I think failure can be extremely valuable on the path to success, provided you learn from your mistakes. But very often people erroneously assign blame or put t

I think failure can be extremely valuable on the path to success, provided you learn from your mistakes. But very often people erroneously assign blame or put too much weight on the wrong causes for the failure, and that leaves them no more likely to succeed. If something doesn't pan out, it is very important to make an honest assessment of why the failure occurred, so the next time around you can make the necessary changes. Doing this is also likely to increase your confidence. That said, I did find the article interesting because I have always wondered about the incentive system in place in our education system. I think too many parents and teachers put WAY too much emphasis on grades, test scores, and constantly feel compelled to compare performance with other students. To me I am tempted to believe that the most important traits in anybody are enthusiasm and optimism for one thing. What thing? It doesn't really matter. I would much rather see a kid who is enthusiastic about doing something they believe in than obsessively studying to outperform their peers so they can get their ticket punched to move on to the next round and repeat the process.