The Topic That Is Not to Be Discussed: The Meaning and Deployment of Giftedness in the Dominion of Lord Voldemort

ABSTRACT

This article discusses a problem in the field of giftedness—the meaning and deployment of giftedness in authoritarian systems, or in declining, failing, or pseudo-democracies. This problem exists for much of the world’s population yet seems to be relatively little discussed. The article opens with a consideration of what the problem is. It then discusses how widespread it is—it applies to most of the world’s population. Indeed, much of what is discussed in teaching of the gifted, with regard to both content and pedagogy, truly can be applied fully only to those who live in relatively free countries, as wide-ranging creative and critical thinking may be suppressed in nondemocratic societies. The article then discusses the roles individuals can play in declining or non-free societies, and the defense mechanisms they use to justify certain roles. The article further discusses ways of teaching in various societies, and the risks these ways of teaching pose.

KEYWORDS:

• authoritarianism
• courage
• democracy
• dictatorship
• giftedness
• moral disengagement
• toxic leadership

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Notes on contributors

Robert J. Sternberg

Robert J. Sternberg is Professor of Psychology at Cornell University and Honorary Professor of Psychology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. His PhD is from Stanford and he holds 13 honorary doctorates. He is a past winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Psychology and has won the William James and James McKeen Cattell Awards from the Association for Psychological Science. His latest books are Adaptive Intelligence, and (with Judith Glück) Wisdom: The Psychology of Wise Thoughts, Words, and Deeds. His textbook with Judith Glück, The Psychology of Wisdom: An Introduction, is also with Cambridge.