If suicide is a coupled act, then Sexton’s character and pathology should be only part of the explanation for what happened to her. The same is true … - Malcolm Gladwell

An innate gift and a certain amount of intelligence are important, but what really pays is ordinary experience.

as it may be — matters. How you feel about your abilities — your academic “self-concept” — in the context of your classroom shapes your willingness to tackle challenges and finish difficult tasks. It’s a crucial element in your motivation and confidence.

It was an admission of defeat. ... He knew he needed to do a better job of navigating the world, but he didn't know how. He couldn't even talk to his calculus teacher, for goodness' sake. These were things that others, with lesser minds, could master easily. But that's because those others had had help along the way, and Chris Langan never had. It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his way alone, and no one — not even rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses — ever makes it alone.