This article discusses a problem in the field of giftedness--the meaning and deployment of giftedness in authoritarian systems, or in declining, failing, or pseudo-democracies. This problem exists for much of the world's population yet seems to be relatively little discussed. The article opens with a consideration of what the problem is. It then…

This article proposes a duplex model for understanding giftedness. The first part of the duplex is the set of gifted skills and attitudes that one possesses as a result of heredity, the environment, and their interaction. It is the input that one has acquired from one's life experiences. The second part of the duplex is the utilization or…

The kind of transactional, or tit-for-tat giftedness that so many programs identify and develop will not help to create a better world. Yet, if anyone is in a position to create a better world, it is our gifted young people. In this article, roles are presented that can be used to create change in the world. Some of these roles, when applied…

Academic disciplines and professional fields need to engage in ongoing evaluation of their purposes and conceptual frameworks. The complex field of gifted education can benefit from such evaluations, and the refinements that can emerge from them. This article is a discussion between two of the most prominent scholars in the field. The discussion…

Gifted education should focus on gifting rather than on being gifted. That is, it should focus on what one offers from one's gifts, not just on what gifts a person has, one way or another, accumulated. Gifted individuals should consider choosing careers that are a good fit to them, that enable them to give back, and that give them a sense of…