“The natural trajectory of giftedness in childhood is not a six-figure salary, perfect happiness, and a guaranteed place in Who’s Who.” Linda Silverman – in her book Counseling the Gifted and Talented. In her keynote address The Universal Experience of Being Out-of-Sync, Linda Silverman, Ph.D. argues that giftedness should not be defined as simply high [...]
Alia Sabur, at age of 18, was recognized as the youngest college professor in history, breaking a 300-year-old record. She was hired as a professor in the Department of Advanced Technology Fusion at Konkuk University, in Korea. As profiled in a Today Show bio, “She made the jump to college at age 10. And by [...]
In an interview, Keira Knightley declared she was never interested in playing “girl” roles. “This is a ridiculous thing to say,” she admits, “but I never liked being a teenager. I never felt comfortable being in a group of giggly girls. I always felt embarrassed and frightened by it. “I couldn’t quite handle the high [...]
Lisbeth Salander is one of the most intriguing and powerful characters in literature, and both Rooney Mara in the new movie of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Noomi Rapace in the 2009 Danish version, bring to life a richly complex and dynamic young woman. The “extra intelligent and intense” of my title is [...]
“I liked him. He was kind of skinny and wiry and full of energy.” Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, about meeting Steve Jobs in 1969. “Jobs doesn’t sit through much of anything; one of the ways he dominates is through sheer movement.” Joe Nocera The bio ‘Steve Jobs’ has topped Amazon’s list of 10 best-selling books [...]
“The Creative Adult is the Child Who Survived” – From the facebook page of Artizen Magazine A couple of related posts: Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? Healing and art: SARK and others on abuse and creativity 3 Things To Learn From The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – A Gifted Trauma Survivor, By [...]
Victoria Cowie, 11, scored 162 on the adult admission tests for Mensa, above the IQ scores thought to have been achieved by Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates. Her father cites one example showing how uncommon she is: “When she was just three years old we were sitting in a cafe and she turned [...]
Mia Wasikowska portrayed an emotionally intense teen gymnast in the psychotherapy drama series “In Treatment.” She has commented, “As a teenager I was very anxious. I had a lot of energy and passion that I wanted to channel into creative things, and I always felt like I wasn’t achieving enough.” [From my post Mia Wasikowska [...]
Einstein reportedly was expelled from school for “undermining the authority of his teachers and being a disruptive influence.” Of course, that was a long time ago – but do current schools encourage creative people? “Montessori taught me the joy of discovery…It’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you.” [...]
.. eeing a TV bio of Taylor Swift a while ago, I was very struck by her self-assurance and belief in her abilities from an early age, and her assertiveness to realize her exceptional musical talents. In her recent performance on the CMA Awards (the 44th annual Country Music Association Awards), she impressed me even [...]
These are two of the many highly talented teens honored by fellowships from the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. John Michael Colón, Age: 17 – His portfolio, Art as Empathy: A Study of the Syncretic Potential of Literature, demonstrates the utility of literature and art in society. He writes that although human beings want to [...]
When I was a child, and even through graduate school, I thought people were going to find out I was a fraud. I thought other talented people were doing better, achieving more and having more fun doing it, and I still tend to compare myself unfavorably with others on a daily basis. In her book, Emotional Intensity [...]
Like many gifted children, my childhood was peppered with incidents of parents and other adults telling me to be calm, or even more devastating, to be ‘normal.’ If adults are uncomfortable with their own emotions they may be especially uncomfortable around the intensities of gifted children. What effect does this have on gifted kids? Recognizing [...]
Carol S. Dweck, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. She writes in an issue of the Duke Gifted Letter: * Some people are born gifted, and others are not. * You can tell who will be gifted from early on. * Gifted children should be labeled and praised for their brains and [...]
For most of my life, finding friends and work that honored my intensity and intelligence wasn’t an issue for me. I thought I was just weird and damaged and that my loneliness was deserved. “Calm down,” “You take things too seriously,” “You’re so intense.” Most people seem calm and unphased by a world that for [...]
I could write a few novels with the material from my romantic and work relationships. Lots of drama and disappointment, and loads of self-recrimination. How does giftedness figure into the patterns of our connections with others? In this excerpt from his article, Solutions for the Problems of Giftedness, Richard O’Connor, Ph.D., gives some interesting answers. [...]
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Site author: Douglas Eby, M.A./Psychology, is a writer and researcher on the psychology of creative expression and personal growth, especially for high ability adults. He is publisher of the Talent Development Resources series of sites.
