I like AnotherGoodName's advise, a lot. But as you say, it will hit a nerve only with people who already have some confidence in their abilities so if they hit

I like AnotherGoodName's advise, a lot. But as you say, it will hit a nerve only with people who already have some confidence in their abilities so if they hit a wall, instead of giving up, they say to themselves that "oh, I guess I just need to learn even more things" and then do. A person with low confidence in their abilities will probably say "oh, I'm not smart enough". When it comes to this and most other trades, I'm with Gordon Ramsey. Anyone can become a good programmer. "Smartness" and "intelligence", they are such ill-defined concepts. I'm not sure I believe they are real things.