… and how it might still be affecting you, your parenting, and your relationships
This article is the first in a series about giftedness through the lifespan and the generations before you. My doctoral dissertation study on which this series of articles is based is specifically about the Baby Boomer Generation, born between 1946 and 1964. Here are the living generations as described by Strauss and Howe:
- The Greatest Generation (born 1901–1927)
- The Silent Generation (born 1928–1945)
- Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964)
- Generation X (born 1965–1980)
- Millennials (born 1981–1995)
- Generation Z (born 1996–2010)
- Generation Alpha (born 2011–2025)
Photo by Kampus Production.
The study uses case studies of 41 highly gifted adults who were all part of the Baby Boomer generation. There are generational effects related to the zeitgeist — that is, the history going on at the time groups of human beings were living their lives.
What were the pressing circumstances each generation had to deal with, face, endure, or benefit from? If you ever wonder where on Earth your parents or grandparents got their ideas, this series of articles might fill in some blanks for you. This qualitative research was done with mostly middle class white people; if your families are not from this group, it may still help you understand how they thought and why they acted the ways they did and do now.
If You’re So Smart, Why Do You Need Counseling?
Self-indulgent. Whiny. Weak. Many of the generation who lived through the Great Depression and World War II do not understand the popularity of psychotherapy. To many, needing therapy implies lack of strength or competence. Strauss and Howe describe G.I.s as confident problem-solvers who valued outer life over inner and preferred traditional sex-role definitions.
The Baby Boomers were born into an era of prosperity and relative safety. Maslow theorized self-actualization follows satisfaction of basic needs. The G.I. generation’s attitudes may have allowed younger generations to pursue inner growth and to recognize and admit depression, anger, or unfulfillment.
Etty Hillesum recognized that different times allow different talents and strengths to emerge; in peaceful times sensitive artists may develop insights that others need in turbulent times.
Terman’s longitudinal study, part of the G.I. generation, found gifted groups had above-average mental health and low incidence of depression, challenging ideas that giftedness implied mental illness.
Highly Gifted Adults and Counseling
In the early 1990s the author collected case studies from 110 highly gifted adults across three generations. Counseling rates varied by age cohort; a generational cohort effect influenced viewpoints and outlooks. Analysis was limited to Baby Boomers in the study.
The subjects quoted are a subset of 41 adults who scored at the 99th percentile or above. Nearly all reported painful experiences related to being gifted as children; 75% wrote about intellectual struggles and existential questions often linked to sadness and depression.
When Baby Boomers tried to discuss “finding themselves” with G.I. parents, it was common to hear admonitions like “If you’re so smart, why can’t you figure it out for yourself?” which added guilt and shame for many.
Within the 41-subject group, 13 (nearly 32%) reported receiving therapeutic counseling. Of nine showing higher-level development behavior, only three did not mention having counseling support.
Incidence of Abuse Among the Gifted
In this study, 56% reported some degree of abusive treatment in childhood, including repeated verbal/emotional abuse, 19% sexual abuse, 12% sexual interference, and 15% stronger physical abuse; three subjects reported being beaten more than once.
Direct comparisons to population abuse figures are limited because official statistics reflect substantiated, reportable cases. Only one subject reported abuse to authorities. Feeling depressed, sad, or hopeless—rather than abuse per se—were primary factors leading subjects into counseling; similar numbers of depressed subjects sought and did not seek therapy.
Watch for the second section of the series, “Understanding Viewpoints Based on Dabrowski Levels — Inner Growth in Highly Gifted Adults.”
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Story References
Hillesum, E. (1983). An interrupted life: the diaries of Etty Hillesum 1941–43. J. G. Gaarlandt, Trans. New York: Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster. (Original work published 1981).
Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. Princeton, NJ: D. Van Nostrand.
Ruf, D. L. (1998). Environmental, familial, and personal factors that affect the self-actualization of highly gifted adults: Case studies. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota.
Strauss, W. & Howe, N. (1991). Generations: The history of America’s future. New York: Quill/William Morrow.
Terman, L. M., and Oden, M. H. (1947). Genetic studies of genius Vol. IV: The gifted child grows up. Stanford University Press.
Terman, L. M., and Oden, M. H. (1959). Genetic studies of genius Vol. V: The gifted group at mid-life. Stanford University Press.
(Published in Advanced Development Journal, 1999)
