What are Excitabilities? One of the key concepts of Polish psychiatrist and psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski, MD, PhD (1902 – 1980) is that individuals with strong “overexcitabilities” are good candidates for higher level development. Stephanie Tolan, a writer and advocate for extremely bright children, notes the original Polish word for psychiatrist Dabrowski’s concept of overexcitabilities or [...]
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 [...]
Perfectionism can be an unhealthy way to try to satisfy distorted ego needs or defuse shame or low self-esteem, for example – but it is a simple name for what can be a complex set of drives and attitudes that can also fuel our pursuit of excellence and motivate social change. Hilary Swank: “The great [...]
“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 ‘gifted’ label & the pressure to deliver In his book “Your Own Worst Enemy..” psychologist Kenneth W. Christian, PhD delineates some of the most prominent patterns of thinking and behavior he has found that may lead to undermining and underachievement as adults. He notes, “Without explicit demands and support, being labeled ‘bright’ or ‘gifted’ [...]
Jodie Foster once commented about Russell Crowe, “He has that glacier intensity.” Intensity is one of the reasons we enjoy the performances of acclaimed actors, and it is a key personality quality of many gifted and talented, creative people. In her post Tips for Working With Emotional Intensity (she notes it is her contribution to [...]
Willem Kuipers is author of the book Enjoying the Gift of Being Uncommon: Extra Intelligent, Intense, and Effective. In a section of the book – Is it a Gift to be Uncommon? – he writes about how people who are Xi [eXtra Intelligent or Intense] may view their exceptional abilities. Here is an excerpt: Giftedness [...]
Michele Kane, Ed.D., gave a presentation on Stress and Anxiety: Helping Gifted Kids Cope – which also has helpful perspectives for us adults. She points out that stress is universal and experienced by everyone, and that “Being bright, talented, creative, motivated, smart, ambitious, and even good looking can add to the stress in your life.” [...]
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 [...]
By Edith Johnston PhD LPC I have lots of ideas. I am intelligent and inquisitive with lots of interests. Yet, I am insecure and everything seems incongruent as I move through life. Does this sound like something you experience? Being a multi-talented individual, or said another way, a smart person, can lead to this kind [...]
In her Foreword to the book “Enjoying the Gift of Being Uncommon” by Willem Kuipers, Linda Silverman of the Gifted Development Center writes: The vast majority of gifted adults are never identified. Even those who were tested as children and placed in gifted programs often believe that their giftedness disappeared by the time they reached [...]
“Were it not for perfectionism, we would be in short supply of all those myriad human activities we deem extraordinary, excellent, outstanding or great in quality.” Psychologist Stephen A. Diamond, Ph.D. continues: “Once upon a time perfectionism was perceived not as neurosis, but rather as a sign of commitment, caring, and devotion to one’s work…” [...]
“Even Mozart’s early abilities were not the product of some innate spiritual gift.” That comment is from a NY Times op-ed by David Brooks, who adds, “His early compositions were nothing special. They were pastiches of other people’s work. “Mozart was a good musician at an early age, but he would not stand out among [...]
Arianna Huffington was described by her friend and author Sugar Rautbord [in a Vanity Fair article] as “probably one of the most intellectually seductive human beings on the face of the planet. “She has such a powerful brain, and she exudes an intellectuality that is almost sexual.” One of the myths of highly talented people [...]
.. 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 [...]
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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.
