In a nutshell, I'd say self-motivation is the hallmark of GT kids, whereas hothoused kids are the ones whose parents are pushing.
The best example I know of hothousing in pop culture is from the Steve Martin movie "Parenthood." The Rick Moranis character is TOTALLY hothousing his little daughter in that movie.
Flashcards, rote memorization, pushy "stage parents"...these are the stuff of life for a hothoused kid.
An eager thirst for knowledge that the poor, exhausted parents can't keep up with...this is the life of a GT kid. They pick stuff up that you don't know how they learned it. They remember something you told them once months earlier when you thought they weren't paying attention. Essentially, the GT kids drive the learning bus and the parents hang on for dear life, not the other way around.
