Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums THINKING BIG About Gifted Education A warning from a gifted adult.

I digressed, I am terribly sorry.

Yes, we certainly do. I am on my fourth directed study and have concocted numerous research projects, which is immensely interesting and enjoyable.

I suppose the hardest part is relating to my classmates. I have plenty of friends but I suppress A LOT in order to "get good grades", conform to the expectations of the professor (though some encourage creativity), and not come off as excessively strange. It is lonely, for sure.

How do you all cope with this frustration in your daily lives? I would love to know

Hello CCN,

I appreciate your comment as well.

My question is this:

How do you deal with the problem of immersing yourself with people?

I am troubled by this as well.
I supposed so much so that I can come off as "normal" or "typical."

Nevertheless, I carry a notebook around ALL the time and write feverishly/furiously whenever I have some research ideas, mathematical models and solutions coming to mind, and poems.

These are all the things I cannot possibly share with those around me out of fear and/or looks of dismay and confusion.

What do you do to overcome your perception of people?

I guess I've learned to blend and connect. Once I get to know people I'm definitely much more comfortable. Otherwise I just keep fairly quiet and observe.

Also, I firmly believe that everyone, regardless of intellect, has something to contribute. It could be an anecdote about a place I've never been, info about a hobby I've never tried, the plot of a movie I've never seen, or just... attitude or state of being: determination, gratitude, optimism, grace, refinement, kindness, open mindedness, etc.

I am not a positivist, no. I think Wittgenstein's criticism of positivism is pretty thorough and devastating. By the way, I think you would love Wittgenstein, if you don't read him already.

Your "quantitative literature" focus sounds interesting. I think that kind of thing could yield really interesting results with certain texts.

For the isolation stuff, maybe ou should try grad school. In the right program you'd find people similar to yourself.

I echo your feelings; however, as I got older I learned how to find people to talk to, even if just my dad. I think we can make the world a better place; it would be disastrous to stop producing intellectual humans. I wish though that more would be done to try to understand genius.

At least you were identified. I was not; and had no means of explaining myself to others, that penetrated their fog. I couldn't say: well, I have a good reason for my feelings/thoughts- my IQ is higher than yours.

One more thing- I would bet anything that you would be a great parent because you would make sure to meet as many needs as you could for your children and you would be successful at it.

I am a hermit mostly, but occasionally find someone to share a particular topic with, indepth. I do not push people to talk my way anymore.

I am usually friendless although there are a few occasions I find interest with a person for a while; most times I go beyond them after a period of time.

I have trouble with motivation and tend toward laziness (well, that means sitting here doing stuff like this). I just do not know what I want to do or what I would be most effective with. At present I have decided to put my kids as my predominant priority; I want to give them as much as I can, that I was not given, education-wise.

I see that you have an interest in math. Can you recommend any math academy's for summer camp in Southern California?

Alana

Bluestar:

I imagine that we would get along splendidly and become friends =)
I get so exasperated and disheartened frequently, though I have never felt lazy. I do question the "telos" of even getting an education though. If I can learn the material on my own at home, it bores me to tears to attend classes where I have already read the primary sources involved.

What do you mean about "I go beyond them after a period of time"? Does this translate to boredom, essentially? I appreciate what you are saying about being a good parent; nonetheless, I am so fervently dedicated to my research that I don't see that being an option.

What all do your interests entail? I would like to know =)
Furthermore, thanks for your encouragement; oftentimes I envision a better life if I were more normal and had socially acceptable interests that do not involve learning differential equations for fun (for instance).I sometimes feel lesser than those around me due to my rather esoteric interests.

Another quick question: What were you not given education-wise that you wish to extend to your children?

QT3, if you are strongly drawn to research, then education would be the path to get there. Presuming you want to be focused and not just have a hobby in that area (and presuming that income is a relevant consideration.)

In post-graduate work you can begin to engage, bump heads, refine, argue your concepts with others with similar or tangential interests. Even undergraduate, the potential exists; request to take graduate seminars and bring your geist to each class over and beyond the requirements and material as presented. Passion paves paths.

The laziness is a real struggle for me. After my daughter was diagnosed with ADD I started to consider that maybe I had it too, I actually ended up being prescribed a very mild stimulant that at least gets me out of bed in the mornings, and my house is a lot cleaner.

I am also very lost when it comes to knowing what I want to do in life. Unfortunately I didn't make it to college because of various family issues, and it's not really something I can remedy now, so I'm left feeling like I could do so much, but can only do very little if you know what I mean.

What's interesting is that my mom is exactly the same, and has flitted through various colleges and careers but never seen any of them through. My sister however, who was given up for adoption at birth, ended up getting a phd and has a research career that she loves. I guess nurture really does trump nature.