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I had a similar experience. I was raised as a curious child, with encyclopedias and stuff around, my mom says the first thing I ever said was "what's this?".
by gkya 10y ago
I had a similar experience. I was raised as a curious child, with encyclopedias and stuff around, my mom says the first thing I ever said was "what's this?". In elementary school my teacher realised my interest in science and specifically physics and astronomy, gave me a comprehensive set of books on various scientific topics, for children, fifty-sixty books. I read them all, and learned a fair bit of stuff about astronomy, electronics, chemistry, and history of science. Add to that a 120-130 IQ test result, my friends called me the "professor", and in third grade my parents and my elementary school theacher decided that it was better to move me to a private school with "better" education. I took tests at some of the most pricy colleges of the country, and was accepted by a very famous school with full scholarship. This school was the fifth most expensive school in my country and a lot of the richest families had their children study there. During 4th grade I went to both my normal school which was public, and to this other school to catch up on English. And in fifth I switched full-time to the private school. I, as a son of a low-income family, in fact was getting on very well with the other kids there, but a couple years later, I was losing my interest in science and school in general, so my exam grades went down and down. On my way to adolescence, I wanted more friends and fun. So at the end in 7th grade I was moved back to a public school, and this was my big disaster, because, raised among the children of the richest and best families of the country, and with minimal exposure to random kids before that (not many kids in my neighbourhood), I couldn't integrate, and this resulted in me a depression and solitude that dured until my 20ies. As a 23-yrs-old guy, I still live the effects of the experience, though I've overcome the depression.
During high school I was obsessed with becoming normal, like other kids, pretended being an ordinary stupid boy, because I was always marginalised as I never experienced the vulgar street life and basically didn't know how to act in such a setting. I don't want to come off as a snob, but truly my social life was limited to my parents, my brother, three-four well-behaved kids from my street and a bunch of Richie Riches until I was about 14, so go figure. I still am a bit the odd kid but as the years went by I learned to embrace my abnormalities as my distinct personal traits and found out that I wasn't all that unique, but I was without contact to people like me. Seems obvious now, but not so much to a depressed adolescent which I was.
So my recomandation to parents of high-IQ kids would be: make them feel that they're smart, but make them know that this is not that big of a deal, and don't treat them specially or move them to weird schools. I've ended up losing all my interest in becoming a scientist and spending my best years in solitude and depression.
- bloodorange 10y agoThough there is nothing I can say to change the tough years you endured, I would however like to say to you that the best years are yet to come. Look ahead my friend. There are many years ahead of you. Rationally, I concede that, in theory, there's a possibility that they may be terrible but you have to concede that given your current levels of self-awareness and your ability to introspect, you have a lot of agency and things may turn out to be much better than those unpleasant years. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you good luck.
- gkya 10y agoThis is what I love about internet: when you honestly open your heart even a little bit, you get to read nice and cozy responses like yours. Thanks a lot for the kind words. I'm certainly way more positive nowadays. Over the years I've accepted myself as I am and have seen that once I am more poised and confident and love myself, I become more and more accepted and liked by others. And when one's nonchalant before the ephemeral stuff, he's more easily content. After adopting these ideas I've begun enjoying life in the last three-four years.
- ovatsug25 10y agoSuccess is on the path, not at the end of it. You are on the path my friend. Notice it, appreciate it, and enjoy the view. You have overcome depression. Soon enough you will become one who shares your best self with the world. I believe! :)