Parallel Session Proceedings »
3.6.14 The Metaphorical Masks of Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities
Creativity and Innovation Strand The Metaphorical Masks of Dabrowski’s over excitabilities. We will suggest that many gifted people have high levels of intensity and sensitivity and they seem to use metaphorical masks to protect themselves from possible rejection. In a nut shell the five over excitabilities can be described as an abundance of physical, sensual, creative, intellectual and emotional energy which describes a wide range of diversely gifted people. The OEs create inner and external conflicts which challenge the coping skills of the gifted person. Overexcitable people often feel embarrassed, guilty, and fearful of being different. (Daniels. S, 2009) It is therefore very understandable that gifted overexcitable people often mask these characteristics to ‘self-protect’ in common interactions within society. Using masks as a creative metaphor, some of the reasons underpinning Dabrowski’s(1938) over excitabilities will be explored in relation to the manifestation of gifts and talents. We will focus a lens on each over excitability and examine and celebrate the quirkiness and uniqueness of some aspects of this section of the gifted community? What is being said and indeed sometimes misunderstood? Global research including naturalistic observation has led to the belief ‘that intensity, sensitivity and over excitabilities are primary characteristics of the highly gifted (Lind, S 2011).The more prominent these excitabilities are the less welcome and tolerated they are among others unless they too are gifted. Taking an example from Aikido (the Japanese martial arts programme) we suggest that we can aspire to move in the same direction and therefore convert negative energy into positive mutual understandings. How can we lift these masks? We will also propose that if we move together in the same direction we can confidently lift the concealing masks using mutual understandings and shared positive energy. Strategies to empower gifted people to remove their masks will be discussed as together we delve into the truths and urban myths generated by the multi-levels of understandings and manifestations of the five forms of Dabrowski’s over excitabilities.