Xi and giftedness compared

There are four main differences between Xi and giftedness.

1. Xi is connected to recognition of personal characteristics, while giftedness is officially connected to a sufficiently high IQ score.
Therefore, one can consider oneself or somebody else Xi, just because of personal recognition and experience, where giftedness can only by assessed through a third party: an explicit investigation and measurement by expert professionals.

2. Giftedness has become heavily connected to children and their need for proper education. It appeals mostly to the professionals in education and mental health and is a trigger word for parents.
Xi was introduced to appeal directly to adults and their work environment, and to provide guidance on how to reach personal excellence and life fulfillment.

3. All people with a very high IQ score are also Xi, but not all people with Xi will obtain a very high IQ score.
Firstly, some will have emotional or practical barriers to being tested by IQ tests and score too low.
Secondly, IQ tests measure specific kinds of intelligence, and people who are outstanding in other kinds will not obtain a high IQ score, but will still show typical gifted behavior: Consider very talented sportspeople, musicians, architects, artists, charismatic leaders, etc.

4. Xi is a neutral concept, and an accurate description: the owner of Xi does have “extra” intelligence, that is: more than normal, a kind of surplus. It is a recognizable practical experience.
Giftedness is an emotionally loaded concept, conveying something about expectations for special feats, due to special grants somehow received at birth.

Typically gifted behavior?

“Gifted behavior” has been described in many books and articles, for instance Jacobsen (1999), Streznewski (1999), and Tolan (1994) on gifted adults, Powell and Haden (1984) on extreme giftedness.

All clients that came to us because of their recognition of Xi demonstrated the behavioral characteristics, life themes etc., that are connected to giftedness. Some insisted on not being called gifted, even after the explanation about all the evident similarities and after the emotional acceptance of various aspects of their Xi. And others only did really believe us when they afterwards had passed the admission test for Mensa (in the Netherlands an often-practiced way to obtain a formal IQ score).

A paradigmatic choice

Some people think it is questionable to let someone come to his/her own conclusions about his/her intelligence;
'Only formal experts are able to make a reliable assessment based on various tests.'
'The next thing is that everybody considers him-/herself gifted!'

It seems to be a matter of principle, a paradigmatic choice:

• whether giftedness can only be discovered through independent formal measuring of specific performance,
• or that someone is basically able to recognize him-/herself in specific personal characteristics and come to a valid conclusion to be actually gifted.

We favor the latter opinion and emphasize that Xi (or giftedness) is a characteristic aspect of someone's identity. A formal measuring of performance through IQ testing can result in a limited (and limiting) view of a person's capabilities.

Through recognition to expression

Our choice for the phrase 'extra intelligence', or Xi, allows to come to a personal recognition of the various behavioral characteristics that are elaborated on in very many books and articles on giftedness.
If you feel assured by this recognition, you can start your own search to discover your patterns of dealing with being extra intelligent in the past, present and future.

It is a delightful feeling to discover your many possibilities for expression!

top of page