[Things] People Say To Gifted People

Post Reply New Topic

Feel free to add your own!

"So, like, how many languages do you speak?"

"How many instruments do you play?"

"Here, solve this Rubik's cube!"

"Oh cool, can you fix my computer?"

"Like Einstein?"

"Like Tesla?"

"Like Steven Hawking?"

"Like The Big Bang Theory?"

"So why are you failing [insert class here]?"

"Isn't that book a little below your reading level? Shouldn't you be challenging your mind?"

"Did they test your IQ when you were a kid?"

"How can you be so smart?"

"You gonna be like Stephen Hawking but w/o the disease."

Not to go off topic and I wouldn't post this out side of random but,

Define gifted?

You can fail at a lot of things, anything you do right is a gift. Even flaws can be a gift with a boarder view of life. Isn't saying someone is gifted undermining the gifts of others?

Maybe this is what I would say to someone gifted so maybe it is on topic.

"Gifted" means an IQ in the range of 120-150. 150+ is "Genius." It's a very narrow definition used by schools and can have an impact on the way someone is educated.

I don't know if she was classifiable as "gifted" but I once knew a woman who was a brilliant artist, painting in oils/acrylics. She was very intellectual, educated, dry witted, deeply talented and her work was amazing. She also happened to be just under 5ft tall.

She said someone once remarked to her "You're astonishingly gifted --- for someone so short."

although by dint of the "gifted" description [in a post above this one] that I nominally qualify to be termed such, just the same I never felt gifted and if anything, often have felt just the opposite, very stupid 99% of the time. I can't count the number of times people have said [well-meaning but uncomprehendingly] "for somebody so smart, you sure are stupid!" referring to my social difficulties and lack of common sense.

I'm the same way. I'm actually really dumb. I'm only smart when it comes to useless facts or analyzing other people's creations that are better than mine.

mebbe we're both from the island of defective toys

"Then shouldn't you be really successful? You're obviously wasting your potential and just being lazy."

they would only say those things to you if you gave them the impression you were "gifted" as a focus of what you say and do rather than what you actually say or do. like if you show off, then people may say those things to you.

i was tested as a child to be gifted, and i never wanted anyone to know it really.
i wanted to appear dumber than them to give them the bravery to talk to me, and then intrigue them after they got to know me and know that i did not take any notice of my ability to think what i thought, but i just thought it anyway.

people sometimes realize your mind is quite exceptional and get self conscious and think you are scrutinizing them and thinking they are stupid.
i have experienced that. the raising of an eyebrow or the absence of a comment can make some people feel quite deflated.
so it is better to seem simple but accurate. just like a robot who nobody could feel offended by.

I was never a showoff as a kid. I was curious and precocious, and I liked to share what I knew with others, but I didn't do it for attention. I was oblivious as to what "normal" is, and I still am. I was also put into the gifted class, so the school drew attention to it. Teachers would randomly bring it up.