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Enjoying the Gift of Being Uncommon: Extra Intelligent, Intense, and Effective
Quite often uncommon competence, creativity and drive remain hidden or partially used by its owners. Do they perceive the gift of being uncommon as a millstone instead of an enjoyment?This book introduces and illustrates three practices for Extra Intelligent People (XIPs) to become more effective in their work and private life, for their own sake and for the sake of their environment. These practices are based on ten years of experience in coaching XIPs and on various concepts from literature. Together they offer a practical tool for sustainable personal and career development of uncommonly intelligent and intense people. There is much to enjoy about being uncommon!
196 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 30, 2020
My LinkedIn profile states that “I’m detailed without losing the forest for the trees” which is how I’ve always thought of my ability to get down in the nitty-gritty details while also relating it to the bigger ideas.
I bolted upright when I read the following in this book: “Extreme XIPs are able to simultaneously analyse and synthesize. They work with a helicopter view but at the same time watch every move of the ants on the ground. They do not lose themselves in details and their perception is both global and detailed. This is the result of extremely efficient information processing, which for them takes place automatically.”
Amazing.
I docked one star for the short but present discussion of chakras which I felt didn’t have a place at all. No woo, please.
I’ll be keeping this book around to help me reframe my skills on my resume in the future.
I bolted upright when I read the following in this book: “Extreme XIPs are able to simultaneously analyse and synthesize. They work with a helicopter view but at the same time watch every move of the ants on the ground. They do not lose themselves in details and their perception is both global and detailed. This is the result of extremely efficient information processing, which for them takes place automatically.”
Amazing.
I docked one star for the short but present discussion of chakras which I felt didn’t have a place at all. No woo, please.
I’ll be keeping this book around to help me reframe my skills on my resume in the future.
September 7, 2012
There were a few small nuggets of wisdom, but mostly the book was entirely new age feel good fluff. It wasn't quite worth the time spent reading it.
October 22, 2023
I am like Alice heading down a new rabbit hole on this subject. Stay tuned to see where this takes me.
This particular book is clearly filtered through the unique genius and lens of the author, but some of the ideas captured and presented back from literature on adult giftedness were uniquely easy to read in his voice. I underlined everything in this book that resonated with my experience- and there is a lot underlined, which is a sign of a good book for me.
On complexity:
“XIP’s are qualitatively different; they can absorb, analyse, and synthesize information from a wide range of domains extremely rapidly and even simultaneously. This is an extremely influential characteristic that results in multiple interests, a pervasive sense of self-consciousness, extraordinary intuitive powers, a huge memory for all kinds of things, and a capacity for original and complex trains of thought.”
On how XIP’s view their “gift”:
“But in all cases there is most often a drive to do something special with it, a sense of mission, even when the mission itself is far from understood as yet.”
Also, the section on imaginal and verbal thinking was enlightening too- “Hearing themselves talk while explaining their ideas can in fact stimulate their creativity too, leading to a new cycle of imaginal and verbal thinking.”
And, on talking to other XIP’s: “This is because an XIP thinks sensorially in relatively more dimensions and with huge leaps in thinking, which makes it difficult to explain those complex associative thoughts in the sequential manner of a discourse. But thanks to their intuitive powers, XIPs can often follow each other’s cascading thoughts without having to use many words.” And “But probably the most important aspect is the experience that one XIP can behave normally with the other. No need to slow down one’s pace of thinking, to simplify conceptual complexity, or to mask one’s intensity of feelings. What is usually extra somewhere else is normal here.”
This particular book is clearly filtered through the unique genius and lens of the author, but some of the ideas captured and presented back from literature on adult giftedness were uniquely easy to read in his voice. I underlined everything in this book that resonated with my experience- and there is a lot underlined, which is a sign of a good book for me.
On complexity:
“XIP’s are qualitatively different; they can absorb, analyse, and synthesize information from a wide range of domains extremely rapidly and even simultaneously. This is an extremely influential characteristic that results in multiple interests, a pervasive sense of self-consciousness, extraordinary intuitive powers, a huge memory for all kinds of things, and a capacity for original and complex trains of thought.”
On how XIP’s view their “gift”:
“But in all cases there is most often a drive to do something special with it, a sense of mission, even when the mission itself is far from understood as yet.”
Also, the section on imaginal and verbal thinking was enlightening too- “Hearing themselves talk while explaining their ideas can in fact stimulate their creativity too, leading to a new cycle of imaginal and verbal thinking.”
And, on talking to other XIP’s: “This is because an XIP thinks sensorially in relatively more dimensions and with huge leaps in thinking, which makes it difficult to explain those complex associative thoughts in the sequential manner of a discourse. But thanks to their intuitive powers, XIPs can often follow each other’s cascading thoughts without having to use many words.” And “But probably the most important aspect is the experience that one XIP can behave normally with the other. No need to slow down one’s pace of thinking, to simplify conceptual complexity, or to mask one’s intensity of feelings. What is usually extra somewhere else is normal here.”
June 18, 2024
I give it 2 stars for listing characteristics of Extra Intelligent People (XiP). Otherwise, the book is very abstract in that it doesn't give examples. For example, it will state that Xips may feel underwhelmed at the workplace, and that the manager should try to accommodate the Xip. But specific, concrete examples of how a manager would do this were not given.
January 18, 2020
Clearly a lot of distilled experience and reflection went into this gentle, helpful, practical presentation. The author's deep empathy and insightful wisdom radiate from the pages of this luminous work. Highly recommend.
February 9, 2025
Me ganché por que decía que "Linda Silverman" era coautora, y no. Ella sólo escribe dos páginas de introducción. Se adjudica el término de Dabrowsky "overexcitabilitiy" y lo nombra "Ximension". Muy repetitivo, nada nuevo que expliquen mejor otros autores. Una pérdida de tiempo leerlo.
August 9, 2013
A bit unevenly written and definitely leaning towards the author's personal and professional experiences, this guide for "XIPs" nevertheless helped me understand the mismatch of intensity I experience between myself and others. A huge "aha!" moment ensued after understanding the "extra" aspect of giftedness. The bit on chakras and labyrinths at the end is an added bonus!
September 11, 2012
An unusual book in that it deals with gifted adults. A variety of models put forward and some personal experiences. Some good food-for-thought.
May 30, 2014
Our manifesto.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews