22 August 2025
Giftedness across the lifespan: why it will work out—but not without effort
As a gifted adult, you may have had a unique childhood: reading earlier than your peers, thinking quickly and abstractly, possessing a keen sense for injustice or illogicality, and yet sometimes feeling like an outsider in a world that didn’t keep pace with your speed or depth.
Perhaps you live today with the feeling that you “should have done more with your potential.” Or maybe you struggle with a lingering sense of guilt, as if you somehow veered off the path that once held so much promise.
You are not alone.
Lessons from a Lifetime of Research
In 2020, Holahan published an analysis of the Terman Study: a unique longitudinal study that has tracked over 1,500 children with an IQ above 130 since 1921, following them into their eighties. The goal? To identify what truly characterized them as ‘gifted’ over the long term.
The results? Nuanced. Many were professionally and personally successful: holding high-level positions, maintaining good health, and sustaining long-term relationships. Yet, when adjusted for socioeconomic background, their achievements were not extraordinarily exceptional. A high IQ alone did not guarantee an exceptional life. What truly made the difference lay elsewhere.
In her discussion, Holahan makes a striking point: it is not intelligence itself, but the ability to organize that intelligence in a meaningful way that matters. Psychological health, social skills, motivation, and context proved to be at least equally important.
The findings of longitudinal research by Freeman align with this (Freeman, 2006). She followed dozens of gifted children over several decades. Some achieved exceptional success, while others ended up at dead ends or stagnated for long periods. What their stories had in common was that development was not linear.
A high IQ certainly provided an advantage in learning and thinking, but not necessarily in life. Factors such as opportunities, self-confidence, support, room to make mistakes, and the freedom to deviate from expectations proved decisive. Some only truly blossomed later in life, when they finally felt they could be themselves.
Gender and the Spirit of the Times: Context Is Everything
When interpreting the results of the Terman study, it is important to consider the social context in which these individuals grew up. The participants, born in the early 20th century, lived in a time when education was not yet democratized, and both schooling and employment were strongly influenced by gender roles. For women, this often meant less access to higher education, fewer career opportunities, and a clear expectation to focus on family life. Holahan points out that the women in the Terman group rarely received the same opportunities as their male counterparts, despite having similar intellectual abilities (Holahan, 2020).
Yet these women were notably active: many engaged in volunteer work, teaching, or caregiving, finding other forms of self-fulfillment within those contexts. Their stories demonstrate that “success” can take many forms. For the men, on the other hand, societal expectations often set a high professional bar, bringing pressure, expectations, and the need to constantly prove themselves.
Interestingly, the Terman study shows that participants without children or without a spouse tended to achieve higher professional success scores on average. While this says nothing about happiness or meaning, it offers a playful insight: perhaps choosing not to settle down is also a form of commitment to oneself.
These era-specific differences remind us that realizing potential cannot be separated from the environment in which one lives. And that some forms of flourishing, especially among women, may be less visible but are no less valuable.
Success Is a Path of Gains and Losses
A key principle in lifespan psychology, echoed in the work of Holahan and Freeman, is that development is a lifelong process (Holahan, 2020; Freeman, 2006). This process typically involves a combination of both progress and loss. Growth and success go hand in hand with vulnerability, adjustment, and sometimes setbacks. The gifted individuals in both studies did not experience a steady upward trajectory but rather a fluctuating path where adapting to new life stages—such as retirement, loss, or changing health—was essential for a sense of fulfillment and well-being.
Holahan (2020) emphasizes in her discussion that lifelong achievements are not solely the result of early intellectual giftedness. She particularly notes that the socio-economic background of participants, especially among men, played a determining role in their later motivation and ambition. Men from less privileged backgrounds reported, on average, less drive and future orientation, which influenced their ultimate career development. Where you start in life thus remained significantly important even for these gifted individuals. Freeman (2006) adds that gifted people flourish especially when their environment (parents, school, workplace) values them not only for their cognitive abilities but also provides space for emotion, autonomy, and individuality. Lack of understanding or excessive pressure can undermine self-esteem and lead to chronic self-doubt.
What stands out is that the sense of fulfillment and success among these gifted individuals is closely tied to their ability to form meaningful relationships, maintain mental fitness, and adapt flexibly to aging. Instead of focusing purely on achievements or status, experiencing happiness in later life—often as a result of stable life choices and good psychological balance—proved a more important indicator of what we can consider ‘successful.’ Achievements, therefore, are not only the outcome of what you can do but also of how you come to know yourself and organize your life with an eye toward well-being and personal meaning.
Success—For Whom?
What all this also underscores is that success is not an objective, universal concept. Whether you see yourself as “successful” depends greatly on how you define success. For some, it means having societal impact or professional recognition. For others, it’s finding peace, staying true to themselves, or living in connection with others. The stories from the Terman study and Freeman’s research make it clear that flourishing comes in many forms—and that you get to choose what it means for you.
There is reason for hope. Both Holahan and Freeman describe how gifted adults develop resilience. Many forge their own path over time, sometimes slowly, often with detours, and rediscover meaning in unexpected places.
The key insight? Giftedness is not an obligation to achieve, but an opportunity for depth. You don’t have to become a world-changer or a top researcher. What matters is how you think, feel, and contribute within your own life context.
Freeman puts it this way: the adults who felt the most fulfilled were not necessarily the richest or most famous, but those who could make choices aligned with their values—and who acknowledged themselves in those choices.
What can you take away from this?
Your development doesn’t have to follow a straight path. It’s okay to stall, change direction, or start anew.
Context matters. Seek environments that support you relationally, intellectually, and emotionally.
Be gentle with your “unrealized potential.” Maybe you’re already on the way to a different kind of success.
Look ahead. Your intelligence isn’t just a memory from youth—it’s a strength that can still guide you today.
Conclusion
At Hoogbloeier®, we often hear: “I had so much potential, but…” That sentence is understandable, yet also traceable. The real question isn’t what you have become, but what you need today to truly flourish. The findings from the Terman study show that long-term success is not solely attributable to early cognitive talent. Rather, it results from an ongoing interaction between personal choices, social circumstances, and life events.
Put simply: it will be okay. Not automatically, but genuinely.
Would you like to explore this topic further? At Hoogbloeier®, we also support gifted adults in their search for direction, meaning, and self-confidence. You don’t have to do it alone.
References
Freeman, J. (2006). Giftedness in the Long Term. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 29(4), 384-403.
Holahan, C. K. (2020). Achievement Across the Life Span: Perspectives From the Terman Study of the Gifted. Gifted Child Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986220934401
Copyright © 2025 Dr. Sabine Sypré – All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author. Sharing online is permitted provided the author is credited and a link to this article is included.
