Dynamics Between Parent & Gifted Child Personalities

As mentioned in another post, N-Intuitives often see rules and norms as good for most people but not necessarily all people. S-Sensing type parents are more likely than N-Intuiting types to value grades and see them as credible proof their child is intelligent and successful.

Many highly intelligent individuals grow up not recognizing how highly intelligent they are because they were led to believe getting good grades is the primary evidence of being smart (Ruf, 1998). In many cases, the people who fall into the “didn’t get good grades” category were gifted children who preferred N-Intuition and P-Perceiver behaviors. Such type preferences tend toward intrinsic motivation (not extrinsic awards like grades), and their reluctance to spend time on uninteresting assignments frequently led them not to do what the teacher asked. For example, they might want to be more creative than is called for. They might not quite believe what the teacher is asking for and they decide that it’s too stupid to do. Needless to say, this behavior often leads to lower grades in most school settings.

The gifted children who would not focus and finish uninteresting and seemingly pointless schoolwork were often diagnosed or assumed to have ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and a need for medication and…