13 - Are Brilliant People More Likely Trans?

Gifted and exceptional children seem more inclined to gender nonconformity and they represent a significant proportion of the ROGD teens discussed in Dr. Littman’s research. Sasha and Stella explore why there may be a link between brilliance and transgender identity.

Links:

• “Overexcitability and the Gifted”, by Sharon Lind
• “Where Overexcitability and Gender Dysphoria Meet,” by Jessie Mannisto
• “Gender Identity and Overexcitability Profiles of Gifted College Students” Researchgate  (2009)
• “Gender Dysphoria and Gifted Children,” by Lisa Marchiano
• Dr. Lisa Littman
• Living with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults, Edited by Susan Daniels and Michael M. Piechowski
• Carol Dweck & Mindset
• The Social Dilemma Film
• Cotton Wool Kids: What's Making Irish Parents Paranoid?, by Stella O'Malley

Extended Notes

• How do the Irish reward/acknowledge/talk about “exceptional learners” and gifted individuals?
• Educated American parents want to know how gifted their children really are.
• Children who are exceptionally gifted will be placed in a different learning program to help them accelerate.
• Kids can get set up with the expectation that they’re going to be exceptional all the time, and that leads to a lot of disappointment in life.
• Why are gender dysphoria and “giftedness” linked?
• How do you define a “gifted” person?
• Sasha believes a lot of gifted people really struggle with depression in their teenage years as they see all their peers having fun and they “just can’t relate.”
• It’s very lonely being intelligent.
• Intense kids crave really deep relationships and are dissatisfied by superficial relationships that are very common during the teenage years.
• Stella has noticed that a lot of teens aren’t “that into” music anymore. It used to be a huge part of her identity when she was growing up.
• If you have a growth mindset, you’re able to handle failure much easily.
• Everyone in life is “in a process.” Nobody starts out great.
• Do you have a fear of failure? It's a very common experience!
• Companies are savvy and they want you to get excited, emotionally, so that there’s more engagement on their platforms.
• It’s common for teenagers to have a big sense of imaginability, but these can really go “off the rails,” so to speak, with brilliantly gifted kids.
• What’s concerning is children taking on more video games instead of going outside and being physical to expend all that energy. It impacts your health and your...
  
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