“Wait, Could I Be Gifted?” Self-Inventory
First, a preamble…
There are countless reasons why a gifted person might not be identified as "gifted" early in life—
❓ maybe their school didn't have the resources to identify them
❓ maybe giftedness was understood in ways that weren't expansive enough
(e.g., that it's only about IQ and academic performance)
❓ maybe racism and/or other social forces undermined their identification
❓ maybe a concurrent disability or other illness masked their giftedness
❓ maybe a family member who was aware of their identification hid it
❓ or maybe there was no concept of giftedness where they grew up
Whatever the reason, not knowing this about yourself can hurt you, and becoming aware of their giftedness later in life has been life changing for many gifted people.
Why?
Giftedness isn't just a childhood phenomenon but rather denotes enduring atypicality in thought processes, emotional processing, motivation, relationships, and more.
This atypical way of being gives rise to various unique opportunities, but they often accompany significant challenges.
Learning that you're gifted can help demystify challenges that have followed you your entire life ... and help you chart a new way forward!
⬇⬇⬇
Before you start, know that this self-inventory does not offer:
❌ a numerical representation of intelligence such as IQ
❌ a result that rates your abilities on a scale or plots them on a continuum
❌ engagement with past experiences of developmental significance
❌ a definitive appraisal of the inner workings of your mind or trajectory
❌ a focus on many aspects of giftedness that extend beyond mental capacities (e.g., kinaesthetic, spiritual, naturalist, etc)
This self-inventory does offer:
✅ an entry point for self-discovery about the potential role of giftedness in your life
✅ insights based on how you represent your subjective experience of your thought processes, emotional processing, behaviors, and relationships from multiple predefined options
✅ self-inventory options based on understandings of giftedness outlined in literature that is widely used in the gifted support field as of 2024
Sound good?
⬇
Self-Inventory Begins Here
Assessing the potential role of giftedness in your life is not an exact science. This self-inventory does not assign a particular number of “points” to particular answers. However, answers that track with contemporary understandings of giftedness as outlined in current gifted support literature are highlighted below. Use this self-inventory to learn more about yourself and those around you, irrespective of the potential role of giftedness in your life!
How do you experience your own mental processing compared to others?
Faster than most people when information is delivered in the right way (e.g., I have traits associated with AuDHD, dyslexia, or another disability). 🌀
[ ✅ Consider giftedness + twice-exceptionality ]So much faster than most other people that I am regularly asked to simplify my thoughts and break things down into smaller nuggets. 😅
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]So fast, complex, creative, non-linear, and imbued with intuitive insights and knowledge drawn from multiple disparate domains. This means that translating my actual trains of thought to most others is often impossible. 🤷🏽♂️
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]I haven't noticed anything unusual about my mental processing that aligns with the options above. ⭐
How would you describe your level of independent curiosity?
I'm not especially curious when left to my own devices and prefer to take things as they come. 😊
I'm independently curious about all kinds of things but not so much that it makes me feel weird or elicits strange looks from others. 📚
I'm very curious and my enthusiasm for inquiry makes life hard sometimes (e.g., in communication; conflict and rejection in relationships; my inner emotional state; and professional life).🕵🏽♂️
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]I'm extremely curious and my unceasing immersion in the world of ideas—including abstraction, metaphor, and paradox—creates constant challenges for me (e.g., in communication; conflict and rejection in relationships; my inner emotional state; and professional life). 🧨
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
How would you describe the intensity with which you pursue things you care about?
I'm pretty laid back most of the time and don't like to take anything I'm doing too seriously. 😎
I get lost in my activities sometimes but not so much that it makes me feel unusual. 🤷🏽♀️ 🌈
I sometimes become so consumed with my projects and/or vision that I become inattentive to things on a level that's led other people to comment on it. 🌪️ ⁉️
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]When I do something I really care about, I go FULL THROTTLE 🔥 with high energy and it often shocks or perplexes other people. 👀
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
How would you describe your emotional processing compared to other people?
In addition to processing things deeply on an intellectual level, my emotional processing is also very deep (e.g., being moved to tears and action by beauty and/or information, concepts, and events that speak to my values and sense of justice... even if others ignore these things. 💗
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]Experiences connected to my emotional landscape are often so profound that they engulf my entire being and serve as a source of broader insight beyond the self (e.g., empathic knowledge of others' inner states and/or sources of significant artistic inspiration, and inspiration to take massive social action).💡
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]I haven't noticed anything unusual about my emotional reactions that aligns with the options above. 😊
How would you gauge the originality of your ideas?
My ideas aren't too out there. I usually stick to the tried and true as well as the best practices of those who have come before me. I don't generally relate to the people who want to leap far ahead into the future or go off in a bunch of uncharted directions (even on the inside). 💼
I have a lot of creative, original ideas that I share with others, but they are usually not so out there that they create major confusion, disbelief, or elicit hostile reactions from peers. 🎨
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]My ideas tend to be highly unconventional and/or radical as they arise from my own unique combination of experience and expansive self-directed study. Many people can't relate to my visionary ideas and I consistently receive polarized reactions. 🚀
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
How expansive and intense are your interests?
I like to dabble in various things but don't take any of them too seriously. 😎
I naturally ZERO IN on one thing within my "zone of genius" and forge ahead without feeling the pull of another calling or interest. 🎯
I am interested in tons of things and love to dive into all of them but don't necessarily discern an underlying logic that connects it all.💡
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]My interests are vast, my strengths span a bunch of areas, and it's all connected (even if a lot of people don't see the connections). 💫
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
How do you relate to questions of justice and fairness?
My values are pretty straightforward and I live up to them without too much difficulty. I do what I can within existing systems and networks to make a difference but don't get too carried away or allow myself to alienate people in the process. 💖
I am deeply committed to my values and have put everything on the line many times to stand up for them, often eliciting perplexed and even hostile reactions from people who are threatened by what I stand for. ⚖️
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]My values are important to me but my attitudes on specific questions are highly mutable, constantly evolving, and suffused with an awareness of (non-)duality and paradox. 🌀
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
What kind of social dynamics do you experience?
I tend to fit in and find rewarding social connections in most places without much effort or attempting to hide major parts of myself. 😎
It's consistently difficult for me to find peer relationships that are genuinely meaningful and I often find myself feeling pressure to hide major parts of myself or risk being told I'm overwhelming people or simply "too much" (e.g., too intellectual, sensitive, idealistic, perfectionistic, and/or emotional). 😅
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
To what extent do you derive insight from spiritual or intuitive sources?
I don't consciously derive much knowledge or creative inspiration from my own spiritual, cosmic, and/or intuitive experiences. 🌎
I often derive knowledge and/or inspiration from spiritual, otherworldly experiences that have a significant impact on my life experience. 🧘🏾♀️
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]I have psychic and/or mystical experiences that constitute central sources of knowledge in my life and provide visionary insights that exceed the ordinary. ✨
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
How do questions of meaning, purpose, integrity, and authenticity shape your life experience?
I've been living the same life for many years (e.g., same social circle, hobbies, and professional pursuits) ...and I wouldn't say that I've ever really experienced much inner turmoil related to the ultimate meaning and purpose of it all. I also haven't experienced major internal dilemmas that have led me to worry that I've deviated from my authentic self or violated my sense of personal integrity in a fundamental way. 🌟
Questions of meaning, purpose, and integrity propel my life so much that I have experienced major upheavals in my self-concept, social circle, and/or career that may have been met with great concern from others (and even myself). Maintaining personal authenticity and integrity with my inner value system is a north star in my life in ways that it doesn't seem to be for most people around me. 🤷🏽
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
What role does existential reflection play in your life?
I wouldn't say that I worry too much about existential questions like the meaning of life, death, love, beauty, the nature of reality, or the nature of evil and suffering. Live in the moment, man! 😎
I find myself being drawn to existential questions sometimes but it's not something that I spend a lot of time thinking about most days. 😊
My conscious and sustained engagement with existential themes plays a significant role in my life experience and has been a constant presence in my life from the time that I was young. 🌱
[ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
Though giftedness is so much more than what IQ tests measure, note if your IQ has been measured at 130 or higher:
Yes [ ✅ Consider giftedness ]
No / Not Sure
—
That’s it!
If your self-inventory process has piqued your interest in giftedness as a phenomenon and its potential role in your life, explore some of my resources on the subject here. These include my 45-page guide, Tasting the Gifted Rainbow.
