A study in the UK looked at families that had both biological children of the parents, and adopted children. The researches found evidence that genetic factors contribute about 75% to educational attainment.
Hat tip to Jerry Pournelle.
At some point the important thing is that success in life is a combination of your genes, your environment, and the effort you choose to put forth. Nature and nurture merely provide the foundation. The house we make of our life can be a hut, or a castle. There are countless stories of people who worked and worked and worked, and did well in life. It is nice to have a head start, but it is probably more important to teach your children to work.
When I was a teenager my mother gave me a quote from Calvin Coolidge:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not, unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan "press on." has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
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