Gifted adults are different from an early age

gifted adults, gifted children, gifted adult personality, psychology of giftedness, high aptitude personality

One of the personal qualities that seems to be shared by most gifted children is being different and divergent – in terms of thinking, interests, values and behavior. Many gifted adults feel “wrong” or anxious about “not fitting in” even though being different can be a strength, a positive attribute.

In the movie “Nancy Drew,” the heroine (played with style and grace by Emma Roberts) uses and celebrates her intuitive and intellectual abilities as a teen sleuth, and accepts the fact she is exceptional, and does not fit in with her high school peers mainly concerned with cliques, clothes and boys.

[From my post Entitled to Be Exceptional]

“When I met her [actor Scarlett Johansson], OK, she’s 15, but she could easily pass for 30. She’s a very attractive girl, but she’s sort of a weirdo. I like that about her.” Terry Zwigoff – her director for “Ghost World” (2000) [From the page Eccentricity]

In her article Counseling Gifted Adults – A Case Study, counselor Paula Prober writes about Susan, who “had known that she was different since she was seven. Her thoughts and feelings had never fit into the box that was comfortable and reassuring for most children.” ….

Continued on High Ability