Lots of great stuff here!!!
Take a look at this article that I was first alerted to by an English Dept. colleague about 2 years ago:
http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/
It seems as though, in our efforts to build self esteem in young people, we inadvertantly sent the wrong message to all youngsters by telling some that they are "smart". It also seems as though a much better parenting and teaching apporach lies in the phrases, "You must have worked hard." and "Taking that chance was worth it in the end, wasn't it?"
This is one of the reasons I have found over my career that the students who are identified as "gifted" are often the same students who don't like taking risks. Great kids, but in a subconscious effort to remain "smart" like they've been told, many tend to stay within the boundaries that allow them to be "right".
Sadly, if we allow this trend to continue, our best and brightest (which is more people than you think) will not be prepared to "fail" and persevere, nor will they leave their comfort zone long enough to develop those crucial creative abilities.