Absolutely. Jumping in (and having no safety net!) really does work. Nothing makes you succeed like necessity, kinda like a survival instinct I suppose. The key is finding the right set of influences that will increase the odds, in his case for his kids, of them taking a real leap.

This is why I like some of the ideas behind John Taylor Gatto's writing, especially about how kids need to have enough freedom and independence to challenge themselves, as opposed to being challenged from an authority. I think that's a crucial step in a kid, whether they realize it or not, jumping into something head first and seeing if they can swim so to speak.