---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What a gifted child is, in many ways, is…"
description: "\"What a gifted child is, in many ways, is a gifted learner. And what a gifted adult is, is a gifted doer. And those are quite separate domains of achiev..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/malcolm-gladwell-348_achievement_what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a_308487.png"
---

#  What a gifted child is, in many ways, is a gifted learner…

![“What a gifted child is, in many ways, is a gifted learner. And what a gifted adult is, is a gifted doer. And those are quite separate domains of achievement.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/malcolm-gladwell-348_achievement_what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a_308487.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/malcolm-gladwell-348_achievement_what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a_308487.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/malcolm-gladwell-348_achievement_what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a_308487.png)

> “What a gifted child is, in many ways, is a gifted learner. And what a gifted adult is, is a gifted doer. And those are quite separate domains of achievement.”

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Giftedness splits into learning ability and execution ability, which develop separately across life stages.

**In simple terms:** Gifted learners and doers differ.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and nurture both learning and doing.

Themes

education achievement development

Mood

inspirational thoughtful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- school
- career
- personal projects
- leadership

Key Concepts

cognitive potential skill acquisition execution

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance learning and doing?
- Which domain needs more focus now?

A Different Perspective

Both domains need support; one alone isn’t enough.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Domain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domain/) [Learners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learners/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [I asked mom if I was a gifted child. She said they certainly wouldn't have paid for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/i-asked-mom-if-i-was-a-gifted-child-she-said-they-certainly-wouldn-t/)

[Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/)

> [The smaller and younger kids are, the more patient you have to be. But if they're gifted, then it's a wonderful present that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-smaller-and-younger-kids-are-the-more-patient-you-have-to-be-but/)

[Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/)

> [Every child is a gifted child,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toru-kumon/every-child-is-a-gifted-child/)

Toru Kumon

> [There are many cases in which gifted children have done great things without special school programs. There are also gifted kids who have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/there-are-many-cases-in-which-gifted-children-have-done-great-things/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/the-truly-creative-mind-in-any-field-is-no-more-than-this-a-human-2/)

[Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/)

> [Start a program for gifted children, and every parent demands that his child be enrolled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-bailey/start-a-program-for-gifted-children-and-every-parent-demands-that-his/)

Thomas A. Bailey

> [“In the 1990s, Miraca Gross studied children who were radically accelerated, starting college between eleven and sixteen. None regretted the acceleration, and most had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/in-the-1990s-miraca-gross-studied-children-who-were-radically/)

[Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/)

> [Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - so that without the creating of music or poetry or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/add-to-this-cruelly-delicate-organism-the-overpowering-necessity-to/)

[Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/)

> [It's a rare parent who can see his or her child clearly and objectively. At a school boardmeeting I attended . . . the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-rare-parent-who-can-see-his-or-her-child-clearly-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Any gifted child can potentially get in real trouble because of the way they are handled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/any-gifted-child-can-potentially-get-in-real-trouble-because-of-the/)

[Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/)

> [“I think Alice Miller's Drama of the Gifted Child is one of the books read by nearly every therapist. Everyone's jaw drops when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howes/i-think-alice-miller-s-drama-of-the-gifted-child-is-one-of-the-books/)

Ryan Howes

> [I asked Mom if I was a gifted child. She said they certainly wouldnt have paid for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-asked-mom-if-i-was-a-gifted-child-she-said-they-certainly-wouldnt/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“One is free from depression,” writes Alice Miller in The Drama of the Gifted Child, “when self-esteem is based on the authenticity of one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/one-is-free-from-depression-writes-alice-miller-in-the-drama-of-the/)

[John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/)

> [“Susan had decided to sit by the pool at the hotel with a copy of a book by Alice Miller called The Drama of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-parker/susan-had-decided-to-sit-by-the-pool-at-the-hotel-with-a-copy-of-a/)

[Robert B. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/)

> [I learnt German as well as English, so by the time I was three my parents has already decided I was a gifted child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/i-learnt-german-as-well-as-english-so-by-the-time-i-was-three-my/)

[Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/)

## More by Malcolm Gladwell

> [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

[Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

## More Achievement quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/)

[Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/)

[Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/)

> [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/)

Chaz Brenchley

> [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/)

[David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/)

> [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/)

[Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/)

> [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/)

[Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/)

> [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/)

[Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/)

> [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/)

[Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/)

> [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/)

Nicholas Roerich

> [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/)

[Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/)

[Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What a gifted child is, in many ways, is a gifted learner. And what a gifted adult is, is a gifted doer. And those are quite separate domains of achievement.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Malcolm Gladwell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a-gifted-learner-and-what-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achievement"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a-gifted-learner-and-what-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/malcolm-gladwell-348_achievement_what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a_308487.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/malcolm-gladwell-348_achievement_what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a_308487.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/malcolm-gladwell-348_achievement_what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a_308487.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What a gifted child is, in many ways, is a gifted learner. And what a gifted adult is, is a gifted doer. And…” — Malcolm Gladwell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Malcolm Gladwell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What a gifted child is, in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a-gifted-learner-and-what-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/what-a-gifted-child-is-in-many-ways-is-a-gifted-learner-and-what-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```