I was labeled "Gifted" as a child. I was in accelerated programs from 4th-12th grade and then went to a state university after. One thing I noticed when I was i

I was labeled "Gifted" as a child. I was in accelerated programs from 4th-12th grade and then went to a state university after. One thing I noticed when I was in college is just how smart the general public is compared to the people I met in these programs. I also observed how emotional skills are just as, if not more, important to nurture in students rather than focusing on the hard academics. Seriously, probably only 1 out of 5 of the people I grew up with and met through friends who were all considered "above average" in intelligence is living what the general society considers a "successful" life. I think its a sort of self-fullfilling prophecy to be labeled as Gifted. It means your parents think you are smart, so they pour resources into grooming you to fit that narrative. There has to be 5 or 10x as many people that could rise to the same level of "gifted", but their parents don't care enough or don't have the time or resources to bring it out in their kids. I knew a family that tested their kid's IQ 3 separate times to get into an accelerated secondary education program. Turns out IQ tests are just as easy to game as SATs or ACTs if you have the tutoring.