I started writing a reply about my childhood. But then I realized I would be sharing more than I'm comfortable sharing in public, I don't even feel comfortable creating a throwaway account to discuss this stuff.
Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
71–80 of 357 posts
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#72Score is 5 but factor in racism which is not accounted for in the test.
I decided age 6 I wanted to be Captain Picard or maybe phrased better: I decided to replace the absent positive male role model with idealised humanist diplomat/scientist.
It worked out very well for me. My net worth is less than it could be because I decided to prioritise happiness over wealth, but I habe a great live.
What saddens me is that, kids today do not even get stories that look positively in the future. Sometimes it feels all modern sci-fi is dystopian.
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#73This is the first time I've heard of an ACE score; I had to look up what it stood for: https://www.christineortollcharity.org/post/adverse-childhoo... I suspect I'm not the only one here in this boat.
It’s defined in the link at the end of the post.
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#74How do you know if you're gifted?
Presumably you get told you're gifted by the education system following some assessment.
Personally, I'd never even heard of the term "gifted" until I left home for university, it wasn't a thing that existed in the rural location where I grew up.
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#75I find this test interesting because I received an ACE score of 1, but I'm the oldest child in my household and I'm realizing that my siblings would probably score slightly higher than me... :-(
I moved out when I was around 20 before alcoholism and divorce destroyed the beautiful family dynamic that I grew up with.
This makes me want to try and understand the differences between myself and my siblings a bit more closely.
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#76I started writing a reply about my childhood. But then I realized I would be sharing more than I'm comfortable sharing in public, I don't even feel comfortable creating a throwaway account to discuss this stuff.
Opsec awareness is brutal on public socialization.
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#77Score of 6. Started and sold a YC startup
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#78How do you know if you're gifted?
Was school consistently easier for you than it was for your classmates? Was it much easier for you? How about compared to your smartest classmates?
I think the answers to those questions are pretty strong indicators. Fundamentally, though, IMO most people who are gifted know it.
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#79ACE score of 5. I turned out badly. Rich, but badly. Just ask any of the data faking cheating scientists I channeled my trauma into exposing who got me kicked out of academia. But that's how I got rich. Money changes everything. You will never feel safe. You will instead build a life, a portfolio, and a network of friends as a surrogate for feeling safe. And you can trust my words, I'm shadowbanned.
> Just ask any of the data faking cheating scientists I channeled my trauma into exposing who got me kicked out of academia. But that's how I got rich.
I don’t know what you are referring to, but I am curious. Would you explain?
Re: Ask HN: Former gifted children with hard lives, how did you turn out?
#80I have a score of 5. I was in my district's GT program [0] from 5th grade until graduation (I only mention this since you said "gifted" in the title and this is the most "official" proof that I have). I failed many classes in high school (algebra, chem, physics, English) mostly from lack of effort. I had a lot of trouble attending class during high school and dealt with depression.
I went to college a couple of states away and being in that new environment helped a lot. By my senior year I was doing much better -- still had issues and only had a 3.2 GPA but I never failed a class. I was able to get an internship at AWS and a full-time job there after graduation.
Now (at 27) I'm starting a new job at Pinterest tomorrow, doubling what I was making at my last job. I'm halfway through my masters in computer science. I don't think I have any giant accomplishments, but I'm definitely comfortable and conventionally successful. The biggest dissatisfaction I have are around relationships and fulfillment, though I am slowly making progress.
I don't have any major diagnosed issues, but my upbringing definitely continues to have a huge impact on me. Therapy has helped a lot.