Spheres of Giftedness

image from jason leung on unsplash

The term “giftedness” is a description of an uncommon complexity + intensity of cognition, emotion + sensation.  A gifted person has an above average intellectual intelligence that is often combined with additional unique areas of giftedness in one or more of these other areas of intelligence, as defined by Jennifer Harvey Sallin: emotional, creative, sensual, physical, and existential.

1. INTELLECTUAL: A strong interest in: learning, problem solving, seeking truth, curiosity, reading, theory, analysis, logic and independent thinking.
2. EMOTIONAL: Complexity to emotions, strong emotional memory, deep and intense feelings, heightened sense of empathy, justice and morality. 
3. CREATIVE: Ability to visualize detail. Strong interest in fantasy, inventions, music, art, humor, uniqueness.
4. SENSUAL : Enhanced sensory experience of the five senses. Often has high appreciation of beauty and harmony. 
5. PHYSICAL: Advanced physical skill or dexterity, preference for physical expression + fast action.
6. EXISTENTIAL: High focus on meaning, values, ethics, morality, ecological interconnectedness, and the nature of reality.

With these nuances in 'spheres' of giftedness, gifted people comprise quite the heterogeneous group, which makes it essential for each persons to discover their own giftedness profile to best understand their unique needs.

Think you may be gifted? Check out the gifted services at Method. No formal giftedness identification needed to pursue these services!  Just a willingness to dig into your areas of intelligence.

References: Sallin, Jennifer H. What is Giftedness? http://intergifted.com/what-is-giftedness/ 2020. Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books.