Intensities, Sensitivities, & Overexcitabilities of Kazimierz Dabrowski
"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:
To us ...
a touch is a blow,
a sound is a noise,
a misfortune is a tragedy,
a joy is an ecstasy,
success is pure light,
and failure is death.
Add to this
the overpowering necessity to
create, create, create
so that without the creating
of music
or poetry
or books
or buildings
or something of meaning,
our very breath is cut off from us.
We must create,
must pour out creation.
By some strange,
unknown,
inward urgency
we are not really alive
unless we are creating."
--Pearl S. Buck
Overexcitabilities are indicated by a heightened awareness of and intense response to stimuli in daily life and experience. They represent a real difference in how creative and gifted people see the world.
Professor Kazimierz Dabrowski identified five areas of intensity--Psychomotor, Sensual, Intellectual, Imaginational, and Emotional. A person may possess one of these, or any combination of the five.
Experiencing the world in this unique way carries with it great joys for students, and sometimes great frustrations . . .
Professor Kazimierz Dabrowski identified five areas of intensity--Psychomotor, Sensual, Intellectual, Imaginational, and Emotional. A person may possess one of these, or any combination of the five.
Experiencing the world in this unique way carries with it great joys for students, and sometimes great frustrations . . .
From summary and linked explanations hosted at--
Byrd, Ian. "Five Unexpected Traits of Gifted Students." Byrdseed. Byrdseed Gifted, 2014. Web. 29 Dec 2014.
<http://www.byrdseed.com/five-unexpected-traits-of-gifted-students/>
Byrd, Ian. "Five Unexpected Traits of Gifted Students." Byrdseed. Byrdseed Gifted, 2014. Web. 29 Dec 2014.
<http://www.byrdseed.com/five-unexpected-traits-of-gifted-students/>
Illustrations by George Doutsiopoulos, 2012
Imaginational overexcitability is indicated by . . .
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Imaginational intense people may . . .
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"It's My Own Invention"
The White Knight in Alice in Wonderland, Hallmark, 1999
Christopher Lloyd and Tina Majorino
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Coaching students with imaginational overexcitability:
- Help individuals to differentiate between their imagination and the real world by having them self-monitor.
- Encourage them to write down or draw the factual account before they embellish it.
- Help people use their imagination to function in the real world and promote learning and productivity. For example, instead of the conventional school organized notebook, have children create their own organizational system.
Illustrations by George Doutsiopoulos, 2012
Psychomotor overexcitability is indicated by . . .
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Psychomotor intense students . . .
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Keith Haring Bodies in Motion Art Series
Coaching students with psychomotor overexcitability:
- Allow time for stretching or conversation before, during, and after lectures, independent work, or group discussions.
- Coach students in self-monitoring physical or verbal activities; substitute acceptable activities not distracting to those around them.
- Select these students for tasks such as reorganizing, distributing papers and supplies, and school errands.
- Provide open-ended, freewheeling activities in another part of the classroom for early finishers.
Illustrations by George Doutsiopoulos, 2012
Intellectual overexcitability is indicated by . . .
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Intellectually intense people . . .
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Coaching students with intellectual overexcitability:
- Show students how to find the answers to their questions independently. This respects and encourages their passion to analyze, synthesize, and seek deeper understanding.
- Check in with students at the end of class-wide or small-group discussion to help them sort through the ideas they've generated.
- Model discussion and debate about classroom routines and procedures, and introduce participation in decision-making where appropriate.
- Provide or suggest ways for those interested in larger moral and ethical issues to act upon their concerns--such as collections for the homeless, joining student service clubs, or writing to soldiers. This enables them to help, in even small ways, to solve community or worldwide problems.
- If individuals seem critical or too outspoken to others, help them to see how their intent may be perceived. For example, saying “that is a stupid idea” may not be well received, while offering an alternative, "how about this?" may change the direction of the group.
Illustrations by George Doutsiopoulos, 2012
Sensory overexcitability is indicated by . . .
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Sensory intense people . . .
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Coaching students with sensory overexcitability:
- When possible, create an environment which allows students to control the stimuli they are sensitive to;
- Discuss alternatives to classroom greetings and procedures to allow more "personal space;"
- Provide opportunities to indulge in sensory stimuli via headphones, sitting areas with different furniture and floor coverings to create a soothing environment.
A good joke always distracted New York's Gouverneur Morris. One story about him that everyone knows is about a humorous bet. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787 Alexander Hamilton, a fellow New York delegate, offered to buy Morris dinner if he would go up to George Washington, president of the Convention, hero of the Revolution, father of his country, and slap him on the shoulder. Morris complied, with a hearty clap on the shoulder and a cheerful "My dear General, how delightful to see you looking so well!’ Washington simply, and without a word, removed Morris' hand from the sleeve of his coat and froze him with a stare. Morris won his dinner, but said afterward that the look Washington gave him had been the worst moment of his life. "I wouldn't do that again for a thousand dinners," Morris wrote in his journal.— Richard Brookhiser, “The Forgotten Founding Father,” City Journal, Spring 2002 |
Illustrations by George Doutsiopoulos, 2012
Emotional overexcitability is indicated by . . .
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Emotionally intense people . . .
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Coaching students with emotional overexcitability:
- Acknowledge all feelings, regardless of intensity, to facilitate healthy growth.
- Teach students to recognize early stages of emotional responses to topics and events; coach them in redirecting their focus or being proactive in expressing feelings in socially acceptable ways.
- Highlight situations where emotional overexcitability may be an advantage--in acting, counseling, or caregiving.