the eye of Nova's mind

Yeah, the parent/teacher point is well-made. My dad always used to tell me how smart I was and how I should be getting all A's in high school, and I always used to wonder who it was he was trying to convince. It wasn't until I started to do the things that *I* chose (rather than things chosen FOR me) that I started to get confidence. It would seem that my dad was right, but him constantly saying it made it sound like he was trying to make himself believe it and "wish it" into being true. Sure, it's better than being told you're in idiot all the time, but people really have to form their own self-images rather than being spoon-fed one.