“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 [...]
Amber Tamblyn comments about her character Martha: “I think you’re going to see someone who has been so much in the world of academia and knowledge that she really never progressed or matured in a social sense.” In the TV series “House,” Amber Tamblyn portrays Martha M. Masters – a “genius third-year med student who, [...]
Therapist Belinda Seiger, PhD says she has “known many gifted women who seem to possess what I refer to as the ‘rage to achieve.’ “They are constantly driven to learn, to create and to be intellectually productive even while raising young children.” Author Amy Bloom (photo; she is Writer-in-Residence, Wesleyan University) has commented on the [...]
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 [...]
“I realized that acting smart or talented in school made me sound like a geek or nerd. So I remodeled myself as an airhead.” Yoky Matsuoka – robotics pioneer, prosthetics visionary, and a leading researcher in neurobotics. [From post The airhead mask and self-limiting – dealing with self sabotage.] Are geeks getting more ‘respectable’ or [...]
By Cat Robson What are some of the considerations that lead sensitive and gifted adults to take psychiatric medications? What are some of the reasons people stop taking medications?? What are the alternatives? My inner life, and sometimes my outer life, is painful/chaotic/confusing. The DSM symptoms list for certain mental illnesses seem to fit me [...]
What makes creative and highly sensitive people accept, and even welcome, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or other mental illness? Are psychiatrists equipped to recognize and support creativity, high sensitivity and giftedness? Who determines where creative intensity ends and mental illness begins? Do medications put our creativity and sensitivity at risk? Over a year 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 used to think I couldn’t be gifted because I didn’t fit my image of gifted people: geniuses, successful, ambitious, confident, comfortable with themselves and basking in adulation. I figured because my personality often elicited criticism from others it meant I was hopelessly inadequate and flawed. Surely not gifted. But what really makes us gifted? [...]
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. [...]
In her article, 10 Misconceptions About Gifted Adults, Jane Macondo sheds some light on why gifted people can be baffled…and baffling. Gifted adults are largely invisible. One of the reasons very few apply the term to themselves is due to the misconceptions about giftedness – in adulthood as well as childhood. Many adults who have [...]
Others have sometimes labeled my insatiable curiosity as obsession, and my energy and drive to create as mania. Being misunderstood, by ourselves and others, seems to come with the territory of giftedness. Linda Kreger Silverman of the Gifted Development Center explains: Giftedness creates a different organization of the Self. Impossible dreams are realized, unrealistic goals [...]
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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.
