Rethinking Intelligence
My Hidden Brain Episode re-aired on NPR a few days ago!
My Hidden Brain Episode re-aired on NPR a few days ago and I am so touched by all the emails from people all over the world who have been emailing me with similar stories in childhood of being “overlooked” or being neurodivergent and not feeling like they fit in. Listen to the full episode here and let me know what you think! This remains one of my all-time favorite podcast/radio appearances:
https://www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/why-youre-smarter-than-you-think/
This was a great story, Scott! I’ve listened to all your Psychology Podcast episodes so I was familiar with most of this but it was nice to hear it all in one place. I was one of those “gifted” kids who had a high IQ test at a young age, but as I’ve gotten older (54 now) I realize personal passion and interest are so important and NO ONE should be viewed as unchanging or unchangeable. Getting that “gifted” label at a young age probably let me coast for much of school and I didn’t find my passion until much later in life. So keep fighting against ALL labels that limit people’s conception of their potential and what they need to do to realize it.
That’s a thoughtful reflection. Early labels, whether “gifted” or “struggling”, can shape expectations in ways we don’t always realise at the time. They can open doors, but they can also narrow how people interpret their own development. One thing developmental science keeps reminding us is that the patterns we see in childhood often reflect how a system is functioning under particular conditions at that moment. not necessarily its long-term trajectory. Passion, environment, opportunity, and even physiological factors interact with ability over time. Your story captures that beautifully: people often discover their direction later, once interests deepen and the right conditions for growth emerge.