Okay, I think I confused “tabula rasa” with human potential for maturation and adaptation. More than anything else, the notion of the mind as a blank slate implies a neutral state, that under the proper direction can be influenced, or set into motion, and through work, acquire whatever skill and understanding required to do what they want.
I was primarily referring to the intellectual capacity, which is what IQ tests claim to measure— much less to motivation, though this is also influenced externally.
I guess I should have wiki’d the term before jumping; I didn’t realize that as you imply ‘tabula rasa’ means it is of some totally plastic or malleable substance. There is an elastic core to people and I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.
If you know of an appropriate term for this notion, I’d appreciate hearing it. And, thanks for the correction.