The Norm Can Blow It Out Its Ear

This post was written by Catherine Riordan in January 2013. It appears on another website, incorrectly attributed to a different author.

Gifted children eventually grow up, but gifted is not a term which adults tend to use in reference to themselves. It comes with many negative connotations and is something people expect you to grow out of anyway. However, gifted is just a term used, usually in education, to refer to those at the upper end of the intelligence spectrum. It comes with various traits, not least of which are the overexcitabilities or intensity.

The problem is that we all compare ourselves and others to the norm. Those who fall to either side of the norm are at risk of being perceived as "abnormal" when, in fact, they are just different to the majority. Below is a summary of a twitter chat which took place in January, including some great articles and resources. Many thanks to those who contributed!

The questions asked were:

1 Is there such a thing as a gifted adult?

1.5 Is there a difference between the characteristics of adult giftedness and child giftedness? 

2 We care that G&T children's giftedness gets addressed. What about G&T adults? Does it matter? Is adult giftedness as relevant as child giftedness in terms of cultivating potential?

2.5. Do you know any adults who discovered as adults that they were gifted? What is your experience of them?

3. Are gifted adults who adjusted to being an undiscovered G&T child lacking authenticity as adults?

4. What problems/issues are likely to present in undiagnosed gifted adults?

5. To what extent do undiagnosed gifted adults try to live their life through their children?

6. What do G&T children say about G&T adults?

7. What do adult friends of gifted adults say about them?

8. What would/should a gifted adult say to their 16 year old self?

9. What affirmations, if any, does your gifted self live by today?