The “C” students run the world.
—Harry Truman
We think we want smart kids. That’s why we monitor their grades, why we hire tutors, why we help them study for the SATs. It’s even how we find ourselves praising them: You are so smart! But is this really setting them up for success in life? The essayist, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist Paul Graham warns parents against fighting the last war—trying to get their kids into good colleges to then get good jobs available to smart people. Einstein wasn’t special because he was smart, Graham writes, but because he had original ideas.
Think of the people we admire most; they share that feature. It wasn’t that they were smart—it was that they had a different way of looking at the world. They were unique, and with this uniqueness (which was often coupled with intelligence) they did great things. So as you try to mold your child—well, maybe stop trying to mold them and just help guide them as they grow.
Encourage them to be their original, unique selves. Encourage them to explore, to find new things. The world is full of smart people . . . and most of them are insufferably boring and unimpressive. What we need are fresh thinkers and creative people. What we need are originals.