To find oneself, as a child, able to perform a specialized activity at an extraordinary level — say, tennis or jazz piano or mathematics — is unquestionably more of a blessing than a curse. People like other people who are good at things. When I was a child math prodigy, people treated me as if I mattered, and listened to me as if I had as much right to speak as a grown-up. Every child deserves this treatment, but most don’t get it.
Office of Strategic Communication