A Cure for Self-Doubt Is Setting Unrealistic Expectations

It’s not about deluding yourself, but rather finding a better starting point

Image: Design for The Magic Flute; The Hall of Stars in the Palace of the Queen of the Night, Act 1, Scene 6 (1847–49) by Karl Friedrich Schinkel (German, 1781–1841)/Artvee

In the 1980s, educator Jaime Escalante taught calculus at one of the worst schools in East LA, with a dropout rate as high as 55%. Escalante and his calculus class turned the reputation of the school around, with a high percentage of his…