Noncognitive skills, such as perseverance or grit, says Paul Tough in the essay "Opting Out of the 'Rug Rat Race'" (Review, Sept. 8) may actually be what matter in much of long-term success. But that hypothesis fails to take account of factors outside of a person's control, such as economic and social class. If perseverance and grit were significant factors in successful outcomes, more people who start life disadvantaged would succeed more often.
The reason that GED recipients do not enter postsecondary education as often as high-school graduates is because GED recipients are often people facing a number of life challenges that may flow from poverty and poor quality schools.
Hard work and toughness are invaluable, but strong parental support and early economic advantages are what work to get children ahead. The bootstrap-tugging, adversity-overcoming, modern-day Horatio Alger, though much-admired, is exceedingly rare and growing more rare by the day.
Lolita Buckner Inniss
Shaker Heights, Ohio
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