Why should such existential concerns occur disproportionately among gifted persons? Partially, it is because substantial thought and reflection must occur to even consider such notions, rather than simply focusing on superficial day-to-day aspects of life. If we must die, if we construct our own world, and if each of us is ultimately alone, then what meaning does life have? Meaninglessness stems from the first three. Isolation recognizes that no matter how close we become to another person, a gap always remains, and we are nonetheless alone. We must give the world a structure which we ourselves create. That is, humans do not enter a world which is inherently structured. Freedom, in an existential sense, refers to the absence of external structure. Yalom (1980) describes four such issues (or “ultimate concerns”)–death, freedom, isolation and meaninglessness. Sometimes this existential depression is tied into the positive disintegration experience referred to by Dabrowski (1996).Įxistential depression is a depression that arises when an individual confronts certain basic issues of existence. Although an episode of existential depression may be precipitated in anyone by a major loss or the threat of a loss which highlights the transient nature of life, persons of higher intellectual ability are more prone to experience existential depression spontaneously.
It has been my experience that gifted and talented persons are more likely to experience a type of depression referred to as existential depression.
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