We talk about Giftedness in Kids, but what if Adults are gifted too and figure it out later?

The first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word "gifted", are those young kids that can teach themselves and play piano at the age of 4, that solve math problems that are made for adults in their elementary school years and those that run experiments and figure out Nobel piece prize challenges others need a lifetime or two to solve.

These are the geniuses that we have in mind, gifted and out of this world kids that simply come here and know it all already - creating complex music, staring at whiteboards full of mathematical symbols and scriptures and mixing liquids that miraculously turn on the color they are supposed to be, while everyone else's pot is exploding in front of them.

And when we look at the question, am I gifted, we predominantly find tests for kids and markers that are targeted towards a kid: "They can read before the age of 3", "They already solve complex math problems in their mind" or "they go to the library and read for weeks, complex enzyclopedias, philosophy, books beyond their age".

These tests may be valuable for parents that have young kids that show these characteristics and behaviors, and for young ids who want to better understand themselves.

For everyone else, it appears one-dimensional.

Why?

Because giftedness is not something you have at a young age and then it miraculously grows out. It stays with someone like a way of being. It is not a condition that is wrong, or extremely powerful, it is a way of being.

And thus, one would argue, why only looking at this short amount of time at the beginning of one's life from 1 to 12?

In addition, what if a child does not exhibit those narrowly defined characteristics? Is that child and later the adult then not also potentially gifted?

And does gifted always mean - intellectually? What about linguistically, emotionally, creatively? What about those other categories?

I find this peculiarly odd.

And I started to research more about giftedness - a word I per se find difficult to describe what I see giftedness is supposed to be. And it may bring vast amounts of outcomes to the world, but it may also not do that. And that does not mean that this person is more or less gifted. It just has not figured out where to stand in this world in interaction to the external interactivity.

I think about it a lot. And after researching Giftedness in Adults, I have not yet found it. A test, or an analysis, a set of questions that lead to a better understanding of oneself and how to find strategies that help oneself to function well in this society without burning out. But to use our strength.

I will look for answers and once I find them, I will share them here with you.

As we need more tests and exploration for gifted adults in the world.

When tending to their needs, they can in profound ways contribute to the needs of the world, but if not, they keep being lost in the complexity of their way of being.