Early bloomers enjoy many advantages in affluent societies. But one huge disadvantage they face is that by dint of their youth and accomplishments, they give themselves credit for their success, more than the rest of us do. That’s understandable: adolescents and young adults tend to be self-centered; it is a necessary waypoint in the evolution from a parent-centered childhood to an independent and mature adulthood. The problem arises when early bloomers have a setback: Either they put all the blame on themselves and fall into self-condemnation and paralysis, or they blame everyone else. Late
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