Kenneth Christian, Ph.D. on living up to the “gifted” label - or not
In his book “Your Own Worst Enemy..”, psychologist Kenneth W. Christian, PhD delineates some of the most prominent patterns of thinking and behavior he has found that may lead to undermining and underachievement as adults.
He notes, “Without explicit demands and support, being labeled ‘bright’ or ‘gifted’ is akin to being conferred an aristocratic lineage — a heritage that exists independently of what you do with it.
“The difference is that the labels ‘bright’ and ‘gifted’ come with implicit demands, and when appropriate explicit demands are lacking, the labels sit there like ticking bombs.
“One the one hand, these labels tell you that merely being bright or talented is enough, but on the other hand, the longer you go being praised for talent alone, the more anxious you become about the time when you will be required to deliver.”
Another aspect is how our identity and self concept informs personal development:
“We can be particularly resistant to change when it threatens to alter what we believe about ourselves. In his 1948 book, The Theory of Self-Consistency, Prescott Lecky argues that people prefer retaining a consistent view of who they are to changing that view, even if the change would be positive.
“As we have seen, the idea of who you are resides at the center of your sense of reality. It is part of the glue that holds your reality together.
“You believe that if you know anything, you know yourself. And you feel you know the way you behave and what is possible for you. …
“The problem is not, has never been, and never will be, who you are. The problem is always what you choose to do.”
He describes how “Self Limiting High Potential Persons.. etch enduring pathways over time by repeating their characteristic self-defeating methods… this tendency can evolve into a general self-limiting style…
“Certain actions you have taken habitually have short-circuited your success. Change begins with noticing your ability to choose new actions and then acting.”
[Some of these self-limiting patterns are described on the page Self-limiting.]
Christian says “Pulling back from your potential, at the most fundamental level, is a kind of abdication, an abandoment of your own best interests.
“Achieving self-development, on the other hand, is not only life’s central mission — it can also be the most thrilling odyssey there is.”
From the book: Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement - by Kenneth W. Christian, PhD.
Striving for achievement - an interview with Kenneth Christian, by Douglas Eby
Related pages:
Identity
Self-esteem / self concept
Self-limiting
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