Originally Posted By: Klangedin
I'm someone who's put a lot of weight on my intellectual prowess and been proud of my ability to do things with ease.

I've been put in a rather strange position where my talents where completely overlooked. I was deemed very low functioning despite my intellectual "strengths".

What happened to me was that I started going to a "daily activities" where people had all kinds of disabilities and I was forced to adapt to that circumstance. I knew I was smarter then everyone there by IQ standards. I knew that since I was so intelligent I would learn things well if I gave it the time.

And guess what, today I'm not a badass intellectual with success in any topic but Im a holistic human being that puts other's well being ahead of being "Right" or "arrogant about my intelligence".

What I've learned and is trying to convey is that intellect isn't that important to me anymore. I no longer care about being the intellectual giant that's always right because I've grown out of it. Val said it, do something that is intellectually meaningless and grow other capacities then intellectual ones.

Healthygamer on youtube recently did a video about how gifted kids grow up with a "gifted kid identity" and that these kids over-focus on their intellectualism and that this hampers them in real life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQC0jfH_rrM&ab_channel=HealthyGamerGG

This guy has developed a coaching program that has a focus on eastern meditation and philosophy combined with western knowledge about psychiatry. It's about getting started in life and doing the things that are important to you instead of trying to maintain the self-image of being gifted.


I respect that. However, I judge myself and value myself on my creative and intellectual output. I want to do stuff that is not trivial, and admittedly, this is a preference. I could teach piano and I'm sure I could be quite successful at it, but I don't like the idea of pushing the barrel down the road. My parents said that given what I knew now, I might let my kids take piano lessons so that they might grow up to be good pianists. I am admittedly selfish and have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about not having opportunities as a child to advance and actually become competitively good at an area of my interest. I followed HealthyGamerGG for a while. He has fairly good advice, but imo it's all tailored to above average or moderately gifted children. I also don't like his lack of intellectual rigor -- and dislike the fact that he mentions concepts of theology/Orientalist philosophy such as non-dualism as if they were fact. It's self help, nothing wrong with that but a lack of rigor comes with the territory.

Most highly gifted kids I know got into fairly good colleges and did well without really trying -- those who were able to follow their interests or get into situations which used their intellect are somewhat satisfied; those who couldn't are usually rather unhappy. Many went into research. It is a sort of intellectual hunger or curiosity which is not sated during ordinary life. You can't just tell them to find the happiness in everyday chores like doing the dishes imo, and accept their boredom and lack of any sort of companionship as a fact of life, imo. Man, have you ever felt your mind wasting away from disuse? It is a terrible feeling.