Hidden talents: the potential of "unknown gifted people" in Brazil

In Brazil, thousands of people may be living without knowing that they are gifted. That is, they have aIQfar above average.

Associations and psychologists have carried out tests to identify individuals with high abilities, but the lack of adequate public policies and a specific national register makes it difficult to identify and attend to this group.

Mensa Brasil, the local branch of Mensa Internacional, an organization founded in the United Kingdom in 1946 to bring together gifted people, applies exams to select associates with IQ points above 130. On average, the IQ in Brazil is just over 83 points.

However, it is estimated that only 2,600 gifted individuals have been identified so far, while potentially there are about 4 million Brazilians with high skills, according to the organization aforementioned.

Understand more details of this phenomenon below!

Growth of gifted Brazilians

The lack of a consolidated definition for the concept of giftedness has led some specialists to prefer the expression “high abilities” to describe people with exceptional intelligence in diverse areas, such as arts, communication and sports.

(Image: iStockphoto/Playback)

However, there is still controversy about the best way to identify such individuals, as IQ is only a measure of logical thinking and may not cover all areas in which someone is considered gifted.

Estimates on the number of gifted people in Brazil vary, but some data point to a possible number much higher than that found to date.

The country has about 26,815 students recognized as having high abilities in schools. However, compared to other nations, this number may be underestimated.

Mensa estimates that 2% of the world's population has a high IQ, which would be equivalent to around 4 million gifted people in Brazil alone.

The search for these people still faces difficulties in the country, and the lack of identification can lead to confusion with other conditions, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity.

A education in Brazil is also not fully prepared to recognize and meet the needs of such individuals. Public policies to adequately identify and monitor gifted people are scarce, and the existing ones are outdated.

The creation of a national register of students with high abilities or giftedness, foreseen by law in 2015, did not get off the ground. In addition, there is concern about the pressure and expectations imposed on gifted and family members.

Often, these people suffer from maladjustment in relation to their peers due to their intelligence above average, which can lead to conflicts and relationship problems.

To avoid these issues, a broader and more up-to-date approach to finding, tracking and serving gifted people in Brazil is essential.

Effective actions can ensure that such talents are developed and channeled in a positive way, contributing to the country's growth and the well-being of these people