The Paradox of Being A Gifted Kid

ART BY : R. Aytona

Moreover, in educational institutions, competition is inescapable. One may be familiar with teachers hanging a list of names on the wall, ranking the top ten students based on their grade point average. It was anticipated to be a way of motivating others, but it quickly escalated into a breeding ground of contempt. These students would do their best just to place on that list, but ultimately, it can become a cause of rivalry of who would rank first, every quarter, for the whole year. Parents would start pressuring their children, and eventually, bring out a child’s constant habit of comparing themselves to others. If there is too much competition, it may reach a point of unhealthy contention among students—it ruins friendships and distances children from their parents. Being too fixated on the notion of excellence without regard for one’s well-being can become a source of anxiety, frustration, and the fear of losing control.

Other than this culturally-rooted and deleterious environment, operant conditioning or the reward system—a method that alters a person’s behavior in a way that makes them crave reinforcements and avoid punishments—is in effect, as well. It has been proven that bribing or rewarding students for certain efforts deprives them of understanding the inherent meaning of the whole activity or process (Baranek, 1996). Yet, we fail to acknowledge that the Philippine education system is synonymous with this psychological procedure, where it focuses on and prioritizes inaccurate outcomes, instead of performance. As schools continue to operate under distance learning, the issue is more intensified than ever. Because of this system, gifted kids develop the tendency of tying one’s self-worth to achievements, which can be the start of an unending spiral of self-doubt.

Even with societal pressures and inconsistent measures of success, the Philippine education system’s flaws affect the students more than what meets the eye. In a nutshell, it negatively

WRITTEN BY : Jamie Franchesca Lopez

influences a student’s approach to learning. After heavily relying on raw intellect for more than a decade, gifted kids failed to develop the necessary study habits, which is the whole point of early schooling. So, when the courses become complex, these kids can’t adapt. Rattled by confusion, with no idea of what went wrong, gifted kids are slapped with this newfound reality as a wake-up call that some sort of effort is required, but they ultimately fall into a slump after being completely oblivious of where to begin.

Establishing that these flaws are way beyond repair, gifted kids are forced to heal on their own. Most feelings of self-doubt come from comparing. This habit needs to be stopped as incessant jealousy, discontentment, and hopelessness can be a source of chronic anxiety and depression. One must also recognize these shortcomings and start putting in the effort. Being naturally smart is helpful, but hard work comes a long way. Finally, there is no need to blame anyone nor live in self-hatred for not fulfilling the expectations of others. Where there is weakness, there will be progress. Gifted kids were brought up to think that the world works in their favor; therefore, they are not allowed to fail. However, these people should not mistake such errors as an indication of incompetence, but instead, a call for growth.

Learning the truth about how fundamentally inept the Philippine education system is, and how internally corrupting Asian culture influences a child’s upbringing, gifted kids should not be blamed for failing. Society has framed such a harsh environment that it is unfair to say that these kids are at fault for developing such self-deprecating philosophies. In an age filled with openness and kindness, this new generation of individuals must construct holistic and healthy ways of learning and completely abolish these degrading traditionalist mechanisms.

Let children be children, free of any pressure to be who they are expected to be. These kids must be given full autonomy on how they wish to explore the world—the elders are simply there to guide, not to decide, and most definitely, not to dictate. At the end of it all, a person’s unfiltered and intrinsic intelligence is a testament of innate humanity. One’s uniqueness comes from learning, failing, and experiencing. That should be the bedrock of education, not mere numbers on a transcript.