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21 - Giftedness and Wisdom

from Part VI - Wisdom and Other Psychological Constructs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2019

By
Don Ambrose
Edited by
Robert J. Sternberg  and
Judith Glück
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Judith Glück
Affiliation:
Universität Klagenfurt, Austria
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Summary

One would think that gifted individuals should naturally be wise, because high-powered cognition must establish strong big-picture thinking and ethical awareness. Unfortunately, the connection between giftedness and wisdom is not guaranteed. While research into giftedness and talent development does address the ethical aspects of wisdom to some extent, the education of gifted and talented individuals usually overemphasizes academic content mastery while insufficiently addressing the development of wisdom. The field of gifted education has explored some phenomena relevant to wisdom. These include the dynamics of personality development, the complexities of moral reasoning and character education, and the importance of global awareness. Expanding conceptions of giftedness will encourage professionals to include wisdom in the education and mentorship of the gifted. In addition, interdisciplinary thinking can strengthen the connections between wisdom and giftedness.
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Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Wisdom , pp. 465 - 482
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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