Join the Fun!

I certainly lack the organizational skills that a less intelligent person was forced to develop, because previously, I just kept it all in my head. Now, of course, there are far too many things going on, and they last so much longer, that it's virtually impossible to keep everything in my head. But I lack the discipline and skill necessary for, say, a schedule book. Intelligence is not wisdom, and it is not common sense, and it is not discernment. It is, however, unfortunately, very highly regarded as a standalone product when, as a standalone product, it does not really add value.

naery , Karen Green Report

Final score:

169points

POST

Jo Choto 3 years ago

That is an excellent statement. I think a lot of super smart people are lacking in executive function skills, because they really don't have to use them growing up.

7points

Samantha Lomb 3 years ago

Google makes scheduling really easy.

3points

Bexxxxx 3 years ago

I’m sure OP is smart to enough to have already tried that.

1point

Samira Peri 3 years ago

Only if you remember to make notes.

1point

Neha 3 years ago

Using a pomodoro app really helps with staying focused on a task.

1point

Tommy Iorizzo 3 years ago

What??

2points

Sky Render 3 years ago

Basically, due to the comparative lack of complexity of school live versus adult life, it's very easy for someone with even just an above-average memory to keep up with what's expected of them without any sort of calendar or scheduling. Keeping that up into adult life is not something that most gifted kids can pull off, there's far more things to keep track of!

7points

Kristin Ingersoll 3 years ago

Yup. 100%

1point

Vorknkx 3 years ago

Improvise. I also didn't have good org skills, but I found ways to compensate for this, with the help of a few friends (Excel and Google, heh heh).

1point

Wise beauty 3 years ago

omg same

0points

Debra Ashcraft 3 years ago

I never learned how to study. Ergo, I dropped out of college.

0points

Pheebs 3 years ago

Gawd, this. Took until my mid-20s to develop some decent organization skills. Never learned how to study properly - if I showed up and payed at least some attention, I could manage high Bs or low As without much effort. My first semester doing online classes was a revelation, and forced me to start evaluating those missing skills. Still didn’t manage GOOD organization and motivation until my 30s, when I had to complete a full bachelors online. I used to roll my eyes at planner books. Now I keep one specifically for work, and a calendar for personal. (Digital too)

0points

Julie Franki 3 years ago

Word.

0points

Cecily Holland 3 years ago

My God son is 13 with an IQ of 146. He is also on the spectrum and high functioning. He experiences everything OP is stating

0points

Cecily Holland 3 years ago

Well said

0points

Ashamba 3 years ago

So true!

0points

Leodavinci 3 years ago

Disagree. Without it, the human race would have become extinct long ago.

0points

Penny Martin 3 years ago

Mum of a gifted kid here, god you just totally described my daughter! Thanks, this actually helps to understand her.

0points

Nikki Haines 3 years ago

This is why we try to drill into, even our honor students' heads, "don't skip steps in math and write everything in your agenda." It's easy to keep track now, but it won't always be.

0points

Nikki Haines 3 years ago

Alas, some people are hellbent on learning the hard way.

0points

Joan Zatorski 3 years ago

This is very insightful.

0points

BasedWang 3 years ago

THIS

0points

Kanuli 3 years ago

Same...

0points

Pernille Dyre 3 years ago

I SO agree. You meget intelligent, but you are not always smart...

0points

Lack of discipline, bad work ethic, started becoming more and more lazy and even falling behind everyone else. Even now, studying at the university, I fail pretty much all of my exams the first time I take them, cause I never actually learnt how to study in the first place.

sargro , Nenad Stojkovic Report

Final score:

161points

POST

Vorknkx 3 years ago

It is true - I was pretty lazy in college. One of my profs directly told me I could easily be the best of all student... if only I weren't so lazy and antisocial. Anyway, things still turned out fine. I am doing my best to improve my self-discipline nowadays.

21points

Childhood independence expert and author Lenore explained to Bored Panda that we imagine that we control everything when in reality, seeking control makes us more anxious. “The thing about being ‘perfect’ is that we never know all the workings of the universe. So to assume we can control everything and make it perfect is foolish,” she told Bored Panda.

Lenore quoted a part of her book, Free-Range Kids, that dealt with the topic. “[Control] certainly isn’t required for good child-rearing. And to the extent that we do manage to solve all our children’s problems—or keep those problems from ever even popping up— we are doing them a disservice. Not a fatal one that will stunt our children forever. (That would still be control, right? The ability to control exactly what our kids become.) But still, we are steering them away from the real source of confidence and independence, which comes from navigating the world and its surprises. Especially the unpleasant ones.”

Lenore then explained to Bored Panda exactly what she means by this. “What I mean is: striving to be ‘perfect’ can actually backfire,” she said.

Even worse was being told how "mature" I was for my age; get told enough times and you start to believe it yourself. Turns out I wasn't mature, just different.
I was mature because I did what I was supposed to in class, in reality I just didn't really dare to disobey;
I was mature because I didn't chatter with others during class, wasn't because I was mature enough to know better than others, but because I didn't have any friends to talk with.

Yet I was still always told I was "mature," which leads you into believing you are walking down the correct path -- that you have the correct mindset and there's no need to change it.

RentacleGrape , Annie Spratt Report

Final score:

152points

POST

Sky Render 3 years ago

Especially nasty for those who have been traumatized. No, we're not "mature for our age", we're suffering the side-effects of untreated PTSD by way of being obedient and quiet so as to avoid further damage.

37points

When people start doing better than you and you become more average, you start becoming a bit disconnected with who you are as a person. For all your life you've identified as the 'smart one', now you have no idea

asexybookwyrm , whoislimos Report

Final score:

140points

POST

Vorknkx 3 years ago

Sad but true. It's easy to be the smartest one in elementary school, where all sorts of kids are mixed together, but as you move forward, you find yourself in the company of better and better people. Sooner or later, they will start outshining you.

32points

I entered a culture were everyone, teachers, parents, relatives etc valued me for my smarts and so I used that as my yardstick to value other people for a long time.

Nowadays I'm more interested in who shows compassion, loyalty, dedication, generosity, humor, etc Had to work really hard to break the filters.

Jumbie40 , Thiago Barletta Report

Final score:

124points

POST

Liv 3 years ago

This is a very important life lesson

17points

The desire to be ‘perfect’ can cause a lot of damage, whether you’re a parent or not. But it’s especially in raising our kids that perfectionism can do more harm than good. For everyone involved. The main issue? Kids need to learn to take care of problems themselves. Independence is vital growing up.

“Making sure your child NEVER has to be uncomfortable or scared or lonely or frustrated—trying to ‘concierge’ their life—means kids arrive at adulthood without much experience in rising to the occasion,” Lenore warned. “In a way, they [the kids] arrive undercooked, unready for life—and that’s not what any of us want for our kids.”

When you don't have to work at anything (intellectually), you're completely unprepared for those things that do require work, like essays, partner projects, etc. So you end up missing out on a lot of study skills, which all have a direct corollary to "adult" skills.

naery , meaduva Report

Final score:

117points

POST

Tami 3 years ago

Seems like what a gifted person really needs is a passionate interest in something to motivate them. That's rough because some people just don't find anything in particular that resonates with them.

12points

Now that I'm out of school, I realize how much of my self worth I wrongly placed in my grades/GPA.

reddit , David Mulder Report

Final score:

100points

POST

Vorknkx 3 years ago

This is a valuable life lesson indeed. Your practical skills matter a lot more than the grades you got. And you have to keep developing them - being static is the highway to failure.

11points

OminousOmnipotence , National Cancer Institute Report

I skipped a grade... So, no one saw me as the smart kid but instead as the diminutive thirteen year old ninth grader in Pre Calculus. You learn to keep your mouth shut.

It wasn't that great.

Final score:

98points

POST

MikeWheelerFan 3 years ago

Imo you’re lucky you got to skip a grade. When I was still in Public School (I’m homeschooled now) the principal still wouldn’t let me skip a grade even though I was clearly bored…

4points

According to Lenore, being exposed to a variety of experiences can help toughen us up. That way, we can deal with whatever life throws at us as veterans. “The pain of not getting invited to a birthday party, or failing a class, or not making the basketball team is no fun. But when your college girlfriend dumps you, at least you know you’ve been sad before and lived through it,” the expert gave an example.

“We do our kids a disservice when we make their lives ‘too’ perfect and don’t let them build up some resilience. Sure, we should love and support them. Sure, we want to steer them from true, serious danger. But always intervening in day-to-day frustrations is like going to the gym with our kids and lifting the barbells FOR them. Yes, they have an easier workout. No, they don’t leave stronger.”

As such, modern parents are living with “a new and incredibly heavy burden” that they supposedly ‘should’ be and even can be ‘perfect.’ Of course, this causes a lot of stress and results in kids who are well taken care of, bright, skilled, but don’t have the resilience to deal with the realities of grown-up life.

#10

Hard. I skipped four years in school - it took me years to come to terms with the fact that I'm allowed to do what makes me happy, not what people expect because "you have so much potential."

When I applied to music school my mother's friends openly criticised her for letting me do it, because they couldn't understand why I wasn't moving into a 'brainy' career path like medicine or law. Still get a lot of family members asking why I'm not doing XYZ job that they think I'd be perfect for.

TLDR: Just because you're smart enough to be a rocket scientist, that doesn't mean you have to be one.

mamamully , Soundtrap Report

Final score:

92points

POST

Kanuli 3 years ago

You always want what you didn’t get? I wish I had this kind of support. Instead I was left all by myself, had to learn that I learn for myself, and how to do this. Same with social skills, emotions, morale, household. I still truggle because I taught myself not ideally. My morale is quite black and white for example. But I can still learn and become better.

6points

#11

The correcting of other people is what I've found bothers people the most. I can't stand listening to others spout information that is incorrect, especially to smaller children that will repeat the endless cycle of stupid, so I say something. Or, when playing trivial pursuit, you know all the answers, but don't know how you know them and get the trivial or critical thought based games banned in your friend circle because, "she's just going to win anyway!"

Jaytothenuh , Jon Ross Report

Final score:

83points

POST

Joey Marlin 3 years ago

Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy? I've opted for the latter where it's something that isn't going to hurt the other person by being wrong in some way and it may mean a row or something ensues because people often don't want to believe you.

22points

#12

I used to be so proud of my intellectual abilities and saw myself above many of my peers. Now I loathe myself for that and am realizing there is so much more to a person than being "smart" or "not smart". I'm realizing I was a little jerk inside and even if I tried to be nice on the outside, I still probably hurt people.

BeLikeTheTreeAndLeaf , Joe Penna Report

Final score:

76points

POST

Claire Stanfield 3 years ago

This became very clear to me when a classmate of mine pointed to our mutual friend and announced, "She's in the dumb class". She was the gen ed class and we were in Honors. And this was high school. I was shocked, she was certainly old enough to know better than to say something so wrong.

9points

joinedforafewwords , Yosi Prihantoro Report

#13

I was the typical over-achiever until University, when I had a mental breakdown and developed depression and an anxiety disorder. Turns out, being intelligent doesn't help so much when the family history of mental illness hits you in early adulthood.

Final score:

73points

POST

White Paper Tsuru 3 years ago

It was a real pissoff that I couldn't 'think' my way out of depression

23points

mckinnzj , ljubaphoto / istockphoto Report

#14

Have to say the best part of growing up gifted was the "well what'd you miss" I'd get from parents when I brought home anything less than a 100.

Final score:

70points

POST

Jaekry 3 years ago

Toxic. Redefine your own standards. A 70 is perfect to me (I always need(ed) everything to be a perfect 100. When I'm afraid I won't succeed, I stress, stall or procrastinate. I just get stuck.) Aiming for a 70 is important (for me!) otherwise nothing happens anymore. I will not get the job/task done. Ongoing struggle. Trying to redefine standards that work for me. Hope you all ready figured out yours.

26points

#15

Lonely, because few share your interests.

Lonely, because displaying (showing off?) an intellectual gift brings as much resentment as it does praise (brains are particularly susceptible to resentment because, unlike say soccer or dancing, no one says "hey, your great at that! Thinking just is not my thing lol!". everyone fancies themself to be intelligent, even though everyone can't be).

Lonely, because most people would rather not be corrected, no matter how interesting you personally find the actual accurate information. This might not be clear to you for the first few decades (Actually, did you know that carrots don't substantially aid eyesight? oh, and actually the Pennsylvania Dutch are German. Dutch is an American corruption of Deutsch and....hey, where ya going??)

Lonely, because stories/puzzles/convos that move slow enough to engage most people are interminable to you, and those that move fast enough for you are unintelligible for everyone else.

Lonely because what makes you different can't be seen, so others who're like you might walk right by, and not seek you out. There's no uniform, like a sports jersey our punk rock hair to indicate that you're in the 1%.

Lonely, because logic is your favorite tool, but it is rarely used and often misapplied. Relationships, religion, politics, social situations----it is often OFFENSIVE to apply logic to them. but...you're a logic guy.

DocGrey187000 , Alex Ivashenko Report

Final score:

70points

POST

Purple light 3 years ago

This is me. Using logic in all the wrong places, like when people want to be comforted by your words en you start explaining everything logically. They just want to be told what a b*stard that other person is, not why you think they might have a valid point too.

14points

#16

Intellectually, I was waaay ahead of my peer group, but emotionally and socially I wasn't. When I was moved forward a grade, I ended up being the youngest kid in my classes. All of them. So when my classmates were all getting their driver's licenses, I wasn't. When they were all allowed to see the naughty movies, I wasn't. Their parents set curfews that were usually later than mine, because I was younger. And puberty, well, puberty was a very difficult time

naery , elinerijpers Report

Final score:

68points

POST

Becky Samuel 3 years ago

Oh, this one hits home. Try being a late developing 15 year old when the rest of your class are 17. At best they treat you with condescension as a 'pet' and at worst - well, you can guess.

21points

#17

Imposter syndrome out the wazoo. Everyone is going to find out that I don't know what I'm doing/am not working as hard as I should be/am not as gifted as they say I am.

museings , Sinitta Leunen Report

Final score:

62points

POST

Virgil Blue 3 years ago

Ah, so it has a name then. Good to know, since I'm currently looking into getting help for that and other things.

10points

#18

I wish I had figured that out while getting my aero degrees. One of my advisors even told me it would be OK for me to leave to go to music school. Now I'm 40, I left engineering years ago and I'm about to release my first album. But hey, I'm a rocket scientist too. So there's that.

VegaDenebAndAltair , NeONBRAND Report

Final score:

61points

POST

Virgil Blue 3 years ago

Rocket and roll on my dude!

38points

#19

I used to be the smart kid. Now I'm the knows-a-couple-of-things guy.

Apollo541 , Annie Spratt Report

Final score:

61points

POST

Samira Peri 3 years ago

I'm "knows a bit about a ton of things".

10points

#20

I had a horrific work ethic because I learned in elementary school that because I was smarter than the other kids, I didn't have to work as hard. Generally they would give us "GIFTED" work, and whatever time we had remaining once the work was complete was ours to do with as we liked. The result was learning that the other slobs would toil away all day, and by virtue of being smart, we could just d**k around with Lego or whatever. It wasn't until I got older that I learned to "apply" myself, and went the opposite direction. Now I work, arguably, too much.

thejacobvshow , Nenad Stojkovic Report

Final score:

58points

POST

DC 3 years ago

Uh ... cool. I was punished for looking out of the window when I was supposed to be stuck with math. When I had a concussion as a result from a fight in first grade, I though I finally got as stupid as I sometimes felt ... I was hardly ever told I was smart without any "but". Like "but you refuse to show it" - then, how do YOU get to know it, I asked after a few months. Got thrown out of class and sent home for the day for that. Uh, what? School always was about making us into equal units of economic explotability. The year preschool was different - left to do what I wanted, often alone. Year one was horrbible on so many levels...

4points

#21

You are segregated (physically and partially by choice) from average people your age, and you tend to only interact with other smart people who are in the same place you are. You might not learn the necessary social skills, especially since many of your peers don't have them either.

AgentSmith27 , Jagdish Choudhary Report

Final score:

56points

POST

Ari. 3 years ago

Lol in my experience being “smart” in school is being with other “smart” kids, where there’s a lot of art/music nerds, gamers, and big anime fans. So u get a lot of friends/peers who would typically be considered weird

12points

#22

My self esteem, self worth, and happiness are being sucked up by this void feeling of mediocrity creeping into my life. I feel cheated, or like a cheater. I was given a head start early in life but now I'm sort of back to average. I feel like I was wrongly chosen as "gifted" and that I am a complete waste of resources.

ILIKEFUUD , Ethan Sykes Report

Final score:

56points

POST

Kanuli 3 years ago

Don’t worry. This feeling is present at alot of people. The headstart can be in various levels, be it a healthy supportive family, high intellect, god social skills, physical abilities. On the other hand others have it hard, and feel handicapped, some are even on various levels. You can only try to accept your being, and go on from there. The past can’t be changed, but you can change. Nothing wrong with being average, above or below either. Don’t judge yourself on the scale of others, but accept and love yourself for how and who you are, or who you can become, and work towards being this person you want to be.

7points

#23

I am a severe perfectionist. So much so that I sabotage myself because I happen to make a tiny mistake. The only thing I seem to be good at now is work, because I HAVE to have everything perfect.

Tomahwk , Covene Report

Final score:

55points

POST

Vorknkx 3 years ago

I know the feeling. Sometimes I've scrapped something almost finished and started over due to some irrational feelings that my work is "corrupted" or fundamentally flawed in some imperceivable way. In some cases I've forced myself to leave things as they are, only to be "rewarded" with a constantant nagging in my mind that I did it wrong.

6points

#24

The hard thing about the real world is just that life doesn't work to where you can do nothing and then ace the test. You have to do every single little step along the way. As menial, and useless as those steps may seem, the real world will always take the guy that averages a C on everything and maybe squeaks out a B- on the test over the guy that says f**k the stupid s**t, and still gets 100% on the final test. (Metaphorically speaking)

reddit , Kaylyn Mok Report

Final score:

45points

POST

ZAPanda 3 years ago

correct. And there's a difference between generally smart (fast processor), knowledgeable (breadth of knowledge), and specialists (depth of knowledge). Decide what you want. Do you want a 'career'? If so, then specialise. If you want to enjoy life, go for breadth.

11points

#25

One thing I missed going from an excellent student in high school to an average one in college was the attention I'd get from teachers as the 'smart one.' I'd always feel they were generally looking out for me more. Of course, it didn't help that college class sizes were gigantic, but that anonymous feeling got to me. A bit embarrassing to admit.

Silvercaster , NeONBRAND Report

Final score:

44points

POST

Bobby 3 years ago

I had the same experience with the US navy nuclear power school. Recruiters and RDC's kept telling us we're the elite of the navy intellectually, they brag about the high attrition rate etc etc, I get there and while I can see people struggling with it, i pass middle of the road. Meanwhile in my class we have someone who gets a perfect score on everything (literally) they tell us the program was designed for that to be impossible. That huge disparity between his intelligence and mine really was a wake up call of sorts

7points

fightoffyourdemons- , Shubham Sharan Report

#26

My entire life I was top of the class, and I told myself it was okay I wasn't thin or pretty because I was smart. Then I went to a relatively prestigious university and suddenly I was surrounded by people who were just as smart or smarter than me, but also hot. It ruined me, and destroyed my self esteem.

I also developed this pathological perfectionism which caused/causes me so much anxiety I'm unable to work and then feeds into itself.

Final score:

43points

POST

Jo87 3 years ago (edited)

The thing with being super smart and super hot is both those things take an incredible amount of time and energy. A lot of focus on yourself not others, a lot of effort and stress to be so perfect in everyway, when really it's all pretty immaterial to anyone but themselves. It's only a random commentor on BP's opinion, but I think finding some value in not being so self absorbed is a very strong trait ❤️ A perfectionists' 80% effort is a much higher standard than most people's 100% so you will always be impressive, even on a bad day ❤️

4points

#27

We're going to spend a week's worth of classes learning one concept. Gifted Student, you're going to get this in five minutes and sit in the back corner reading for the rest of the week while I get more and more angry and yell at you for not paying attention. I'm going to sent you to in school suspension for one day this week, meaning you'll miss one of those classes. You'll be back in time for the test and still get the highest grade in the class, which will make me hate you even more.

CrystalElyse , J. B. Report

Final score:

42points

POST

KatKaleen 3 years ago

I had something similar happen, but because of my ADD. To this day I zone out when somebody is talking and I have nothing else to occupy my eyes and hands with, so I used to draw in the margins of my notes. With almost every new teacher it would take some time of them asking me a question out of the blue and me being able to answer it correctly for them to figure out I was, in fact, paying attention, just not looking at them. On one occasion, my former English teacher approached me when I thought I'd bombed the first test of the year with an F and was crying in the hallway. She couldn't believe one of her A-students could drop like that and took the test to the teachers' room. I don't know what was said and done, but I got the test back with a B and my new teacher stopped being so pissy with me.

10points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

See Also on Bored Panda

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#28

Skipped a grade, which I probably could have used to become more emotionally mature. Cried a lot in math class.

Sloane__Peterson , Zhivko Minkov Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Bobby 3 years ago

They are telling me my daughter can skip from kindergarten to 2nd grade. I'm not doing it because of this

17points

spittingpigeon , National Cancer Institute Report

#29

I have always felt an immense pressure from my family (parents and my parents close friends who are like my aunts and uncles) to work hard and not squander the gift I was born with. I will be receiving my Ph.D in biomedical science and translational medicine next Friday. My current work focuses on identifying a novel protein complex that is involved in Triglyceride metabolism. Hopefully I lived up to their expectations and can leave something behind in this world to benefit mankind....or a pharmaceutical company hires me and pays me a boatload of money.

Final score:

36points

POST

Al Christensen 3 years ago

Sometimes I think the best thing for child prodigies is to take them from their overbearing parents and put them in a boarding school where they can function without all the do-it-for-us-and-all-your-ancestors-and-the-future-of-the-planet-and-for- our-bragging-rights crap.

15points

#30

Not going to lie, you grow up feeling kind of entitled to good test scores/grades, and when that doesn't actually happen you start re-evaluating your life. Then, when you take classes with other gifted kids, and see that you're part of the "average" section of that group, you reconsider every academic achievement you've received, haha.

I'm still a top student in my grade, still too lazy to do my homework (not as much as others though), but I stopped getting upset when my test scores didn't surpass those of my friends.

splika , Ben Mullins Report

Final score:

35points

POST

Om 3 years ago

In my case I never felt special. All the opposite, my classmates made sure, or I allowed them to make me feel embarrassed of being the first of my class. I never wanted to talk about my scores with my family, etc, I felt bad when teachers showed preference for me. Many of my classmates in elementary for example, didn't put effort in getting good grades because "I was gonna be the best score anyways" but once we moved to secondary school, I learned many of those average students actually became the first of their classes. So the potential was there, but I was their obstacle in showing their true capabilities since elementary. I now understand that's on them, but for many years I felt guilty, ashamed, and totally not proud of being the "smartest kid on the class"

4points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium

Unlimited content

Ad-free browsing

Dark mode

See Also on Bored Panda

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#31

There is an exceptional amount of pressure on you to continue to meet previous performances, and you feel like even the slightest perturbation in your scores directly effects your status.

AgentSmith27 , Viktor Forgacs Report

Final score:

16points

POST

ZAPanda 3 years ago

nah, this one i figured out already in school. Do mediocre work and engage the teacher in chat on their topic. They will love you because you care about their topic, and they'll see the mediocre work and know it is because you're bored. Result: still teacher's pet but don't have to work too hard.

1point

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

#32

I befriended a lot of the tough kids growing up because they wanted my homework. I never got bullied and the kids stood up for me if anyone tried to. Recently, those tough kids helped me laugh off a really messy breakup and gave me the reassurance that everything was going to be ok because after all of these years, they still had my back. This special friendship has helped my self-esteem tremendously since I was very young. I grew up in a bad part of town, so you had to know people and have the coolest stuff out there... I was dirt poor, so my mentality growing up was, "if I was able to befriend them, I must be cool." I think that's why I get hot headed at times. Also, I've become a really good resource for some since moving back home after college. Want someone to fix something for you on the low? I got you. Want to find work? I got you, too.

littlegracenote Report

Final score:

15points

POST

Monilip 3 years ago

Finally something positive!

0points

See Also on Bored Panda

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#33

I got into my state's "gifted" high school program which, unlike most of its kind, included all four core subjects instead of just math and science.

It was amazing. College level chemistry, calculus, literature, and geography. Interdisciplinary coordination of all four subjects: e.g. we studied logic in math class while covering rhetoric in language and holding debates in a US government course. Video conferences with topic experts simulcast to all participating schools. A half dozen field trips each year. The opportunity to participate on a FIRST robotics team, which was just a magical experience.

The same five teachers for all four years, who became our mentors over time, and the same twenty classmates, who became my best friends. We even did an annual culminating project that required us to do original research to answer a question no one ever had before. We worked on this project throughout the school year, and it counted as the final exam grade in all courses.

These experiences broadened my perspective, brought me out of a thick shell, and got me hooked on exploring the universe. I can't thank those teachers enough. I an incredibly fortunate to have experienced all of this for free, in a public school system, right here in the US. It truly was a model for how secondary education should work, and I owe much of my understanding of the world to that school district.

Final score:

14points

POST

Cyd Charisse 3 years ago

I think somebody misread the assignment

6points

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

See Also on Bored Panda

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#34

I've been thinking so often ever since I left for university: What if I'm NOT smart? What if I'm just a self-centered little prick who spends too much time comparing herself to others?

There's no real problem with not being as smart as others, but being "the smart kid" was part of my identity for so long. Sometimes it gets really scary and hard, doubting who I am and what I am capable of and how I fit with the rest of the world.

BeLikeTheTreeAndLeaf , Jeremy Perkins Report

Final score:

13points

POST

Vorknkx 3 years ago

Sounds like impostor syndrome.

4points

#35

I was the "smart kid" up until high school. Never studied, everything was easy, advanced reading blah blah blah. Now im a C+/B student and have no f**king clue how to study.

Final score:

13points

POST

Ross Warren 3 years ago

I felt the same way. As a young kid in elementary school my reading and comprehension was high school level so I never bothered to exercise those skills. As I got older and my classmates caught up, I wasn't special anymore.

0points

#36

It made me lazy

tpdor Report

Final score:

12points

POST

Vorknkx 3 years ago

Lazy + mild case of ADHD. I do get the work done, but in a last-minute rush, as you can imagine. Hard to focus on something unless I'm really passionate about it.

5points

#37

It gave me a false sense of pride.

WhatUpMyNinjas Report

Final score:

12points

POST

Peppermallow 3 years ago

I thought I was being chased by lions but then I realised it was false pride

3points

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

See Also on Bored Panda

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#38

IAMA graduate student.

Everyone in my program was "the smart kid". Some people have trouble adjusting to an environment in which they are now thoroughly average.

Patience_dans_lazur , cattan2011 Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Bobby 3 years ago

It was great for me to be paired with other "gifted" people. Let me see that while compared to people as a whole I might be above average intelligence, when compared to similar people I wasn't even average, I felt like the bottom of the barrel there. That might sound bad, but I loved it after I adjusted

0points

#39

My nephew actually had serious academic issues because of how smart he is. Hear me out. Up until high school, he didn't have to study whatsoever and he could do all of his homework on the bus. When he started HS, he had no idea how to study and sitting down to actually concentrate on homework was difficult for him too. It probably didn't help that his narcissistic a**hole mother declared that he was a child prodigy a little too soon. God damn do I hate my sister in law...

Final score:

11points

POST

VesselTrenchBlurryface 3 years ago

the same thing happened to me except the mother part.

1point

#40

I often found myself in the 90+ percentile on reading comprehension and math. Took all gifted classes in middle school, graduated high school early.

As kid, I always wished I was much smarter. (I wanted to be a genius, instead I have mediocre smarts) I still do this as an adult, but now I also realize how little other people think at times... most of the time.

Final score:

11points

POST

El muerto 3 years ago

feel the same way...I'm smart enough to know that I'm not that smart. it sucks, sometimes. but at least it gives me a sort confidence, and sense of proportion.

1point

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

See Also on Bored Panda

Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue

#41

We're still learning about subject & predicates in freaking high school? And making posters too? When you factor in the two years of core curriculum in college, it felt like my life was in repeats for the first twenty years. Now I'm so tuned out I'll never get back the frequency and make something of myself.

laterdude Report

Final score:

10points

POST

ZAPanda 3 years ago

Sad. You obviously had totally uninspiring teachers. There's so much interesting stuff out there. Since you mention english being boring, start here. https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/engol

1point

#42

The inflated ego helps a lot with confidence.

Phyroxis Report

Final score:

10points

POST

#43

Is one of your top 5 strengths finders assessment attributes "ideation" and "can't get s**t done because my focus is totally on the next best idea?"

Abso-f**kin-lutely

callmebubble , Christian Erfurt Report

Final score:

9points

POST

ZAPanda 3 years ago

That's called ADD. get ritalin.

0points

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

#44

When I was younger I was one of the "gifted" students. Scored high on a state test in the third grade and was invited to take an IQ test for entry into the program. I made it in and we got additional use of computers and got to go on a bunch of field trips. We were also encouraged to read at a much higher reading level than our peers. Chess was a very popular pastime in the class and everyone had to know how to play. Also, creative thinking was strongly encouraged and nurtured. During my high school time I was consistently a C student enrolled in all honors classes. I didnt really have problems understanding the work. I just didnt like doing homework. As an adult, academically, im about the same as anyone else who has taken any college level classes. The differences at this point are that I seem to comprehend things faster and and my friends use me like a living google (srsly guys, you have a phone in your pocket. Look it up.) I greatly appreciate the opportunity I had to be part of such a program but I do think that some of those same opportunities would have probably helped the struggling students more.

DatBoiKage Report

Final score:

9points

POST

See Also on Bored Panda

College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

#45

Gifted with a terrific sense of cynicism.

ThePatrickSays Report

Final score:

9points

POST

#46

I got the impression that no rules applied for a while. I was disabused of that notion by law enforcement in my late teens and early 20s but the attitude was a disservice for a while.

DoctorLazerRage , Matt Popovich Report

Final score:

8points

POST

ZAPanda 3 years ago

Yep, totally. I swore at some colleagues and was threatened with firing but they said 'but you're too good to fire but if you do it again we will'. Stupid stuff we do when we are kids.

1point

#47

Early on in high school I discovered I could coast with no effort. Went to college because it was expected of me (didn't know what to study) and found out I didn't know how to study/face obstacles. Basically, I went in with this idea of "I'm smart" and when I got in trouble academically, I still clung to that and made a huge mistake: I started telling myself I wasn't really trying. You see, if you don't actually try, you don't fail, or so I thought. I was thinking like "well of course I'm smart, if I really tried I would succeed, but I didn't really try." It didn't help that I was going through some major depression at the time and was rather socially isolated.

Anyway, two semester and some bad grades, I dropped out. I built the whole thing up as a boogeyman in my mind and for years I avoided going back. Finally I did, and in a lot of ways, I felt deprogrammed. I was no longer a smart outcast, now I was a guy in his mid twenties attending classes with kids straight out of high school. Pretty humbling, but the whole thing was good for me. I can honestly say I was glad not to have the same pressure on me, or the same expectation to excel.

Going back was a great decision, although I do find myself wishing I've done it earlier. Mostly the consequence of the whole thing has been that I'm always feeling like I'm playing catch-up in my life. Like, here's where I was supposed to be in my late 20's, and here's where I actually am.

Silvercaster Report

Final score:

8points

POST

BasedWang 3 years ago

this is the same for me... Up until the going back part

1point

#48

I took gifted classes throughout elementary and middle school. Without anything ever being difficult to learn and not experiencing the burden of "trying", I lacked a lot of discipline that students who actually put time and effort into their work had at the same age. I fell behind. I fell behind hard. Now I'm a college dropout looking for a job.

Trefoil93 Report

Final score:

8points

POST

#49

I had a friend who's parents pushed her. She was given support her siblings didn't get. They used their power working in the school system to get her out of taking chemistry, that she was failing, without any repercussions to her GPA. She ended up as valedictorian, despite not having the top GPA.

She got all the scholarships, she gave speeches to important people. She met the president and many industry, business, and political leaders.

She dropped out of college in her second year, got pregnant by some guy from another country that abandoned her. She's a single mom that lives off her parents, works part time as a grade school tutor and is a clown for the circus in the summer.

DarrenEdwards Report

Final score:

8points

POST

Samantha Lomb 3 years ago

Maybe she is happy being a clown a mom and a tutor.

6points

#50

Flunked out of college, depression, some low brow work, then went back to college when I was 25. Only by then I'd built up such a phobia of trying something difficult and possibly failing, that I still failed. I've got a decent job now, bluffed my way into it by browsing through some tutorials on SQL and such the morning before the interview. Still, compared to friends who did do college, I'm easily 10+ years 'behind' by now, which sucks. And I still get incredibly anxious when I actually have to try hard to understand something at work.

DwarfDrugar Report

Final score:

7points

POST

BasedWang 3 years ago

this actually made me feel more normal than I have in the past 6 months

2points

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

Read less »

Kotryna is a Photo Editor at Bored Panda with a BA in Graphic Design. Before Bored Panda, she worked as a freelance graphic designer and illiustrator. When not editing, she enjoys working with clay, drawing, playing board games and drinking good tea.

Read less »

What do you think ?

POST

Firefoxy3121 3 years ago

I was one of the 'gifted' kids in primary school and then I hit high school and everything just went wrong. Then I got diagnosed with ADD and anxiety which is apparently why

12points

BoopBoop 3 years ago

This is my exact story. Getting an IQ test in elementary school was a curse.

5points

Viviane 3 years ago

I hope you're learning coping skills. I've gotten much better at handling anxiety, but ADD is still a real struggle.

2points

malenchki 3 years ago

Same apart from I got put in therapy then diagnosed with depression after my 'therapist' told me I was to skinny and needed to eat more sooo yeah that was fun

0points

similarly 3 years ago

I had a rough start due to undiagnosed dyslexia, the fact I write and eat with my left hand ... but I'm right-handed (long story), and back in the 70s, none of my teachers seemed aware of ADHD or learning disabilities, so I was labeled "lazy" and "stupid" by my teachers. They also seemed unaware of depression, anxiety, or my other problems. As for coping, after 45, my coping skills have started to weaken, maybe because I'm accepting myself as I am and am no longer putting up so much of a facade.

0points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

I'm really baffled by the ones who say they had a problem with being lazy or a bad work ethic. the fact it came easy didn't stop me working my a** off... Granted, I'd be bored stiff when I'd worked through the books, but then I'd get *other* ones...??? Am I the only one who did that? Great, now I'm more of a weirdo.

9points

Samantha Lomb 3 years ago

Plus my parents were big on work ethic and growing up on a farm you learned how to just go on and get it done.

6points

Samantha Lomb 3 years ago

No I liked learning for fun. Still do. I genuinely enjoy doing research. My problem is I liked to do as I pleased and did not like being stuck in the strict confines of the curriculum or the assignments. Had a lot of parent teacher conferences about "defiance". But being good at self management and being free made grad school and research and writing as an adult pretty enjoyable.

5points

similarly 3 years ago

I've HONESTLY known people like that: absolutely brilliantly gifted as children, but as adults just never learned how to apply themselves, how to work hard, how to suffer for what they wanted. That said, I've also known brilliantly gifted people who have ALWAYS given 100%.

2points

Marnie 2 years ago

I had some of the issues mentioned here, but yeah for me I did also work even though I was bored. But my son fell into that trap. He just thought it was the stupidest thing in the world for him to do busy work or do work where he wasn't going to learn anything and would just refuse to do it. Most stubborn person I've ever met. (I'm now a little cog in a big machine at my job. He runs his own business doing all kinds of many, many different things since they only have two employees.)

1point

malenchki 3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

whodunnitfan2013 3 years ago

My narcissistic parents forced me to always be perfect, especially academically. They taught me my grades directly reflected my self-worth and school was more important than my mental health. I graduated from school in May, and I'm still recovering. Damaged my self-esteem big time.

7points

humdrum 3 years ago

Congratulations! Now get away from them. You'll be alright.

2points

Evil Little Thing 3 years ago (edited)

I've tested two (or more) standard deviations from the mean all my life, so yeah - "gifted". But I have ADHD and didn't learn discipline until after I was 25 and had a baby (making a lot of mistakes along the way). I went back to college at 30 and absolutely slayed, then went into a PhD program. Now I'm a postdoc researching the emotional and cognitive benefits of psychedelics. My baby is nearly 17, and apparently trying to flunk the 11th grade. I'm going to let him. He can repeat it.

6points

Viviane 3 years ago

Sounds like you're letting him learn from experience. One of my colleagues was annoyed when her son's marks started to drop in high school (sometimes he slacks). Since he ran a business, I advised her: "Tell him his education is an investment. If he does well, he can go into Engineering at university. If he doesn't, he can go to a community college and pull his marks up there." He's in university now.

0points

Jerry T 3 years ago

When I was in first or second grade I was tested for the "gifted" program. When I told my friends I was going to take the test they told me that kids in the gifted program had school all summer. The last thing I wanted was to be forced into extra school so I intentionally tanked the test. I failed it by a slim margin so I was retested 3 times and each time I barely failed until the final time when I really crunked it up. I moved around alot, including moving to different states and some of the transitions were really hard. Sometimes I look back and wonder how things would have turned out with the added label of "Gifted." I think that not having those expectations helped me keep my head above water. That being said, I also had to learn how to study once I went to college because I was never really challenged before that point. I now try to work with my kids to try instilling those skills before they get blindsided like I did.

4points

Piet Puk 3 years ago

The frustration of identifying problems, and offering solutions, then being ignored and a year later it takes multiple people months of meetings to come up with the same solution.

4points

Joey Marlin 3 years ago

Always write things down, keep meticulous records. Then you can go 'voilà' when they have that inevitable first meeting.

4points

Sky Render 3 years ago

Or worse, figuring out a solution that will work... if your peers actually care enough to try, which they don't.

3points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

I feel that in my bone marrow, Piet Puk. My idea comes in 10 seconds, is rejected for 10 weeks, b/c "how could I know". I don't know how I do! I just... see patterns and problems the way *I* do. And in medicine, my field, not having people listen can *kill* someone...

3points

DC 3 years ago

When I worked in engine development as a student, I saw a lot of this. "If we only would know how to solve issue X, Y, Z ... " - well, I knew, but times are changing, and now, internal combustion engines will not be around for too long anymore, so not working there anymore isn't that bad. But it is a shame that exactly every engine sold could be more efficient - less emitting - than it is, most times for pretty cheap.

1point

Bill Evs 3 years ago

I get that in work. Pulled into a meeting to solve a problem and the answer becomes fairly obvious quite quickly. However my bosses are the types who like to speak and speak and speak at length whereas I tend to sit there quietly analysing the situation in my head then only speaking when I feel I have something of value to say. Problem is I have been pulled aside afterwards more than once asking why I'm not speaking too. I've explained so many times that this stream of consciousness approach they employ is just not my way of working. Got so bored of it now I just blurt out something vaguely useful every so often and drip feed them what I think over the course of these hours long meetings.

1point

Bill Evs 3 years ago

What I hated was being treated as everyone's problem solver. It's totally my own fault as for a long time I did just that for family and friends. However as the years went on it began to wear me down. I got asked for help for everything from financial investments, relationship problems, IT, etc, etc. It got to the point where these people weren't even trying anymore and just expecting me to magically impart whatever knowledge they needed to fix whatever problem they were currently facing (I'm not talking about advice or guidance, I mean literally expecting me to pull a solution to a very real problem off the top of my head because they didn't want to pay a professional or figure it out themselves). The worst part however was whenever I needed help I'd get nonchalant shrugs and "I dunno". It started getting to the point of ridiculousness with people expecting answers to things an expert in that field with years of experience would struggle with. In the end I just stated saying "I dunno"

3points

Martha Meyer 3 years ago

Special schools for gifted kids are reall necessary imo. That way they can interact with other children their age and learn social skills without being teh odd young one out, and also be challenged enough intellectually to require actual effort and learning skills from them.

3points

Jo Choto 3 years ago

Part 3: -- with other human beings. It matters to be kind and compassionate. It matters to have a sense of humour, especially about yourself. It matters to have a strong sense of ethics and common decency and good manners. It matters to share what you have with other people in a way that lifts them up. It matters to develop yourself as a whole human being, especially emotionally. Most people when they first meet me have no idea what I'm like. After a while, it sort of becomes obvious, but I don't lead with my IQ. I would rather people say I am warm and kind and caring and funny, and I am those things. I will always battle with a great sense of isolation, because even in Mensa groups, I have not found anyone I can relate to, especially as far as some of my thought processes go, but that's okay. IQ does not determine the value of a person, even when that's how we feel valued sometimes. I love my brain though, and wouldn't change it for the world. Still wish I was pretty though!

3points

Jo Choto 3 years ago

Part 2: -- and out of touch with reality). I got thrown out of home. I have more letters after my name than in it. I have never studied. I have a phenomenal memory which is all that has been required for me get my qualifications. I am a linguist. I speak many languages. It took me two weeks to learn conversational Dutch. I taught myself how to play around 10 different musical instruments. I do algebra for fun. I was working out the laws of physics and coming up with theories before I ever studied physics. I theorized pangaea before I ever learned geography. I am a published writer. I have succeeded at every mental/intellectual thing I have ever tried. It has kept going like this my whole life. I feel as different from most human beings as I do from an octopus. I understand I am so far from average as to not even understand what that is. And none of that matters. None of it. What I have learned is the most important thing about being a human being, is how to get along-

3points

Jo Choto 3 years ago

Part 1: This is my life. I think everyone knew I was smart when I tested out of elementary/primary school when I was 7. We lived overseas and I didn't go to school at all for a year, but I learned plenty. They sent me to private school. I was IQ tested and my life was catapulted into the fast lane. I went to several different schools. I was 11 in classes with 15/16 year olds. I got everything right all the time and I was universally hated by everyone. I was doing secondary/high school exams at 12. I was offered a place at Oxford when I was 14. Because I didn't have a stable family situation, and therefore no chaperone (which was required) I couldn't go. Everything academic always comes easy to me. I'm on the spectrum, so I didn't understand a lot of the social rules, which made me even less popular. So I retreated into my intelligence and lived there alone. I changed schools again. I was offered another place at Oxford when I was 16. I refused to go (they are classist--

3points

Lord Mysticlaw 3 years ago

I was considered gifted but I think I turned out OK. My biggest problem is that now that I'm a mom I don't know how to "teach" my kid how to study for a test or how to do a research assignment because I feel like I just... naturally knew how to do it? Which doesn't seem right, but I don't know where or how I acquired the skill and I don't know how to teach it.

3points

MikeWheelerFan 3 years ago

I’m considered Gifted and sometimes it isn’t worth it. Like the times I literally can not fall asleep and crash and burn the next day because of it. And the constant fidgeting…ugh. The only good thing to come out of being Gifted is that I’m homeschooled.

3points

PixxelDust 3 years ago

This really hit home for me. Taught myself to read before kindergarten, spent all of my primary school life bored. I was never allowed to move up a grade because my principal was an absolute sh*thead to the students. Made very few friends, was always the kid that got upset when people didn't follow rules. Had no spare time to just exist because everyone assumed that I must *love* math because I was good at it. Gave up even trying, still got good grades, got bullied, fell into a long cycle of depression and anxiety. Betrayed by my friends in years 5 and 6. Was always expected to be the best at everything. Thanks to that, I now suffer from PTSD and possibly high-functioning ASD (co-morbid with GAD). There was really nothing to do but give up on school, once you reach the top the only way left to go is down. To all the people out there who wish they were gifted - you really don't. It's a life of incredibly high expectations, exclusion from society, and pain.

2points

April Stephens 3 years ago

I'm sad to read that there was basically only one positive response. Wow. I was "gifted" and am grateful to have had a pretty good experience through my school years, especially because it suited me, as a highly sensitive person, to be apart in the more sheltered small group of other gifted students. I can relate to some of the negative comments, but now that my school days are over, I feel like "it all led me to be the person I am today" and "it's water under the bridge." Maybe I ought to be more jaded about it, haha.

2points

Arthur Waite 3 years ago

This was an excellent article - I found myself over and over as I read. And it's scary to see how many people had the same sort of experience. Suggests there is something wrong about how the Human Race handles above-average youth.

2points

Ivana 3 years ago

I am good at just about everything but seldom will be really great at something. I am good at piano, violin, painting, sewing, refurbishing, gymnastics, dance, etc. but I always hit a wall at some point, and to get over that wall you need to put forth a lot of effort and time, and as soon as something was effort I was no longer interested. I do really love to be overwhelmed and successful so being gifted never impacted me in academics or professionally. Work and school have always been easy for me and even when I get promoted the adjustment period isn't very difficult. I enjoy the distraction of always having a ton of work to do because it has always been doable and is where all my self-esteem comes from. Wish I had it in me to branch out more though, I can't handle the stress of not being the best at something and struggling to better myself in the arts or athletics makes me so frustrated I just become enraged.

2points

humdrum 3 years ago

Join a choir: the effort *is* the fun.

1point

Rain.coffee.exe 3 years ago

Im a "gifted" kid and its awful. Any grade below an A- Is bad and any bad score could be better if i "aplied myself more." it has wrecked my mental health and i feel worthless most of the time

2points

Prisha Mahajan 3 years ago

This isn't that bad, but was anyone else not allowed to join logical games like card games or chess witht their friends because "It's not fair! She's gonna win if she plays anyway!"

2points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

Infuriating. I don't know why my brain does what it does, how it does it. I really don't, I can't explain. And I'm not on the spectrum (been triple-checked). I just... connect things... faster? Differently?... both? It's *lonely*. Really lonely. Sitting alone in school was lonely, b/c who wants to be with the class "nerd". Who wants to be with the "gifted freak". And then, in adulthood, bosses think I'll take their jobs (no, never, ugh, yuck). No. I just... see solutions differently than others do? I don't know. All I know is, even being a perfect gifted student didn't stop my dad saying I was worthless, so ... I'd rather be much nearer that "norm" of Normal.

2points

Ari. 3 years ago

When I was in elementary school I was tired of just being the “smart” kid. I didn’t like that it was the only thing people noticed about me. Then I got to middle school and made friends with other “smart” kids and, hey, got my wish, no one thinks I’m the smart kid anymore

2points

$fracarr avatar$

François Carré 3 years ago (edited)

I had a first phase in primary school when I was doing great, everything was so damn easy and effortless, I was pretty self-satisfied and genuinely believed everyone around was in admiration of me (to be honest, I guess I was also compensating at school because at home my brother would treat me like s**t). Turns out most of my classmates hated me, which was legit since I was a complete asshole, arrogant and depreciative of others. I realized that through some painful events, changed my mind and entered a second phase where I was still the smart kid but didn't brag about it anymore. I also discovered that helping those who had more difficulties than me and actually befriend them was much better than standing alone in academic success, and that being a good person would be more important in life than just being a smart kid.

2points

similarly 3 years ago (edited)

My problem was that it wasn't that I was smarter than anyone else, or really better in ANY way: I just got more CHANCES than other people because people made assumptions about me. For SO much of my early career, I kept getting promoted over people, and made supervisor or manager over people who were older, more experienced, and sometimes better educated than me. I still don't know why. In many jobs, I was the "guinea pig". They'd bring me some new technology or some new way of doing something and say "Nobody's ever tried this before, and we're not sure how it works, but just play with it!" and before long, I'd have a manual. Got pretty decent at making manuals for stuff. But I really missed out on having peers, and being just another guy in the break room. I was at my current job two months when I was put in de-facto charge of my department, and I swore, if this job burned out, my next job I was going to insist on NOT being promoted for at least a year. Been here 17 years now!

1point

Shadow Phillips 3 years ago

I was in private school til high school, so noone thought anything of the little Kindergartener being trotted up to the 3rd/4th grade class for "classes" and back to age group for "art" and such. Didn't attend public school til I hit high school "age" by then I just wanted to be in theater and choir, didn't care about the rest. It was a new experience, and I was all in for about... 1 semester then my mom gave me leave to check myself off campus lol. I'd show up for theater/choir and a couple other classes with friends, but other then that I was MIA. I'd already finished their "gifted" coursework, their senior gifted reading list was s**t I'd read when I was like 10 :/ Soon as I was done with school and graduated with my friends, I bailed and went into retail throwing freight! I had a blast and if I could still physically do it I'd still be doing it. I picked up a few degrees along the way but, throwing freight was perfect for me. I can put up with any customer for 5 minutes lol,

1point

Queen Jackson. 3 years ago

The story of my life.

1point

Brandy Grote 3 years ago (edited)

I dunno my grades stayed high throughout my schooling. Even in military training, I was in the hardest field, and getting the highest grades. Then when I went to actually WORK in the field, I wasn't allowed to because of my gender. Even so, I still enjoy researching and learning new things even though I'm retired.

1point

DC 3 years ago

One thing I may allow myself to advise: See if you can join Mensa. Go to the meetings. Haven't been there in a while now, and not that often, and pretty much regret it - the people there aren't bragging about how smart they are, but a lot have faced similar difficulties and problems, and a lot of them have been able to resolve them and may help you on your way to not waste your thinkability by exchanging it for unhappiness and frustration. The main property enabling to join may look like arbitrary or elitist, but this truly doesn't represent the people you'll get to meet and get to know there. Also - find something you really can do better than anyone else, allow yourself to deviate from the usual, never be ashamed, never adapt to stupidity, ... and never brag about it.

1point

humdrum 3 years ago

Some Mensa chapters are an absolute drag, but I definitely had some great times. Don't be discouraged if the first group you meet seems annoying.

2points

Locke 3 years ago

I’m “gifted”, and I’ve been super lucky that my parents are non toxic about it. They just say that the only thing I can control is how hard I try, so if I bring home a grade that’s less than perfect, but it was the best I could do, they’re happy. The thing is that I’m a senior now and I’ve got some serious senioritis. Everything has always just kinda… worked out in the end, you know. So the challenge is how little I can get away with doing. And if I end up doing poorly I always fall back on, “Well I would have done better if I had tried, so at least there’s that.” It’s super frustrating now because I barely do anything and I’m always really stressed in the back of my mind, but it never changes the amount of work I do. I’ve got to do something, I just can’t seem to.

1point

Snooky Shirt 3 years ago

Not exactly the same but I grew up being good in school, pretty smart. Which got me a reputation of loving it. Now I have a class who won't accept me as trans or queer and I had to move to homeschooling to stop daily panic attacks.

1point

David Bowlby 3 years ago

This sounds like a bunch of people who were labeled "gifted" but actually weren't. I can't identify with any of these people's statements.

1point

humdrum 3 years ago

Well there's 'gifted' and then there's 'three standard deviations over a hundred, graduating from a top university still not having done much work-gifted', of course.

1point

Kiwii Stone 3 years ago

A lot of us who were 'gifted' (NAGTY, National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth in the UK) have since had late diagnoses of ADHD. There seems to be a strong correlation in over-performance at school and burnout in later life

1point

Chich 3 years ago

I took a few years off betwixt HS & college. Grew up a bit. When I did start college there were a few straight from HS who had been honour students. They all found college was not what they expected. You had to be organized, you had to apply yourself and I think the biggest shock was that the instructors were very much "You will pass...or you won't. It is not my problem"

1point

Alexandra Prytkova 1 year ago

What is considered "gifted" by people around you, sometimes is really nothing about "you" but how life has worked out for you. I spoke 5 languages on a "native level" by the age of 8. Not because I was "gifted", but because we moved a lot and I had to adapt. I aced all my tests and was the best student in class for years, because I came from another country and my level of intellect was above average for the country I was living in. When I moved back to my home country I felt like a fraud. Education was very hard, I couldn't catch up to my peers. It took me years to be able to actually not sound like an idiot in conversation. I did manage to catch up eventually, mostly because I am good at actually understanding s**t - still feel like a fraud. People still call me "gifted" because of the languages, but by God is it not a sign you are gifted... At 30, I have severe anxiety and imposter syndrome and depression.

0points

Mer☕️🧭☕️ 2 years ago

Dang but I feel seen. In hindsight, my problem was that I never had to work for my grades and at the time "grades" were all that mattered. Study skills? Time management skills? Prioritizing skills? Never needed them. NO ONE thought to tell me that life outside of school is not the same as life in school.

0points

OHIOWAndering_Around 2 years ago

She's smart but doesn't apply herself. Her daily work is A+ work why does she fail every test. She scores in the 99th percentile on standardized tests so why is she too stupid to figure out something as simple as basic Algebra. A 136 IQ means jackshit when a kid is an ADD, highly functioning autistic, anxious, depressed, emotionally and mentally abused mess of a human. But that was the 80s and 90s when kids like me, incredible memory for facts and highly gifted in English and History, fell through the cracks. My life could be worse though.

0points

Marnie 2 years ago

The biggest problem I see in our local schools (Minnesota, USA) is that they have programs for gifted kids that are run by people who are not gifted, so it's just a big waste of time and doesn't help the kids at all. When my son was in the gifted program, we were both gifted enough to realize it was a joke and a waste of his time. He wasn't getting anything out of it, and just took up time where he could have been playing or doing chores or reading, etc.

0points

Stannous Flouride 2 years ago

As I have long suspected from the general quality of comments here on BP, most of us could have clicked on almost all of these. Yes, there is a bit of snark and trolls do show up, especially around stuff like masks and vaccines, but they don't seem to stick around for very long. (I suspect that's because most of us won't take the bait and can't be a$$ed to care enough to engage them the way they want.)

0points

Linny H 3 years ago

Funny how that grass is never greener. How easy would it have been if I were gifted? No struggles in math or English. Or if my kids were and it'd have been easy A's for them? Eyes opened here. Everything comes at a cost and everything comes with its own struggles. Just so you know, your struggles may be unique to you, but struggles are common to every single person.

0points

Jerry Mathers 3 years ago

I think gifted or intelligence is really misleading. When they tell you that, especially in the context of school, I think what they are really saying is that you excel in the way we teach (ie learning by reading, memorization, & taking tests). The problem is there are several different ways to learn and if you fall under 1 of those, you are viewed as less intelligent. This isn't true, but because the label is applied (either as gifted or not), real damage gets done. Kids are taught they are smart or not and because it comes from authority figures, the believe and embrace it. This creates self imposed limits and tends to have an effect that lasts their lifetimes. Also success and "intelligence" are not really connected. Success is highly subjective. If you view happiness as success, then successfully pursuing that which interests you is the bar. If it's financial success, motivation and drive are better indicators. Basically what I'm saying is the whole concept is flawed.

0points

Faith Hurst-Bilinski 3 years ago

I went to schools for gifted kids and none were lazy and disorganized as these people all seem to claim it made them. It was full of driven people and maybe a couple of kids who screwed around.

0points

Buck Up 3 years ago (edited)

Programs for gifted children are often the haunt of Jesuit recruiters, seeking the best and brightest for their ranks. One of them persuaded my mother to enroll me in his private Latin class. Fostering loyalty to Rome, they educate you to enter and subvert local government. This is why the majority of the SCOTUS is Catholic, our public schools are hamstrung (in favor of parochial ones), and our Southern border is wide open. Breach, the movie, is a good picture of this dynamic.

0points

Lightningstar 3 years ago

My mom couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that in high school, a C was my best effort and I couldn't get As anymore

0points

grehaver 3 years ago

I'm sure it's completely fine to report on this 5 year old thread today and superimposing a bunch of pictures into people's words because the writer contacted all of these people before posting up this article, right?

0points

iblowsheep 3 years ago

Interesting how all the folks commenting here are also "gifted".

0points

iblowsheep 3 years ago

how come "There's no such f*****g thing as *Gifted* isn't on this list?

0points

humdrum 3 years ago

Because the question was: What happens when you get the label.

0points

marianne eliza 3 years ago

I was "gifted" in sciences and math. My dad was a high school & jr. college math teacher. When I hit rebellious age, the worst thing I could do was fail math. So I did.

0points

Scarlett 3 years ago

I was the smart kid in elementary school. Now I’m a dumbass who almost failed sophomore year.

0points

Mazer 3 years ago

Does being gifted at pissing people off count??

0points

FailBunny17 3 years ago (edited)

At school in early years I failed a lot. Middle school comes along and a batch of knowledgeable/observant teachers come along and they realized I wasnt "dumb" I was bored out of my skull 😂. I didn't do my homework but when I took a test I normally aced it. I failed math because I was too stubborn to go through the process of "showing my work", so even though I technically got it right they failed me. I read at a level much higher than what had been offered in the library for my age group. They tried to put me in advanced courses... I declined, I wasn't going to work crazy hard to get maybe a B when I could just turn in some homework and get a passing grade. As an adult, I think dumb still fits.

0points

thatmagicgaychick 3 years ago

thinking about applicability instead of a letter grade. got an average score on a writing test recently, but ffs no boss wants a f*cking essay on why you don't want to take on a larger sales territory

0points

Kar Red Roses 3 years ago

Anyone else depressed after scrolling this one? I was in TAG from grades 1-8 https://qz.com/2049935/what-does-a-good-life-look-like/ I found this article that reminded me (again) that an enjoyable life is not dependent on wealth, pretty privilege, artistic talent or a gift for learning.

0points

Chicken Nugget 3 years ago

I actually didn't realize I was 'gifted' until 7th grade when the health teacher said that we were lucky if we didn't need to study. I just thought that the other kids didn't pay good enough attention.

0points

Chicken Nugget 3 years ago

I don't know how to put effort in for an extended period of time, because I've barely ever had to study, and when I do study it's just to go over flashcards a time or two and I'm good. It's made me lazy, and it will be horrible when I do finally have to study. Also, it's become my identity. Kids in school know me as 'the smart girl' and the only time they have any interest in me is when they think I can help them with school work. The only compliment I get most of the time, even from my family, is that I'm smart. Maybe it would feel more like a compliment if I had to work for the good grades, but I don't and I've heard that compliment so many times it's lost meaning. You get to be too hard on yourself. I start getting nervous about my grade when it drops to a 95. Both my parents and I have gotten better with it recently, but a B- or lower on anything is something to talk about.

0points

Shelby P 3 years ago

This is depressing

0points

Cassie 3 years ago

Things came incredibly easily to me growing up and even as a young adult. I could learn just about anything without much effort. Now that I'm middle-aged, I struggle to learn new things and I'm no longer just automatically good at everything. I have no idea how to handle or overcome that, so I often just give up and sometimes I question my self-worth.

0points

KiwiBubbles 3 years ago

Academically did fantastic until high school. Then... ✨perfectionism✨, because I'd always gotten 100%s before, so I should still be able to do everything perfectly! ✨anxiety✨, because trying to do everything perfectly takes a lot more time than trying your best, so I always have too much to do... and then still don't do everything perfectly. ✨depression✨, because school is extremely emotionally painful and stressful, as well as unavoidable, and I'm still not working perfectly so I don't feel good enough. (No idea how much my actual diagnosis was affected by the "gifted" thing versus genes, other stuff... But I'm doing a lot better now that I'm on medication and nearly out of school. Terrified of college, though, but not sure what else to do. Very glad my parents are going to help me out with that.)

0points

Emme K. 3 years ago

Hey. Gifted kid here. I resonate with a lot of these posts and comments, Im kind of going through my own identity crisis right now too. I was determined gifted by a specialist when I was 1 or 2. My parents homeschooled my until high school, skipping me a grade, it was always very easy, I didn't have to try hard, there wasn't so much emphasis on grades, I learned for the sake of learning. But after I finished 8th grade my parents decided to have me attend an online high school program, which was basically the high school education everyone else was getting, but online. I entered high school at the age of 12, now Im 14 and in Grade 11. And high school is HARD. My parents told me it was going to be so easy, I and I was going to do so well and get the best grades. And Im still getting decent grades, but it's nothing fantastic, and I'm only squeaking along because of the grace I get from my teachers, because I struggle with time management, turning in stuff on time, my work ethic,

0points

Emme K. 3 years ago

all that. I never turn in stuff on time. The schoolwork is easy, but there is just so MUCH of it. I feel like I can't keep up, I feel dumb, I feel like maybe my giftedness was just a misdiagnosis. My sister gets better grades than me and sometimes rubs it in my face because Im supposed to be the smartest one. And this is bad of me, but I feel angry at her for this, that she is doing better in school, which is probably just because she puts more effort it, but I have 0 motivation left in me, I feel drained. Im in a slump I can't get out of. I've had anxiety and depression since I was 9, had a mental breakdown when I was 11, but Im doing so much better now, so I don't think it's depression. But anyways, I feel like a stupid average person and I have no self esteem, Im afraid to go to university but Im afraid of disappointing my parents. I don't know what I want to be or do with my life. Anyways, that's my rant and I made a BP account just to get this off my chest. Advice anyone? Please?

1point

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

We were never labeled gifted, in my school system, but I was alone in my placement level. Yeah, that was.... ugh. My dad would be brutal if I got 99% out of 100% on a test at my *older sister's grade level subject* material. My sister hit me for ... existing.... before that. And the expectations I put on myself? Way worse. .... So... First things first? YOUR LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO THE WORLD. Yes, I yelled it. Nobody told me that. Nobody told me that my brain wasn't all I was worth. I figured it out, and somehow even had friends, but.... You are so much more than "smart one". Let yourself be that you. Have friends, join a sport, and .... if I may, since my grade school taught us note-taking and what is now called "time management" .... Check out some stress management and time management groups. Letting myself have an hour a day to be "not all that" is the best thing I ever learned to do for myself. As for careers, people change 'em all the time, over their lifespan. It's OK to not know

1point

KiwiBubbles 3 years ago

Hey, Emme. I'm a high school senior, 17, always been labeled "gifted" since I started school. (Also got dat anxiety and depression thing going on, although it started later... About when I started high school actually.) High school IS hard!! There's a huge volume of work to do, I can't imagine how stressful 11th grade is for a 14 year old. If you're getting decent grades, then I have to guess that you are smarter than average, AND... As long as your grades are decent, it's ok. I have such issues wanting my grades to be perfect... It. Is. Okay. To just have decent grades. Humans aren't perfect. And grades aren't the most important thing ever, they're really not. However, if you're feeling super stressed and demotivated, it could be helpful to talk to your parents about changing your school situation to something a little less extreme. I totally get the work ethic/zero motivation problems, when you're constantly overwhelmed... It's exhausting, and eventually you burn out. 1/2

1point

Emme K. 3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

Enrique Villarreal 3 years ago

Oh my... y'all can stop complaining now. Being labeled something positive does give you an advantage and does help you achieve more. There have been many studies on this. You want to complain? Imagine the kid in your class who as introverted, afraid to participate, anxious that is they make a mistake they would be laughed. They feel envious of your gifted label and ashamed that they don't have it. And because they don't have it they have been labeled a loser or an idiot. At least being labeled something positive give you chances to take risks, to challenge yourself publicly, to ask bigger questions, etc.

-1point

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

I was beaten at home for getting 99 out of 100 correct at the same grade level of work my sister did. She was five years older. My label did not help my childhood. And I was labeled a loser a lot. So... this varies from one to another person, I suspect.

1point

POST

Firefoxy3121 3 years ago

I was one of the 'gifted' kids in primary school and then I hit high school and everything just went wrong. Then I got diagnosed with ADD and anxiety which is apparently why

12points

BoopBoop 3 years ago

This is my exact story. Getting an IQ test in elementary school was a curse.

5points

Viviane 3 years ago

I hope you're learning coping skills. I've gotten much better at handling anxiety, but ADD is still a real struggle.

2points

malenchki 3 years ago

Same apart from I got put in therapy then diagnosed with depression after my 'therapist' told me I was to skinny and needed to eat more sooo yeah that was fun

0points

similarly 3 years ago

0points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

9points

Samantha Lomb 3 years ago

Plus my parents were big on work ethic and growing up on a farm you learned how to just go on and get it done.

6points

Samantha Lomb 3 years ago

5points

similarly 3 years ago

2points

Marnie 2 years ago

1point

malenchki 3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

whodunnitfan2013 3 years ago

7points

humdrum 3 years ago

Congratulations! Now get away from them. You'll be alright.

2points

Evil Little Thing 3 years ago (edited)

6points

Viviane 3 years ago

0points

Jerry T 3 years ago

4points

Piet Puk 3 years ago

The frustration of identifying problems, and offering solutions, then being ignored and a year later it takes multiple people months of meetings to come up with the same solution.

4points

Joey Marlin 3 years ago

Always write things down, keep meticulous records. Then you can go 'voilà' when they have that inevitable first meeting.

4points

Sky Render 3 years ago

Or worse, figuring out a solution that will work... if your peers actually care enough to try, which they don't.

3points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

3points

DC 3 years ago

1point

Bill Evs 3 years ago

1point

Bill Evs 3 years ago

3points

Martha Meyer 3 years ago

3points

Jo Choto 3 years ago

3points

Jo Choto 3 years ago

3points

Jo Choto 3 years ago

3points

Lord Mysticlaw 3 years ago

3points

MikeWheelerFan 3 years ago

3points

PixxelDust 3 years ago

2points

April Stephens 3 years ago

2points

Arthur Waite 3 years ago

2points

Ivana 3 years ago

2points

humdrum 3 years ago

Join a choir: the effort *is* the fun.

1point

Rain.coffee.exe 3 years ago

Im a "gifted" kid and its awful. Any grade below an A- Is bad and any bad score could be better if i "aplied myself more." it has wrecked my mental health and i feel worthless most of the time

2points

Prisha Mahajan 3 years ago

This isn't that bad, but was anyone else not allowed to join logical games like card games or chess witht their friends because "It's not fair! She's gonna win if she plays anyway!"

2points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

2points

Ari. 3 years ago

2points

$fracarr avatar$

François Carré 3 years ago (edited)

2points

similarly 3 years ago (edited)

1point

Shadow Phillips 3 years ago

1point

Queen Jackson. 3 years ago

The story of my life.

1point

Brandy Grote 3 years ago (edited)

1point

DC 3 years ago

1point

humdrum 3 years ago

Some Mensa chapters are an absolute drag, but I definitely had some great times. Don't be discouraged if the first group you meet seems annoying.

2points

Locke 3 years ago

1point

Snooky Shirt 3 years ago

1point

David Bowlby 3 years ago

This sounds like a bunch of people who were labeled "gifted" but actually weren't. I can't identify with any of these people's statements.

1point

humdrum 3 years ago

Well there's 'gifted' and then there's 'three standard deviations over a hundred, graduating from a top university still not having done much work-gifted', of course.

1point

Kiwii Stone 3 years ago

1point

Chich 3 years ago

1point

Alexandra Prytkova 1 year ago

0points

Mer☕️🧭☕️ 2 years ago

0points

OHIOWAndering_Around 2 years ago

0points

Marnie 2 years ago

0points

Stannous Flouride 2 years ago

0points

Linny H 3 years ago

0points

Jerry Mathers 3 years ago

0points

Faith Hurst-Bilinski 3 years ago

I went to schools for gifted kids and none were lazy and disorganized as these people all seem to claim it made them. It was full of driven people and maybe a couple of kids who screwed around.

0points

Buck Up 3 years ago (edited)

0points

Lightningstar 3 years ago

My mom couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that in high school, a C was my best effort and I couldn't get As anymore

0points

grehaver 3 years ago

0points

iblowsheep 3 years ago

Interesting how all the folks commenting here are also "gifted".

0points

iblowsheep 3 years ago

how come "There's no such f*****g thing as *Gifted* isn't on this list?

0points

humdrum 3 years ago

Because the question was: What happens when you get the label.

0points

marianne eliza 3 years ago

I was "gifted" in sciences and math. My dad was a high school & jr. college math teacher. When I hit rebellious age, the worst thing I could do was fail math. So I did.

0points

Scarlett 3 years ago

I was the smart kid in elementary school. Now I’m a dumbass who almost failed sophomore year.

0points

Mazer 3 years ago

Does being gifted at pissing people off count??

0points

FailBunny17 3 years ago (edited)

0points

thatmagicgaychick 3 years ago

0points

Kar Red Roses 3 years ago

0points

Chicken Nugget 3 years ago

0points

Chicken Nugget 3 years ago

0points

Shelby P 3 years ago

This is depressing

0points

Cassie 3 years ago

0points

KiwiBubbles 3 years ago

0points

Emme K. 3 years ago

0points

Emme K. 3 years ago

1point

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

1point

KiwiBubbles 3 years ago

1point

Emme K. 3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

Enrique Villarreal 3 years ago

-1point

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

1point