You might ask: Why is this even important?

To me it’s important because I have gotten to know a lot of gifted people through my life, and a lot of these were not even close to reaching some kind of potential, because their challenges comes in the way all the time.

It’s an amazingly big waste of energy and potential, that we have created a world where a lot of people who’s different thinkers/feelers is marginalized and doesn’t feel included, lack purpose and has low self-esteem.

#giftedness

I really don’t know what to do to change this general misunderstanding of giftedness. But listening to other gifted people about their “gifted trauma” really helped feel connection and understanding.

And even if I come across as arrogant when trying to explain my strengths and weaknesses, or in any other situation where I have a hard time making myself understood, understanding I’m not alone helps a lot.

#giftedness

When talking about giftedness. I sometimes meet the opinion, that “if you are so smart, why don’t you solve your own problems?”

But having a gifted mind doesn’t equal being smart in all walks of life. And it doesn’t come with the unique ability of changing who you are. It sometimes comes with the understanding of how to mask and blend in, but that’s really not sustainable in any way.

#giftedness

The list of challenges for gifted people is long, when trying to blend in in everyday life.

Perfectionism, making it hard to be satisfied
Come forward as more (too) intense to others
Can have a hard time, making one self understandable by others
Often more emotional and sensory sensitive
Lacks patience (ex for small talk)
And more…

All of this brings low self-esteem and the feeling of being different.

#giftedness

And I really get why I and others can come across that way, when talking about ourself as gifted.

One side of the narrative is having special abilities, being a fast thinker/learner, solving/understanding complex problems and more. But non of these abilities makes me a better human being - which some people seem to think is the purpose of calling one selves gifted.

But the other side of giftedness is all the challenges which comes with a gifted mind.

#giftedness