Giftedness should be understood by what it is not: gifted children aren’t uniformly advanced, mature, or similar in interests, goals, or humor, nor confined by gender, race, or class. They are passionate, original, and inspiring, and require recognition and support to thrive.
This reflection explores the emotional life of gifted adults: feeling different, experiencing intense empathy and sensitivity, and encountering strong reactions to beauty and suffering. It describes sleepless concern for the world, the effort to cultivate personal balance, and the intense energy gifted people bring to caring and creativity.
A portrait of giftedness as a quirky, intense presence who embraces individuality yet feels vulnerable. Gifted individuals stand out rather than blend, maintain close ties with talent and ability, and use humour to connect—while sometimes fearing an impostor hidden beneath their unusual exterior.
This piece emphasizes the value of active listening with gifted children, noting that attending to what and how they speak reveals underlying concerns. Rather than offering immediate solutions, attentive listening validates feelings, supports self-esteem, and uncovers clues about worries—an approach that takes practice but yields meaningful understanding.
Parents of twice-exceptional children should accept unconventional development and timelines. These children combine exceptional strengths with significant challenges, requiring tailored approaches. Emphasize support, understanding, encouragement, and creative solutions to meet their unique needs while recognizing progress may not match peers.
A gifted child needs time to learn, explore, dream, and play. They require opportunities to stretch intellectually, space to imagine and ponder, and time to be a child. Emotional support from caring adults and peers helps them develop their identity as gifted individuals.
Felice Kaufmann argues that achievement alone does not create a lasting, meaningful life. True success involves understanding one’s real needs and finding constructive, personally meaningful ways to meet them—whether through major accomplishments or deep relationships—and emphasizes the importance of connection.
Advice from parents of gifted children emphasizes loving them for who they are, setting realistic expectations, encouraging progress over perfection, allowing safe failure, fostering peer connections and communication, respecting solitary time, promoting consistency and cooperation with schools, and modeling balanced self-care.
Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman describes giftedness as an inherent way of being: thinking differently, experiencing life intensely, seeking meaning, and valuing integrity. Gifted individuals may feel misunderstood, be highly sensitive and complex, yet are not broken and should trust themselves and seek accepting company.
Judy Galbraith emphasizes that gifted people’s social and emotional development must match their intellectual growth. She argues that giftedness is more than achievements or creations; equally important is the character and memory one leaves behind, and attending to emotional needs fosters happier, more meaningful lives.
