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Gender: A Wider Lens

33 - Beyond the ‘Gifted’ Label: A Conversation w/ Jessie Mannisto

Gender: A Wider Lens

Sasha Ayad and Stella O'Malley

Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Mental Health

4.6961 Ratings

🗓️ 23 July 2021

⏱️ 73 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Stella and Sasha sit down with Jessie Mannisto, the Editor in Chief of Third Factor Magazine, a publication for and about uncommon people and their uncommon paths through life. Jessie expands on the many overlapping experiences of gifted, creative, intense, and gender dysphoric individuals. They explore some critiques and uses of terms like ‘queer’ and ‘asexual.’ Stella and Sasha ask Jessie about androgyny, loneliness, ordinariness, and exceptionalism in dysphoria people. And what’s up with anime and fan fiction amongst gender-questioning youth?

Links:

Jessie Mannisto on Sasha’s YouTube Channel

Disintegration as an Opportunity for Growth: 

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGBcqT6h0Pw&t=1081s

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFKpuoR9-zg&t=2s

Where Intensity and Gender Dysphoria Meet: 

https://www.thirdfactor.org/intensity-gender-dysphoria

Existential Depression in Gifted Individuals:

https://www.sengifted.org/post/existential-depression-in-gifted-individuals

Rainforest mind - Paula Prober: 

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Rainforest-Mind-Well-Being-Gifted/dp/0692713107

Hilary Jacobs Hendel - https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Always-Depression-Authentic/dp/0399588140

Creativity

https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Psychology-Discovery-Invention-Perennial-ebook/dp/B000TG1X9C

Third Factor Magazine: https://www.thirdfactor.org/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thirdfactormag?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThirdFactorMag/


Extended Notes

  • A little bit about Jessie and how she got involved in the field of giftedness and overexcitability.
  • Jessie noticed a connection between gender dysphoric people and giftedness.
  • What is the definition of “giftedness”?
  • There are five domains or key areas where you can be gifted: Intellect, imagination, psychomotor, sensory, and emotions.
  • How do these domains manifest into those who are extremely gifted?
  • Although not a reliable measure, overexcitability is often linked to giftedness. One of the ways people tried to test for giftedness was through overexcitability, but it was not conclusive.
  • What is the “hedgehog dilemma”?
  • The more that you’re an outlier, the more you try to seek out people who are like you to confirm that you’re “okay” and not abnormal.
  • Belonging is the biggest issue for these types of people.
  • What is a “magnet” school?
  • Most gifted people know they’re difficult and can be hard to manage. Jessie believes some of these...

    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com/subscribe

Transcript

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0:00.0

You're listening to gender, a wider lens.

0:04.0

I'm Stella O'Malley, a psychotherapist in Ireland.

0:06.5

And I'm Sasha Ayad, an adolescent therapist in the United States.

0:10.6

Since 2016, my practice has been exclusively dedicated to gender questioning teens

0:16.1

and families impacted by gender dysphoria. I also work with gender questioning

0:20.7

teenagers and I facilitated support meetings for families and

0:24.2

individuals who have been impacted by gender issues. We're curious about the

0:28.1

concept of gender and how it's unfolding in the wider culture. Join us as we look at gender through a wider lens.

0:35.0

Hi, Stella, how are you doing today?

0:39.0

I'm good. How are you, Sasha?

0:41.0

I'm doing well.

0:42.9

We have a very special guest on the program today.

0:46.6

We are going to be speaking with Jesse Manisto,

0:50.8

who I met several years back. She has a really fascinating online magazine that

0:56.5

talks about over excitability and giftedness and Jesse we are so pleased to

1:01.4

have you on the show. Welcome.

1:03.0

Thank you.

1:03.5

I'm really excited to be here.

1:04.8

I love your show.

1:06.2

Thank you.

1:07.7

So maybe you can introduce yourself

1:09.4

for our audience members who may not be familiar

...

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