i have decided to write a bullet point list of stuff i think gifted kid burnouts might find relatable. but first i should clarify that the whole point of this is that "gifted kids" were never actually gifted, because the whole point is that this model of intelligence is 1) arbitrary 2) not applicable to real life 3) may fade with time since talent is nothing without practice 4) harmful to everyone involved. So hopefully "gifted kids" and "troubled kids" and all the other needlessly categorized kids who are now dealing with the mental and emotional consequences- hopefully we can all come together and realize how we should be careful about the messages we send kids about themselves and consider how it will affect them growing up. also probably no one will see this but I really needed to scream these things into the void okay thanks
oke heres the list
- neurodivergent, but diagnosed late or, if they were diagnosed, may have been labelled "asperger syndrome" instead of ASD or ADHD etc. and not given sufficient help.
- had at least one significant emotional breakdown- or, alternatively, has been having one long mental breakdown since like middle school
- struggles to balance praise recieved as a kid, low self-esteem, and current daily struggles
- on edge even when there is nothing to do: never satisfied
- good test taking skills... if only they studied
- thought of failure so overwhelming that they shut down
- what homework? i am pretending there is no homework. shh
- procrastination is muscle memory
- their model of their abilities hasn't caught up to the present, and they overestimate themselves and feel broken when they don't live up to their own high standards
- relies on escapism to avoid existential dread, but quickly loses interest- nothing seems worthwhile
- self-esteem extremely fragile because it's based solely on any signals they can pick up from others regarding their intelligence
- only smart as it pertains to academic, obscure, and/or elementary school-level material. you are/were good at spelling or times tables or dinosaur facts or hieroglyphs and now you're failing to write a resume or have a conversation and you suddenly realize you're not smart in any real way. and maybe you forgot the dinosaur facts and the times tables, too, so there's really nothing going for you anymore
- was isolated from other students, bullied and/or excluded
- bubbling fear in the back of their mind about disappointing and proving wrong all the people who said they had great things in store or something to that effect.
- has a fear- rational or irrational- of sudden rejection from others if they don't succeed, that may cause them, counterproductively, to not succeed
- wet, hot anger toward the school systems, parents, teachers, mental health professionals etc. that failed them, and broader radical ideas about why or how society, culture, government, or education needs to be changed
