I wonder what would have happened had Dr. Sherman's plan been
put into action? It would certainly relieve stress -- and
provide a much more realistic view of the world -- if we were
all taught from day one to accept our mediocrity. Reported in
the Newark Advocate, Dec. 1, 1936: Training for Failure It seems
that parents are wrong in counseling their youngsters to study
hard and aim for the presidency. Anyway, Dr. Mandel Sherman,
mental hygiene specialist at the University of Chicago, advises
that young people be trained to become failures, in the ordinary
sense of the word. "Our educational system is suffering from an
overdose of success stories," he contends. "One person in 10 is
neurotic, one in 22 insane today because we train only for
success. And only a few can be successful from a material
standpoint." Youth perhaps should be taught that a successful
life need not include fame and riches. But history, studded with
instances of handicapped youngsters who fought their way to
success, indicates that it wou