Most people rate themselves according to their accomplishments in spheres in which they believe themselves to be talented. No doubt many of them live in an illusion, but to break this illusion is likely to crush them and destroy them psychologically. There are people who are threatened by a nervous breakdown if they are told that they are failures. Only those blessed with the virtue of humility can accept defeat and change it into a resounding victory. The parish priest has opted for the second alternative.
Professors sometimes face a similar dilemma.
Some students may fall in love with a field because their teacher has succeeded in making it lively and challenging. But unfortunately, their intellectual talents may be no match for their enthusiasm. Sometimes a solution can be found. For example, a professor may discourage a student from going to graduate school by reminding him that an academic career may not be an advisable way to support a family. In her autobiography, St. Edith Stein mentions such a case from her own academic life.