Good article. The author's focus on the Environment more than the Individual is very right. It helps explain why when people move away from cloistered/detrimental environments to a more nurturing one for their talents, they often bloom. There is a symbiotic relationship between the Environment and the Individual with the former often holding the upper hand. An Individual can be easily shaped by the Environment while the reverse is quite hard to do (and thus the reason for the self-help industry).

The above may seem like a mere platitude but unfortunately people often focus too much on the Individual and forget the Environment. For example see research on "Behaviourism/Operant Conditioning" and also "learned helplessness". Nature only gives you possible potential, it requires tremendous Nurture to activate and make it bloom.

Finally; a caution, we should NOT make the mistake of assuming that the Individual is helpless. Willpower, Attitude, Fighting Spirit etc. are all to be cultivated. So self-help is still needed. It is just that their effect in changing ourselves and the Environment is often overemphasized. This is the crux, if the Environment is not conducive, no amount of self-help practice is going to help, you need to move out of the bad to a good Environment for you as an Individual to win.