It's a characteristic that can be highly positive and best describes innovative and high-achieving people like Einstein, Freud, and the French impressionists. However, on the negative side, divergent thinkers find it difficult to work with group consensus or tolerate others' ideas they believe are conformist. Another trait is excitability , one of high energy and emotion, but different from hyperactivity in that excitable gifted persons are able to concentrate for long periods of time and use their energy prodigiously. They are risk-takers, the Edisons and da Vincis, paving the way for others. Negatively, gifted adults with this trait tend to crave novelty and get bored easily, vacillate between high and low cycles of emotion, and some times feel little satisfaction from their accomplishments, primarily because others reap the long-term benefits of their initial ideas.
Sensitivity is another trait.
It's the kind of empathy found in poets, human services workers, political and religious leaders. They are skilled at understanding motivations and have keen intuition. This gives them self-assurance, but it also may cause others to feel vulnerable and threatened, making it difficult for the gifted adult to find interpersonal support. Finally, says Lovecky, gifted adults tend to have entelechy , a goal-orientation based on an inner strength and vital force directing them. These are open, warm, and supportive individuals who are capable of bringing deep feelings to a friendship.