Gifted with Toxic Thoughts - By Elena Busick
Gifted individuals are unique—there is no other way to say it. They have specific traits that they often share in a variety of areas (cognitive, creative, affective, and behavioral). As an identified gifted and talented (GT) student myself, I see a lot of the traits in my own personality. I am intensely focused on my passions, I have a diversity of interests and abilities, I have a propensity for fantasy, and so on. These are just a few of the positive traits gifted individuals share that make them natural leaders and innovators. However, these and other traits of giftedness also have a down side: they can lead to what scientists call “toxic thoughts”. Toxic thoughts, such as perfectionism, social comparison, and maximizing, threaten a person’s mental well-being. Often, they can come from outside sources. Parents can inadvertently fuel perfectionism when praising their kids. When parents praise their kids for their internal attributes, such as their natural intelligence, rather tha...
