If you were a gifted child, do you think giftedness made childhood harder for you socially or otherwise?

Question

I've been reading in my child psych book that there is a sort of ceiling for being socially well adjusted and being gifted. They say that most gifted kids do not have social problems, but that those who are extremely gifted with an IQ of like 150-160 or above or who show extreme creative talent have a really hard time with social adjustment. That they often feel isolated from their peer group, unchallegned by their school work and are more likely to have emotional/behavioral problems and be underachivers.

So if you were a gifted child, do you think your gift was also a curse? Do you think you would have been happier or better adjusted if you were normal?

Answer 1

As a child, I was told I had an IQ of 170, and was double-promoted from first to third grade. This made peer interaction extremely difficult (one year's difference is substantial between a 7- and an 8-year-old) which eventually meted out when I went to college.

But still there's a lot of sense of self-doubt and some social awkwardness that has remained. The gift has also meant greatly increased personal pressure (all levied by myself) to do better, and when I've come up against mediochre results I find myself getting quite depressed about it.

Childhood...and adulthood...are both more difficult, I think.

Answer 2

i was not only gifted and smarter than the majority of my peers, but i was also mature. And thank God that i didn't live an isolate life. I was always the youngest one in all of my classes. But my smart mouth and my wit made up for it. Not to mention that i had a reputation for fighting so not too man people would mess with me. I was younger, but remarkably more athletic and much taller than most of my peers. so being smart was icing on the cake for me.

Don't ge me wrong, my childhood was plagued with sexual abuse by my father and a mother who was too preoccupied to see the signs. Therefore, my intelligence was an outlet. so my adjustment wasn't too hard.

Be a help to the underachievers. be a motivator, not a spectator. If you can't get along with them socially, find a group of smart friends that know how to have fun too!!!

Answer 3

Hi! & Yes, to all the above! My IQ was discovered early in academics to my teachers and parents surprise! This somewhat weird kid wasn't an idiot, she was "gifted". Forced to be an overachiever and live up to the standards of my "curse" as I saw it, constantly hounded and bombarded w/ things I had no interest in. Thus, to say I made up for it w/ my solid D average in H.S, & W's in college with an A in partying, making laughing stocks of my parents & teachers, that boasted about this kid w/ the incredible IQ! I rebelled to NO end, causing nothing but chaos in my life and those around me.

Being gifted doesn't necessarily make you smart. There are many things I can't do, w/ people having 1/2 my IQ can do better, granted I'm no dummy. I could probably tell you things that would make your head spin or diagnois a problem that no other could figure out w/ out having years of medical training. How I know these things(who the he-l knows). In the end it only comes down to one thing. I didn't use my abilities to make a difference, whereas some of my friends with average IQ's made that difference. I commend them for that!

Thus, after many years I have started a new & (straight) path, for myself, all though it's very difficult for even the gifted to relearn all the basics. I'm constantly @ odds w/ myself for underachieving or losing interest quick. I get extremely agitated , lash out and play a hel- of alot if head games etc.. Same for my interpersonal skills and relationships. What my intelligence has created for me, is your basic "risk taker" thrill seeker nut. Normal stuff does not, nor has it ever excited me, I live for the high! Which = trouble. All though I try my best to keep things under control now and live as normal as I can. Thanks to a few people who keep it real for me. To end my tangent of words... Is my behavior genetic, socialogical crap or stem from High IQ? Can't say for sure? Just thought I'd shed some light! Not to mention it's 3:57am & I can't sleep, another one of my difficulties...good luck in your quest for answers---PS responding to your last question,would happiness= normalcy for me, Not too sure? But I'd give anything to feel normal for a day and not some freak of nature, but hey, it's all good! I have a- lot more then most, who am I to complain. I know sh-t, big deal! (LOL) Jen

Answer 4

Definitely. You covered it well. It causes social isolation. I would also recommend that no child skip a grade in elementary school. That is a double jolt that further distances the child. Parents also expect more and you inherit expectations that are unreasonable. The scoop on the top of the sundae is when you are told that you don't want to "waste your potential" as if you owe the world something regardless of your desires. It can become a challenge or a curse depending on your environment.