We are caught off guard by the concept of "giftedness." When we encounter this concept at some point in our lives, our inner balance is disrupted. We don't know what to expect, and we find ourselves researching and exploring this new territory.
It could be our child, our student, our cousin, or our niece or nephew who receives the diagnosis. Whoever it is, this concept is unfamiliar to the first-time listener (unless they are a student or expert in this field). The word "gifted" drops like a bomb into the fascinating allure of intelligence. These "gifted" individuals, as they are referred to in the literature, make us think once again about their differences in one way or another.
Everyone is special. Every person comes into this life to write their own story. Some people are sensitive, some are realistic, some are goal-oriented, some are dreamers, some value aesthetics, some are inclined toward philosophy, and some build their lives around emotions. Everyone is different, just like in nature. However, in nature, no flower envies another or wants to be like it; each lives its own nature.
Documentaries open the door to the unique world of those who live their true nature. The reason why a camera placed in an owl's nest reaches impressive viewer ratings and watch times is perhaps our need for natural environments.
But when it comes to humans living their true nature, the topic becomes one where everyone has an opinion. Everyone expresses and tries to explain something by blending their expertise, knowledge, and experiences with their own temperament—just like I am doing now!
When this newsletter reaches you every week, I actually have a purpose. Every word, every sentence, and every expression serves a single goal: to help this unique group be understood beyond prejudices. Are they really different? Yes, they are. Are they all the same? Of course not, but at their core, they share similarities (according to global literature). Do they all need to be understood? Absolutely yes.
I wish you could see the expression on their faces when they feel understood, through my eyes.
I am an expert, and of course, first and foremost, I am human. This may be equated by some with not being "professional" in my approach to the profession. However, we expect the best doctors not only to have medical knowledge but also to look into our eyes and not treat us as mere objects.
So why all this introduction? Understanding them is not just the responsibility of one person, one professional group, or only their families. Understanding them starts with understanding and valuing humanity. Everyone who places humanity and "well-being" at the center of their life, whether they realize it or not, supports "giftedness." I know that even before this concept existed, there were many kind-hearted people who supported them.
This topic is about how we view life. It's about how we perceive life. Without forgetting that they are individuals, allowing them to "be themselves" and honoring them for who they are is easy to write, takes a few seconds to read, but is not so easy or quick to implement and internalize.
This article is actually about you. How you view life is how you will view intelligence. Now, I know that some of you are thinking, "But we have been shaped by other life stories." I know that a significant portion of you feel helpless or compelled within the big wheels of life, even if you want to do this. But I think the path to understanding them starts with understanding yourself. In fact, it's not the concept of giftedness that we are caught off guard by, but ourselves. Our self-perception is something we sometimes overlook due to fatigue or fear in the flow of life.
And finally, I have yet to encounter a more problematic child (if no expert has identified a different condition), but I can say that the environment they live in and/or the way they are viewed shapes and influences them. As an expert working with families, I frequently read in my field to avoid professional stagnation and continue to develop myself, and almost every field points to the same conclusion. In the end, they can sometimes be like colors spilling out of the boundaries of the picture you have shaped in your mind. My ultimate goal is to ensure that those spilled colors create harmony without disrupting the integrity of the picture. This is only possible through awareness. And the greatest awareness, I believe, is "knowing oneself."
Dr. Uğur Zat