What word would you use to replace "Giftedness"? For advocacy, awareness, identity, fundraising, etc, if you could choose a word that the rest of the (English) world could use, what would you pick? Or if not a word, a short phrase?
From past readings of other articles, learning about giftedness, and reading the article below, I've been thinking for several months now, there has got to be an alternative way to describe "giftedness"?
An excerpt from the article "How to Charm Gifted Adults into Admitting Giftedness: Their Own and Somebody's Else's"
by Willem Kuipers
p. 18
Advanced Development Journal
"Has the mainstream definition of giftedness unintentionally created a monstrosity of unattainable ideals that few adults dare to identify with? And is that the resulting role model we offer to our children, students, etc, about dealing with their own giftedness -- that we so astutely have labeled them with as part of their education? Isn't it a social issue of astronomical proportions, that gifted people cannot share their experiences of being gifted with other people, because to speak about one's own giftedness simply is not done? And because the gifted who know that they are gifted cannot share their "secret", the gifted that do not yet know it are not given the clue to their own riddle.
Are gifted adults meant to bear the load of being different alone in silence? To be silent, just being grateful for the possible contributions they can make to society's progress? Yet also receiving in real life reactions like "Who do you think you are?"
I think there isn't another word. It seems to me, no matter what word/phrase is used, the actual admitting or describing that one's ability to be intellectually-able, inquisitive, autonomous, and have great zeal in pursuing interests is just not something to be shared. If I'm good at sports, that's ok.
Welcome thoughts/discussion.
