This is almost shocking to read. This defines a big part of my son's life. WOW! Thank you. I have always said he needs to learn like he needs water. I feel like I am the only person in the world that truely sees it. (Sometimes I even questioned myself if I am just making this up in my own mind.)It's hard to keep up with this demand. Luckily, he entertains himself alot. He has been making a game for 3 years, which I find amazing.

born abnormally - I have a hard time with this in the quote. We are all different and that good.

Recently, DS was making catapults all day. This was a wonderful happy day. I think some one here suggested the website. Thank you.

((Hugs)) OTGmom!
Keep in mind that Buck isn't writing about gifted kids, she is writing about herself, and I think she uses words like 'abnormal' and 'inhumanely' to put across the intensity of her feelings. I don't think she is saying that gifted kids are abnormal.

I've read her books, and she is very very sensitive. Don't you get get more of a gut feeling of "WoW" when she says 'abnormally and inhumanely' instead instead of 'very very?' I do. I dated a writer once, and found that you have to take what they say with a grain of salt, because, after all, they use language to create an emotional effect for a living.

Lots of gifted kids don't have this 'burning to learn' - some start with it and it gets sort of stomped out. I don't have it very often, and apparently my creative outlet is posting here. The whole time I was posting, I was reminding myself that I have to work the next day, and should really go to sleep, but instead 'it' was pouring out of me.

Have a wonderful day,
Grinity

I know this is true for my son. He DOES feel like he was born abnormally, as Pearl Buck says. He also has actually said that he "needs math more than food." (I had posted that little conversation elsewhere). And I am hoping against hope that it does not get crushed out of him. Nan

Thanks for the clarity. I was thinking she meant gifted kids.

And thanks for being here and all your posting. You are so helpful.

It's great you want to protect that. That is how I feel.

I think you're misattributing the comma in this sentence. That is "born abnormally sensitive, inhumanely sensitive", not "born abnormally, and inhumanely sensitive".

Hope that helps.

Either way, thank god they are so sensitive. And, I am sure I need more math.

As usual, I find these posts at the perfect time in our own lives!

I've tried to cut back on the schoolwork for my DS(newly 6) since it's summer vacation, but despite all of his creative projects, playdates and camps, and sports activities, he's already craving the intellectual stimulation.

Yesterday morning, after watching the soccer game (go USA!), he said, "I know it's summer vacation and I don't have to do any schoolwork, but would it be okay if I do a book report on the World Cup today?" After we told him to go for it, he spent the rest of the morning googling the World Cup and making about a dozen flags to represent each of the nationalities in our family.

I mentioned this on my FB account, and promptly received comments by extended family members (who are also confirmed HG, btw!), questioning why he doesn't "act like a normal boy and go play ball in the park." It makes my blood boil when people suggest that he's abnormal because he wants to use his brain and discover new things!! Grrr...

Thank you, as always, for reminding us that we're "normal" too!

Normal is such a slippery word.

I often think that my son is on a developmental path that is outside the normal expectations - but normal for him.

This quote really speaks to me. I was born with an extremely sensitive mind, and ever since I was old enough to talk, I was sensitive and perfectionistic. If someone rejected me, I would cry because I cared about their opinions so much, that I thought I could please them (my mom says I care too much about others' opinions, even though I am independent). I would burst into ecstacy over things I loved, and rage over things I sheerly hated. Most everything sounds like me, and this speaks to all gifted people at one point of their lives.

Agreed.