Eh.
I would rather someone ask questions about how I am doing or not doing something and make an intervention on the level of method or strategy than tell me that I just don't believe enough.
For instance, if I were having trouble creating a 3D model in Maya 5.0, and I asked for help ... and the instructor said, "You are having trouble because you do not believe," I would try to get this bozo fired. I expect help on the level of technique. Maybe I do not believe I am the best 3D modeler in the world, but even if I did ... confidence does not equal competence. A person can surprise him or herself. It happens. How does that surprise happen? Because the person perceives they are better at something than they BELIEVED they were.
Belief isn't everything. There is an interplay between belief and capability, it isn't just a top down hierarchical thing. You may discover that your capabilities are more than you believed. This changes your beliefs.
Blah. I am tired of talking about this.
The point is, if an instructor starts yapping about beliefs when he should be focusing on technique ... he isn't a very good instructor. It's easy to say "oh, you just don't believe enough" and often this kind of statement hides incompetence on the part of the instructor. Make a damn intervention and help improve the student. Give the student an experience that clashes with his or her beliefs. That's the way to handle a belief.
A girl I knew *KNEW* she was a poor speller. I taught her the spelling strategy. It worked. She was amazed. Gee, I guess this must have been a fluke because according to the dogma, she must not have been able to perceive the change or use her mental abilities because she believed she couldn't spell .... Nonsense.
If something works, it works. Different people are wired differently, of course. But if the basic system is sound and works with most humans (because we all do have similarities), I don't see why it should be too much of a problem to adapt it to individual styles.
