Is RAW Over-Hyped?

I have nothing against RAW. I use it all the time and have little interest in going back to JPEG. I even wrote a tutorial on the subject some time ago to help people who were getting started. So, clearly, I have no axe to grind where RAW is concerned. I just don't want people to work under the delusion that learning RAW will improve their photography. We see the same thing with lenses. People seem to think that if they just had this or that lens their photography would leap to new heights. I can see how they come to that conclusion. Jim Bryant is a great photographer who uses a host of lenses and has mastered RAW and a lot of other techniques, therefore if I want to shoot like Jim I need to do the same. Unfortunately, that simply isn't the case. Give Jim a point and shoot that only does JPEG and he will still kick you a$$. Why? Because he has 30+ years experience and he knows what he is doing, that's why.
"Yeah, yeah," you say, "Experience trumps tools and techniques, I get it," but it goes much deeper than that. What if I could show you a twelve year old boy who was well on his way to being a world class photographer. He shoots with a point and shoot and has no interest in RAW, nevertheless, he's already outshooting 90% of the people on the photography forums. Why? Because he has an insatiable curiosity about what he can do with his camera. He's up in trees, he's down on the floor, he's shooting in mirrors, he's shooting at night, because he want to try it all. He is also interested in music, dance and poetry and is curious about how those are related to photography. In the time it takes for the average newbie to master RAW, this young man will make giant leaps in his abilities. Yes, he's a prodigy, but there is still a lesson to be learned from his example and the lesson is this: great photography is about learning to see better, or as Proust says, learning to see with "new eyes."
If you want to learn RAW, go for it, it's a great set of tools, but you will still be the same photographer when you are done. If you want to be a better photographer there are much better ways to learn. Do like Elliott Erwitt and shoot from a dog's point of view. Or do like John Moran and carry a ladder wherever you go so you can shoot from that perspective. Or Professor Charles Benton who shoots from a camera mounted on a kite. You could even do like Ryan Gallagher and take pictures by tossing your camera into the air (for some rather impressive results.) Don't drink the Adobe Kool Aid and think that learning some new program will make you a better photographer. Just get out there and try something new!