I have worked with individuals with depression for most of my career. It has been fairly well established that I high IQ seems to come with an increased risk of a number of mental health issues. I have never heard any research that can definitively say why higher IQ’s seem to be linked with mental health issues, but various theories seem to have arisen. One theory is that higher IQ people’s brain is like a high performance vehicle’s engine. The brain is high performing, but it is so complex that it requires greater maintenance to continue to perform optimally. In general the brain is so active a minor variation in thoughts, behaviors, chemistry, and things can go wrong. Another theory is that the more you think the more you focus on the way that things should be. You see the negatives and a bothered by them. Focusing on the negative thought will eventually change brain chemistry and lead to depression. And yet another possibility is that life’s routine becomes boring and without challenge. Boredom can lead to depression. High IQ people like new and interesting stimulus. This constant need for stimulus is difficult to maintain. So I honestly believe that someone has it right when they said ” ignorance is bliss”.
Can you raise a Gender Neutral Child or is Nature set
I have been working the children and parents for over 25 years. I also have 3 daughters of my own. The question of raising a gender neutral child brings us back to the big question of Nature vs. Nurture. In the modern world traditional male and female roles have been extremely blurred. But roles don’t necessarily change nature. Twin studies generally point toward nature being the greater decisive factor. Human’s want to feel that nurture is the greater force. As much as humans have many reasons for wanting this to be true it just doesn’t seem to pan out. What we need to understand is that nurture can influence a nature to some degree. That influence when raising an young person can help shape the child. Exposure to various elements may soften up the extreme gender tendencies, but that is about it. I have three different daughters who have 3 different natures. I have tried to help them achieve a more well rounded nature, but I still see that one is more into sports and “guy” stuff, another is Artsy and showing interest in fashion, and yet another is bookish and nerdy. They are all a combination of the traits my wife and I genetically supplied to them. My goal as a parent is too keeping them from being to extreme in any area, but my influence is limited. So simply put the answer is no you can’t raise a gender neutral child, but you can probably move them somewhat closer toward neutral if you know the right way to influence them.