The Gifted Adult by Mary-Elaine Jacobsen

The issues of adults with intellectual giftedness are something that isn't brought up often among psychological circles. Giftedness in child development is something that is talked about, yet still isn't addressed enough. After all, only a small part of the population is gifted. It is an important topic because people with giftedness have unique needs. They are often misunderstood. Many gifted people have heightened sensitivities, emotions, drive, imagination, and creativity. Having relationships with other gifted individuals is essential so they can have people with whome to relate.



I decided to read this book so I can understand myself better. I know I was an outsider in school. I was one of the students with good grades and never joined any groups. I was a non-conformist and I never felt that I was like the other students. I often didn't know what to talk about when they talked about things. I just didn't find their topics to be interesting. Of course I got picked on for being different.



When I was seven years old a box of World Book encyclopedias arrived in my classroom. During that schoolyear I often look up random things in them. I liked reading about different countries, people, diseases, etc. I read books on plants, geography, the human body, and outer space. My mother was studying to be a nurse and I skimmed her nursing texbooks. I could name many bones and organs in the body. The following year I learned how to play piano and I played it very well. I didn't feel limited in anything except maths. In high school I was a member of the National Honor Society and I was in the Honors Core when at Andrews University.



Jacobsen's book said that giftedness is more than just an I.Q. score. Having done some research on I.Q., giftedness is generally defined by someone having an I.Q. of 130 or higher. Gifted programmes in schools often require that minimum score of 130. Mensa, the high I.Q. society, requires a Stanford-Binet score of 132 or higher and 148 on the Cattell. The problem with I.Q. testing, is that intelligence can't always be measured by a test alone. It makes a good guess of someone's intelligence, but each test has a margin of error. I.Q. testing can have 15 points in deviation. Jacobsen says that giftedness is about creativity and asking questions instead of just answering them.



There were a few chapters dedicated to common criticisms of gited individuals. Some of those are: "Can't You Just Stick With One Thing?" and "Where Do You Get Those Wild Ideas?". Having many interests and having trouble focusing on just one interest is a problem I have had. I am often very restless and move from task to task easily. Being very curious is something I haven't grown out of. It's normal behaviour for us gifted people. The best answer is "yes, I have many interests and I like to explore new ideas". Thinking outside the box is also a gifted trait. Nonconformity is something that gifted people exhibit because they prefer to be independent thinkers. That sets them apart. History has many very intelligent people who were criticised for their ideas, only to have those ideas change the world for the better. Copernicus, Galileo, Edison, and many more were considered to be crazy by the general population.



The need for intellectual stimulation is important. I want to read books and watch movies that are worth my time and not just entertaining. There are some exceptions, yet I prefer watching documentaries, independent films, and historical dramas. I have been reading about neuroscience, botany, physics, and biographies of famous intellectuals.

The theory of multiple intelligences is important. Each person has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The book had a test on multiple intelligences and I scored highest in naturalistic and linguistic intelligence. That didn't surprise me. I like books and I love nature.



Unfortunately, I have often felt that there is something wrong because of being different. When on a bus in Korea in 2006, my friend Victor said that there was nothing wrong with me at all, and that I was probably more blessed than anyone on the bus. I didn't forget that. He added that I need to remember that to whom much is given, much is required.

I have had a problem with not staying focused enough. I am used to things coming easily to me, and I haven't always done well because I didn't work hard enough. I do want to change that. I want to learn taekwondo at a Korean dojang within a few weeks. I also want to start graduate school soon. I do want to live up to my potential and work hard for what I want to accomplish.