I think this characteristic of very intelligent people (not just kids) is missed in our schools and in society in general. Schools look at grades:
you're not getting A+++++s with garlands, which shows that you haven't mastered this stuff and you're certainly not ready to skip ahead. I suspect this conclusion seems obvious to people who don't grok giftedness (and especially the highly-or-more gifted).
I've seen this in the workplace, too. Admittedly, it's more complex in a job, but still, there's a problem with over-emphasis on credentials in many hiring situations.
