The patient's conviction that he had made a grave error in giving up his musical ambitions seemed to be contradicted by his loss of courage at that crucial juncture. Consequently, at an appropriate moment, I told him that he would forever be tortured by these doubts and regrets unless he obtained a reliable estimate, even at this late date, of the actual extent of his musical talent . Challenged by this idea, he eventually resumed piano practice and submitted himself to a series of auditions before judges of progressi vel y grea ter sta ture. Thei r verdicts were entirel y consistent: The patient possessed "musicality" of the highest order, but his piano technique was too deficient to be remedied without years of concentrated effort . In other words, the patient was essentially correct in judging that he had missed his true vocation.