The Universal Experience of Being Out-of-Sync

"While these traits may or may not propel the individual to world renown, they appear to correlate with moral sensitivity in childhood (Silverman, 1994) and ethical development in adult life. Their sensitivity, intensity, awareness, and, often, their moral courage set these individuals apart from others throughout the lifespan. In some societies these characteristics are applauded while in others they are punished.

 This relationship between developmental advancement and moral judgment was recognized by all of the early leaders in the study of intelligence and giftedness, such as Binet (1909), Terman (1925), Hollingworth (1926), Piaget (1932), and Wechsler (1950), as well as by Plato and Confucius. History reveals that societies that counted on this relationship for the selection of their leaders were exceptionally stable.

The best illustration of this is the strength of the Chinese Empire, dating from the Han dynasty until the fall of the Manchu dynasty in 1912 (DuBois, 1970; Laycock, 1979; Reischauer & Fairbank, 1958)."
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