Most contemporary scientists nowadays agree that being gifted comes from both genes and nurture, some (eg. C.Badcock) also consider the epigenetic effect. Some interesting research on monozygotic twins has been conducted to learn more about the role of genes in giftedness. The specific characteristics of the brain are also hereditary, that will also lead to "generations of scientists". Different models describe the factors contributing to being gifted (the Munich model, Gagne, Sternberg, Renzulli et al).

All people have their strengths but not all are gifted in the educational meaning of the word. Some students need to be accelelerated in school or they'll become frustrated and bored. Franz J. Mönks has defined the concept of being gifted quite well - as an individual's potential to reach outstanding/exceptional results in one or more areas.

Hope this clarifies the issue a bit.

I think giftedness is inherited to some extent. But I also believe that the environment has also something to do with the development of such trait. To learn, you need stimuli to trigger it, a motivation that will drive your curiosity and of course along the way, try to work things up and solve problems by providing innovative solutions to it.

Thank you! Gifted Children are highly motivated for things that they are interested. It is the urge to learn new things and the curiosity that make them different from average kids.

Unfortunately many researchers share a wrong definition about gifted children. The reality is different. Of course environment is playing a big part in education highly able children.

To be Gifted is not something that you can learn. You born in this way...

It is never your fault to be born gifted. Its a challenge for someone to have such a unique trait and I, unconsciously envy these people with special gifts. They should be the ones who are forging our future because they have an innate capacity to see the future in advance. That is a rare talent to cultivate.

Most gifted children are highly creative too. They have highly critical thinking skill and that is why they are left behind in many countries around the world.

Yes, its obvious that they can create a world of their own in such a way that a normal individual sees it weird. I think, majority of the population fear that gifted individuals can overwhelm them and put them to shame but I think, this is just a superficial representation of misunderstanding of the potentials that the gifted can unlock and utilize in the future.

I think when we say gifted, the genetics come into play automatically. But if you talk about people who have achieved milestones in life; you will find many who may have reached their goals with sheer grit, determination and other traits which are not linked to genetics but more to as said earlier the environment which moulded these qualities in an individual. A person living in the desert will always have better survival skills for example than someone living in a welfare state!.

what does 'gifted' mean? i see some children with 'downs' are gifted.

if it is inherited then; the parent genes are from the primates (apes)

Read Richard Dawkins The Shelfish Gene. It holds the answer you seek.

Most contemporary scientists nowadays agree that being gifted comes from both genes and nurture, some (eg. C.Badcock) also consider the epigenetic effect. Some interesting research on monozygotic twins has been conducted to learn more about the role of genes in giftedness. The specific characteristics of the brain are also hereditary, that will also lead to "generations of scientists". Different models describe the factors contributing to being gifted (the Munich model, Gagne, Sternberg, Renzulli et al).

All people have their strengths but not all are gifted in the educational meaning of the word. Some students need to be accelelerated in school or they'll become frustrated and bored. Franz J. Mönks has defined the concept of being gifted quite well - as an individual's potential to reach outstanding/exceptional results in one or more areas.

Hope this clarifies the issue a bit.

Dear Roya,

As I see it, giftedness has to do with:

1. Our intelligence, creativty and curiosity;

2) The physical and social miliew wherin we were born and grew up;

3) The intrincate relation between (a) and (s.)

Once T. Edison told us that geniuis is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration or hard work. This idea echoes in A. Eenstein' quote that it is only in only dictionaries that the term "success" first than the terms "work"

Dear Roya,

First of all, I think we need to have a common definition of "giftedness", "high ability" or "talent" to have an enriching conversation about that topic that you are proposing us.

This is why I think we have a problem that cannot be solved in a 100% because there are a lot of models, definitions and optics about that concept that could change the orientation of this specific discussion.

It is not the same to think that discussion considering Gagné's model of dotation and talent or the actual Renzulli's Three Ring Model, considering "gifted behaviors" more important than the classic conception of giftedness, or even considering just some of the "political" definitions that are used in some of the legal regulations or national public policies of some countries that could be more standarized and quantifiable.

Nevertheless, I agree with some of the points that you were saying in the sense of considering that there is a widely open state of the art that have been discovering and "proving" some of the main aspects of this "final" definition that we are researching.

For example, it seems that there is a potential or some kind of abilities that could be developed by some specific people in specific areas, but we are not certain that if there are some other people that could have had that potential or abilities that were "lost" by the lack of cognitive stimulation or even if some of the tests that we have were biased enough so they couldn't be identified as "gifted" or "talented" even if they were really been gifted.

We are certainly uncertain about getting a full consensus, but I think it will be interesting to keep studying, discovering and unveiling.