Roseann Wawira

As a matter of principle, everyone ought to submit to authority, may it be state, school, parental, workplace authority etc. When it comes to matters of authority, there is no other way, submission is the golden rule. However, most gifted individuals hold a permanent guilt card for failing to submit to authority. Whether it’s at home, in school, at the workplace etc. they always find themselves rubbing authorities the wrong way. Before we condemn and write them off as arrogant characters and criminals who need counseling, discipline and rehabilitation; it’s prudent to understand why they scorn authority. Perhaps counseling would be necessary but understanding must come first. In an article I wrote a while ago,  'Characteristics of Gifted Individuals' , I mentioned a number of common character traits of gifted individuals. I’ll analyze these traits in depth as we seek to understand why they scorn authority. By doing this, I’m not trying to justify their behavior but instead

This article is part of a series on Giftedness . Before proceeding, read the preceding articles:- 1.        Understanding Gifted Individuals – Overview 2.        Characteristics of Gifted Individuals 3.        Harnessing Potential of Gifted Individuals  4.        Challenges of Gifted Individuals: Living With Giftedness  Challenges of Giftedness and Possible solutions Introduction Living with giftedness comes with its fair share of challenges. If not dealt with, these challenges can swallow up giftedness and subject the gifted individual to unending suffering. Below are some challenges of giftedness and suggested solutions. 1.        Ignorance of giftedness in kids One of the greatest challenges of giftedness is ignorance. Lack of information on the subject of giftedness imposes a huge burden on its carriers. In school going kids, giftedness can hide behind good performance in class only to interfere with their progress later in life when lack of its expression

This article is part of a series on Giftedness. Before proceeding, read the preceding articles:- 1.     Understanding Gifted Individuals – Overview 2.     Characteristics of Gifted Individuals 3.     Harnessing Potential of Gifted Individuals 4.     Challenges of Gifted Individuals:Living With Giftedness                                                                        Introduction  The gifted community forms about 2% of the population. Given their scarce numbers and unique  characteristics , one of their greatest challenges is gaining understanding and acceptance from the rest of the population, which forms the majority. As most communities have little or no information on giftedness, gifted people are expected to conform and move with the crowd rather than express their real self. Placing such demands on them is unfair and ill-informed as it hinders expression of their gifts. When expression of their true self is hampered, they devise means of copin

This article is part of a series on Giftedness. Before proceeding, read the preceding article:- Understanding Gifted Individuals – Overview Characteristics of Gifted Individuals Harnessing Potential of Gifted Individuals Challenges of Gifted Individuals: Living With Giftedness Introduction Studies and research classify gifted individuals as people with Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of 130 and above. However, scores on IQ tests may be affected by various factors not limited to psychological, environmental, health and technical factors. Gifted individuals exhibit unique traits that set them apart from the rest of the population. If not understood and expressed, their gifts can turn against them and subject them to severe suffering. This happens mostly in environments lacking information on giftedness. In such places, people often fight giftedness instead of nurturing it and the gifted persons languish in hiding, confusion, depression and disability. Sadly, the intense nature