Are you suggesting that when a student is struggling in calculus class due to not knowing their algebra, their issue can somehow be resolved without them having to learn algebra?
> lack of resources, hunger, mental distractions, illness, or motivating incentives
Edit: Also lots of people who lack many of those things still learn math very well. So it isn't a very good explanation. If you need optimal circumstances to learn then you have a problem.
Yes, you can contort your definition of intelligence to be one where you have to be able to overcome whatever personal struggles one might have.
But you wouldn't be actually measuring intelligence. And creating an environment that allows for more people to thrive isn't catering to the stupid either.
Same can be said about any learning including languages. It really comes down to motivation, outside sufficient immersion.
That is not a single or 2 persons it is basically dozens of people whom I gave materials or tried to guide. It never is that they are too dumb to learn programming it is that they rather do something else than sitting in front of computer hunting down why their program doesn't compile.
For math I got good enough to barely pass, for electronics I know basics, so I am "want to learn more math"/"want to learn more electronics" person but never get to really spend time on it.
DevOps stuff, programming, databases, web frameworks is something I can fiddle with all day and not get bored, I can spend all day hunting that misconfig somewhere.
On the face value all looks the same it is fiddling with stuff and solving puzzles, but somehow one type of puzzles is more interesting for me and since I do it a lot also much easier for me.
Take something a person could desire like wanting to learn how to play the piano, for example. Often times, what people desire is not the learning part but the end result. People are fantasizing about drilling scales and chords for days on end. People are more likely to fantasize about creating music, playing music for the enjoyment of others, the praise, etc.. So, people tend to fizzle out when the reality does not meet the expectation.
The brain tends to fantasize about all the good that something can bring, but the brain also tends to vastly underestimate the work required to achieve said goal.
I also heard that loads of times: "get a real job" (maybe not exactly in those words but hey, that was the gist) then I got people who would try out some basic things for an hour or two feeling mentally exhausted.
Not saying they were not capable or stupid - just that they underestimate how much taxing it would be for them to do something like programming for couple hours.
It is easy for me but I am doing it for 10+ years professionally and good couple years while I was a kid.
Sure, but being well-off can also cause mental distractions and suboptimal motivations.
Having resources, well-off parents can pay for help in addressing those problems, but they have to first recognize the problems, which is something they might be resistant to.
In the extreme form of this (in terms of wealth, learning problems, denial thereof, and poor academic performance), you get very wealthy people paying/bribing for elite credentials and access for their children.