Giftedness and Talent in the 21st Century

the Life Trajectories of the Gifted and Talented
Figure 1. 21st-century model showing the impact of globalization on societies
confined to notions of materialistic gain. But success in 20th-century societies could
have been more pronounced (higher on the model). According to the prominent
ethical philosopher Alan Gewirth (1998), high-level human fulfillment requires
the discovery of altruism-flavored aspirations and the concomitant discovery
and refinement of capacities (i.e., talents) for development that goes far beyond
materialistic-individualistic vainglory.
The wave on the right, front of the model represents the effects of globalization,
which entails massive economic, technological, and cultural integration of
populations around the world (see Beneria, 2003; Goldin & Mariathasan, 2014;
Rodrik, 2007; Sen, 2010; Stiglitz, 2003; Tsing, 2004). Globalization brings with
it large-scale problems and opportunities, which are deemed macroproblems
and macro-opportunities because of their enormous impact (Ambrose, 2009a;
Ambrose & Sternberg, 2012).
Macroproblems show up on the underside of the globalization wave signifying
their colossal impact when they come crashing down on populations that are mired
in a devastating, miserable place shown here as the Hobbes trap (a dimly lit future).
Those unfortunate enough to find themselves stuck in that trap will endure lives that
are poor, nasty, brutish, and short, to borrow words from the pessimistic, 17th-century
philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1985/1651). This trap denotes a wretched, disasterplagued
collective existence featuring severe resource shortages, environmental
destruction, economic collapse, widespread eruptions of warfare and genocide, and
other disasters caused by the inability or unwillingness of a society’s leaders to deal
with pressing macroproblems and to capitalize on macro-opportunities. Societies
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