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The Stigma of Excellence and the Dialectic of (Perceived) Superiority and Inferiority: Exploring Intellectually Gifted Adolescents' Experiences of Stigma

Although society advocates accomplishment, it banishes those deviating from normalcy. Therefore, stigma surrounds exceptionality. The current article explores the stigma of excellence by analyzing open-ended surveys from 169 gifted adolescents age 11–18 years. Findings suggest difference, rather than deficit, contributes to stigma's construction. Gifted adolescents experienced a dialectic of (perceived) superiority and inferiority: They are both stigmatized because peers perceive them as intellectual superiors, and their superiority is discursively reconstituted as inferiority. Additionally, perceived superiority poses relational threats. Peers become jealous or remain uncertain how to interact with individuals profoundly deviating from normalcy. Thus, they reject the gifted as a protective measure. Finally, gifted adolescents might experience several positive outcomes from their stigmatization.