A paper on how society hinders the potential of gifted women

submitted by ghostprototype from pespmc1.vub.ac.be

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[–]ghostprototype[S] 21 insightful - 1 fun21 insightful - 0 fun22 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Abstract: Giftedness is characterized by high intellectual capabilities and ambitions, unconventional thinking, and a drive to learn and be creative. We argue that gifted women face specific obstacles that, for many, have precluded their ability to develop their gifts, hindered their educational development and career, and made them feel frustrated and unfulfilled. We analyse testimonies of gifted women that we collected from across the globe to provide concrete evidence of these hurdles, thereby highlighting their struggles, while noting in particular their experiences of shame, guilt, fear and self-doubt. A full understanding of these issues requires a deconstruction of the symbolic paradigm that underpins the social system we live in. As gifted women are by nature drawn to creative, independent, intellectual pursuits, they deviate from the norms imposed by the social system. The resulting negative reactions frequently lead them to believe there is something intrinsically wrong with them. This produces the painful emotion of shame, which potently suppresses self-actualization.

[–]CaliforniGinger 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

As gifted women are by nature drawn to creative, independent, intellectual pursuits, they deviate from the norms imposed by the social system.

I come from a family of gifted people and when I was 8 I decided that I would much prefer to be ordinary and happy rather than be a tortured genius. Growing up, I started to realize I would always be "eccentric," no choice about that, but that it made me happy to be ambitious and intellectual. I still don't think I'm "smart smart," just curious about everything, but that is a form of intelligence, I know.

I do wish I had more female friends, though. I work a lot so that plus not having children (yet if ever) makes it hard to connect to women my age, and the friends I had as a Christian young adult are all gone, of course. Sigh.

[–]ghostprototype[S] 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

sidenote: Francis Heylighen, one of the authors, is an interesting dude. His specialty is cybernetics but he's written on the topic of gifted people, self-actualization, memetics, emergent intelligence, and self-organizing systems

[–]onemoredaydream 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Do you recommend any of his other work in particular?

[–]ghostprototype[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I originally discovered him through the Global Brain theory which is pretty interesting, he and some other scientists made Principia Cybernetica based on it (it's pretty dated out but still a good read) - http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SUPORGLI.html

But my favorite is memetics, it's a fascinating subject. 'What makes a meme successful? Selection criteria for cultural evolution (1998)' is a good one - http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/Papers/Memetics-Namur.pdf

his scholar google page - https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=jt7BHBUAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&pagesize=100

[–]jkfinn 10 insightful - 2 fun10 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

It's all academic in more ways than one. The whole concept of "gifted," "talented," "genius" is individualistic, divisive, and not based much at all in social reality. If I heard someone refer to any radical feminist writer, in these terms, I would cringe. We are all shaped by class, race, sex, personal histories, capitalism, bad/good breaks, illnesses etc etc... not by innate, or inner qualities down deep inside that set us apart.

[–][deleted] 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Would you say that about height? Or intellectual disability?

IMO, genius in an individual can be a gift to her demographic if she can articulate or solve problems that affect a larger group, so why not seek out and cultivate raw ability? Yes, I know, if you deviate too much from group norms the group will cut you down (or pity you if you're disabled, which is also exclusion), but it is enlightened self-interest to go against that and support outliers.

[–]RestingWitchface 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Wow! This completes rings true to my own experience. I don't actually know my IQ score, but I have had extensive cognitive testing as part of autism assessment and I maxed out several areas of the test. I've always been told I am gifted from a young age, and excel at art and music. I am very sensitive and have some special abilities such as perfect pitch and synaesthesia. I am diagnosed autistic. I hope I don't seem arrogant by including myself in this category.

Sometimes I still feel really sad about how limiting my school experience was. For example, the music department was just terrible, and many of the subjects were too dumbed down to interest me. I wonder what I might have been able to achieve with the right environment and support. I was bullied because I didn't fit in, and I actually started to fail my schoolwork on purpose so that I could at least stop standing out intellectually. I stopped not only speaking up and participating in class, but became selectively mute while at school. I don't think the teachers even noticed because they only saw us for one period a day.

There are many times when I have wanted to pursue an ambition, but was basically bullied until I was forced to drop out. This continues to be an issue for me as an adult, especially in employment. I'm now a solo entrepreneur because working with other people does not work for me, which puts me in a more precarious and vulnerable position economically.

I began struggling with my mental health and dissociating from the age of 8 or 9. I felt very aware of not fitting in, but didn't know exactly why. I forced myself into boxes and surpressed my intelligence and creativity in order not to stand out. It's only recently, after receiving my autism diagnosis, that I have been able to start to understand. Despite my intelligence, I had a kind of blind spot when it came to my deficiencies (which is why they are deficiencies, I guess). I spent years believing there was something terribly wrong with me, so this came as a relief to learn.

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Sometimes I think that some autistic people may simply be exceptionally intelligent and isolated due to that.

I'm both exceptionally gifted and autistic. I didn't speak out in class because I wasn't able to (a late talker who can never keep up) and I'm unable to hold down a job or be gainfully self-employed. Some of that is giftedness, some of it is femaleness, some of it is autism, and some of it is PTSD. My guess is if I had only 2/4 of these problems, it'd be a lot easier.

Nothing in your description indicates autism to me as well as giftedness, but you probably aren't including everything. I have read that other gifted people have experienced similar problems to yours, but just needed to get into the right environment to thrive. (I read a lot of research at one point, years ago. The classic is Children above IQ 180 by Leta Stetter Hollingworth, which is on Project Gutenberg.)

[–]YourSister 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Some of that is giftedness, some of it is femaleness, some of it is autism, and some of it is PTSD. My guess is if I had only 2/4 of these problems, it'd be a lot easier.

Me too, sister. You articulated this so well.

[–]RestingWitchface 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I have been professionally diagnosed through 8 hours of testing and assessment if that's what you're wondering. Of course it's not possible to include all of that in one internet post, I only mentioned what was relevant to the discussion.

[–]onemoredaydream 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Are there any other gifted women out there who grew to feel that being exceptional became a way of attracting unwanted attention?

[–]Macarena77 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yes. I'm scared of being the centre of attention as I find that people are keen to exploit giftedness and punish non conformity at the same time. It's like being too visible comes at this price. Punishment, exploitation and massive cognitive/emotional dissonance (not to mention loneliness). My body is literally scared of flying "high". I was trained to diminish myself. Can't wait to read this paper when I go home tonight, thanks to whoever posted this.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

What kind of unwanted attention?