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Off My Chest
RULES:
I am looking for mods!
1. The "good" part of our community means we are pro-empathy and anti-harassment. However, we don't intend to make this a "safe space" where everyone has to be a saint. Sh*t happens, and life is messy. That's why we get things off our chests.
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You seem to have a misunderstanding of what it means to have a gifted brain. And it's this kind of misunderstanding that is at the heart of the the complaints you will see from those told they were gifted.
Your money analogy is flawed. It's more like you are a kid and take a test and are told you fully understand and can predict economics. But this is only helpful for those born with money or have the social connections to make use of the knowledge. That's only a potential gift, and at least half of those kids will never get to use it.
It was not a kind thing for parents, teachers, and society to expect people with gifted brains to automatically do well in the world. Charisma and social skills are often better indicators of success, but these skills aren't guaranteed in people with gifted brains. If you're told you'll be very successful, but that's not actually how the world works, then at some point you will feel lied to or it's your fault you're a failure.
The term "gifted" is a terrible name for this form of neurodivergence. I like to call it "cousin of autism" but it really is overdue for a new name. Having a gifted brain means you have stronger emotional responses that are often misunderstood by neurotypical brains. And those responses can take much longer to process than typical emotional responses. Gifted brains can often show traits similar to autistic and/or OCD brains, and often have ADHD and/or dyslexia. These traits require coping strategies that neurotypical brains don't have to do.
Coming back to praise: Praising any kid for being smart has very negative side effects that teachers and the science of pedagogy figured out too late for many, and it is still not known by too many parents. The wrong kind of praise harms self-esteem and affects whether you're intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated (which affects future success and happiness).
Read on if you want to understand the problem with praising intelligence.
from: https://bingschool.stanford.edu/news/carol-dweck-praising-intelligence-costs-childrens-self-esteem-and-motivation