I have noticed a large number of people who have a mental block that they "can't do Math" or "can't learn foreign languages." In contrast, I have not noticed pe

I have noticed a large number of people who have a mental block that they "can't do Math" or "can't learn foreign languages." In contrast, I have not noticed people with a mental block towards History/English/etc. I think the notion of STEM majors as "hard" is bad marketing on our part. From my experience, these mental blocks can be overcome. One trick that worked for me was to tell my students that I would take full responsibility for their learning during a tutoring session. That helped them relax and learn much more effectively. Alas, I was never able to get past the deeper beliefs-I suspect a therapist would have better luck with that.