People with giftedness often don’t have it easy at work – and neither do their colleagues. This can quickly escalate, says a psychologist, and suggests solutions.
Mr. Scheer, two percent of the population are considered highly gifted; in Germany, that’s 1.7 million people. Do they all automatically have a career?
No, not all highly gifted people have careers or are among the famous “overachievers”. It is true that highly gifted people complete certain tasks faster and with fewer mistakes than those with normal abilities. But some even do very little to avoid being noticed. Others do not even know for a long time that they are highly gifted. There is no such thing as a typical highly gifted person. Just like everyone else, their history and the context are what determine whether they are successful in their careers.
Nevertheless, highly gifted people differ from those with normal abilities.
By definition, they have a higher intelligence quotient, namely over 130. This IQ is determined in a test of logical thinking. Because they think quickly, highly gifted people usually need little training time in a new job and still do it very well. Unfortunately, highly gifted people often experience real differences in social interaction, where they repeatedly fall into traps. This can escalate quickly, especially in a professional context.
Source: Stern
