Is learning your strengths more important than most of K12 education?

I'd also like to ask the question, more important to who?

To the economy? Yes, we all should endeavor to find that which will allow us to maximally contribute to our employers, and reduce participation in things we are not excellent at. But I would very much dread living in a world like that.

If the question is around what is important to ourselves, then I would argue that all of K-12 education is important. Every subject we are taught in school is vastly deep and interesting beyond what we can even imagine. Don't let a bad teacher scare you away from any subject, ever.

There are many things I am not particularly good at, which serve as great hobbies and outlets for myself. The reason I enjoy them so much is because they have no economic utility. Almost all of these subjects, I first encountered at a very young age, and almost certainly in a school setting.

The world is such an interesting place, I really hate seeing it reduced to the black-and-white of economic and employer utility.

I like this take on the subject: https://www.ias.edu/sites/default/files/library/UsefulnessHa...

no, while I agree that a big chunk of K-12 education is useless. What you learn will help you understand how you fit in the world and what you need to function in society. Without it, there's no way you can find and understand how best to use your strengths.