You scold your child for C's, but it's completely in vain. According to a Forbes study (2024), 40% of millionaires admitted that they were "average" students at school.
“School teaches you to obey, not to think,” Richard Branson , who dropped out of school at 16, told Bloomberg. We uncovered why A’s are a ticket to mediocrity, not success.
The first myth is “good grades equal high IQ”
Neuroscientist John Medina argues in his book Brain Rules: “Tests only measure memory ability, not creativity or emotional intelligence.”
Example: Thomas Edison, who was kicked out of school for "learning disabilities," became the inventor of the century.
The second secret of C students is the ability to take risks
A Harvard Business Review study found that people who got Cs were 30% more likely to start their own business.
The main reason is the ability to circumvent the rules
“A students are used to following instructions, while C students look for loopholes,” explains economist Tim Harford in The Power of Failure.
Elon Musk, who was bullied in school for his "weird ideas," created SpaceX because he wasn't afraid to break the mold.
However, this is not a call to quit school.
Psychologist Angela Duckworth , who coined the term “grit,” emphasizes: “It’s not grades that bring success, but passion for the goal.” An example is Steve Jobs, a C student who turned his love of calligraphy into the iconic Apple design.
Why Schools Don't See Potential
Innovative teacher Ken Robinson said in the documentary Take a Step: "The education system kills talent like a farmer kills weeds."
And the most shocking fact was revealed by a study by Stanford University (2023).
C-grade students earn 17% more than A-grade students by age 30. “They learn early how to sell, negotiate, and lose—key skills in business,” says economics professor Carmen Reinhart .
Your child doesn't have to be a straight-A student. Maybe his C in chemistry is a sign that he's the next Elon Musk, not a loser.
Author: Igor Zur