Gifted Adults

Describing someone as ‘gifted’ instinctively makes us think of them as being highly intelligent, perhaps even a child prodigy. But that isn’t right. Although they do tend to be thought of as ‘clever’, the defining characteristics are that they tend to have above average skills in multiple areas, all of which they can do simultaneously.

So one minute they could be talking about deep philosophical issues and the meaning of life, and then nuclear physics in the next with the ability to flit between the two and have enough knowledge to hold a conversation with an expert in both. This would also be without the need for ‘wasteful’ small talk before doing so.

‘Gifted’ adults usually have lots of drive and can quickly understand new ideas and concepts but have an expectation that this is how everybody else will be. It would not be unusual for them to have multiple careers in a lifetime and consider that to be normal – and may be doing two or three of those careers at any one time together with some hobbies too.

But gifted adults can struggle in life because this is not how most people live and so they struggle to fit in and feel part of normal society. Most people like stability and security, and a good life would be one with a lengthy career in the same job or company before retiring to do a hobby or two. Gifted adults find life in a society with this attitude very difficult and they can get very frustrated and critical of people around them. Similarly, the people around them can get frustrated at what appears to be their inability to settle on one thing or to slow down.

Some of the concepts used to describe adults are multipotentiality and twice-exceptional (or 2e, which is also used in connection with autism and Asperger’s syndrome, which gifted adults are sometimes misdiagnosed with).

The following websites provide more information on this area and will help you to find out if you might fit into this category.

• Extra Ordinary You – https://www.extraordinaryyou.com.au/gifted
• Gifted Challenges – https://giftedchallenges.blogspot.com/2018/05/gifted-adults-embracing-complexity.html
• Mary-Elain Jacobsen – Has written an excellent book for Gifted Adults including tests to help you assess your particular forms of giftedness and with techniques to help you navigate and thrive in the world with the trait.