard to overcome
Josh, you advise not despairing. Although it's a stronger word than I would use, I don't necessarily agree with the conclusion of the article that JoJo linked to, which suggested that there are many paths to fulfillment without success at school. Schooling opens up opportunities (learning and life) which may not be achievable any other way for many people, particularly if their confidence has been eroded by their school experience. And if the 50% of successful (whatever that means exactly) Americans who didn't arrive via schooling are mostly confident, entrepreneurial extroverts, then the statistic isn't a particularly shining ray of hope for badly bruised introverts.
I'm not quite sure what you are disagreeing with.
I am not arguing that other paths are not hugely simpler! But a path that is both far simpler, but inaccessible, does little good.
There is a large difference between "schooling" and "success in schooling," for one thing. Telling a 14 or 17 or 20 year old that s/he is doomed because s/he lacked the ability to perform academically is both unwise and in error.
It is unwise, because it leads to further undermining of the very confidence that you are talking about. It's in error because, while the paths are often bumpier, there
are ways to succeed in this world without academic success.
Extroversion is a less necessary component for later success than confidence is - but confidence does not have to be based on schooling and, in fact, mostly should not be. Confidence in one's ability to learn can be developed regardless of schools, and for those students for whom schooling is problematic, regardless of which reason or reasons that might be, it is essential.
It is not enough to say school is important - there are many gifted kids who are never going to be gifted students, and for whom school represents an obstacle more than an opportunity. There are many gifted kids, gifted parents, gifted adults for whom despair is
not too strong a term.
It is to them and their parents that I was speaking. School cannot be the only path to personal success. And it is not.
