Gifted or Impaired?

Today, I am led to wonder why the gifted are called "gifted". You see there is a basic assumption in that labelling that may not be immediately apparent - what is assumed is a perspective. The term "gifted" is a perspective on the more able from the point of view of the less able. It is the majority of less capable people who are, in effect, labelling the minority of the more capable as "gifted". At least, that is the viewpoint of the label. It is a comparison between the average people and the more capable people, using the average as a base line to form the description. Yet, why is it that way? It seems, to me, that, in some way, this way of looking at the world ignores and sidelines the way of looking at the world that the gifted people themselves may come to form, in the course of their lives. It is a view of the gifted from the non-gifted. It, therefore, fails to understand what life for the gifted is like.

What does an average person look like to a gifted person? Well, that is something rarely publicly considered. However if one reflects on it, for a moment, it will be seen that a gifted person must, at times, be puzzled by others - particularly in childhood, when they have yet to come to understand the world. You see, from the point of view of a gifted person, the average person does not seem "average" or "normal", they seem IMPAIRED. Many a gifted child - in fact all gifted children, if they speak to others - will have had the experience of not being understood by others. They will have spoken their minds, perhaps with great enthusiasm, about their latest ideas, understandings or insights - and met with a frown, perhaps, or scoffing, even. The other child simply did not and could not understand them. Now, the gifted child, who has not come to see this as usual, might be immensely puzzled why he or she was not understood. You see, from the point of view of the gifted child, understanding what they understood, or seeing what they saw, would not appear a difficult thing to do. It might, in fact, be immensely obvious to them. It might be something they understood immediately, without much effort - it might have come in a moment of joyful insight, typified not so much by effort, as by an involuntary state of instant conception. To the gifted child, therefore, the last thing they might expect, is that others wouldn't understand them. However, more often than not, the gifted child is not understood by the "average" children they encounter. From this comes so much pain, of course and so much sorrow - for it leads to the gifted child being intellectually isolated, unless they can find suitable companions from among their gifted peers (increasingly difficult to do for the more gifted categories) or, perhaps, understanding adults.

Now, think for a moment what the life of a gifted child is like - say one whose gift is relatively rare - a highly gifted child, or above, say. Such a child may not know ANYONE in their childhood of comparable intellect. They may NEVER encounter any other child on their level, in the time that they grow up. What perspective would they have on life and people? They would puzzle that everyone seems rather slow in understanding. They would wonder at how little others see or understand or think or create, or, even feel, since the gifted often have intense feelings, too. They would, after a while, conceive an understanding: that they, themselves, are NORMAL - and that everyone else seems IMPAIRED. You see, a gifted child is not "gifted" from their own point of view. They will always see themselves as the "normal" in their own world. It is EVERYONE ELSE who seems abnormal and somewhat lacking. So, even though the world may label a gifted child as "gifted"...surely, the deeper truth here, unpalatable as it may seem, is that, from the point of view of the gifted child's experience of the world - all the other children seem "impaired".

I realize that it would be politically incorrect to use the term "impaired" to describe the average person - yet, that is the reality of the experience of the gifted, in the world, as they grow up. They will not, usually, see themselves as particularly abnormal, since no-one likes to conceive of themselves as abnormal. They will, instead, more likely, conceive of themselves as NORMAL - and everyone else as ABNORMAL. They are not "gifted" to themselves - it is just that they happen to be surrounded by "impaired" people.

Children are often jealous of the gifted. They often treat them poorly. Yet, this is just another sign that the average child doesn't understand the "gifted". To the gifted child, the world is impaired. Few people seem able to understand their thoughts - perhaps no-one really "gets" them. Then again, many of the average children will be spiteful towards them, out of jealousy for their gifts - yet what, exactly, was the gifted child's crime: simply to be, to exist, to have been born. The gifted do not CHOOSE to be gifted, no more than the average choose to be average: it is just the way it is. So, it is profoundly wrong, to be hostile towards someone simply for the way they were born to be, having had no choice in that matter. It is precisely the same type of thinking that leads to racism over skin colour. The colour of one's skin, Michael Jackson, notwithstanding, is beyond our choice: it is the way we were born to be. Thus, one should have a certain pity for the gifted child, if they do not find peers to relate to. They will be surrounded daily by people whom to them, appear "impaired" - and from whom they receive much hostility based on nothing more than their natural inherited nature over which they had no choice. Long ago, I labelled this as "giftism" - the dislike of and ill treatment of those who are gifted. At the time, there were no google hits for the term, in the world, so it is clear that I coined the term, for the first time.

The gifted child is subject to "giftism", from an impaired world that does not understand them. That is a sad situation and one that is not fully appreciated. Yet, think of it the other way around: how often does a typical gifted child show "impairedism" towards the "normals" around them? I have never heard of that behaviour. Typically, a gifted child is quite introverted, a little shy perhaps, frequently a bit awkward socially - and they try, desperately, in their own way, to reach out to the world and be understood by it. Thus, a typical gifted child is trying to connect to the world - but is the world trying to connect to the gifted child? I think not. By singling them out as "gifted" the world shows that it is not trying to include the child, so much as exclude them. It is saying, "you are apart from us...you have been given what we have not". The gifted child does not say "you are apart from me, you have had taken from you that which I have." Yet, the gifted child could say that, and could think that. Generally, they don't however: they just feel somewhat alone in a world that cannot understand them.

I am moved to remember my son, Ainan's remark when I asked him what he thought about himself, in relation to other children. He said: "I am average". I understood what he meant. He is his OWN "average", his own "normal". He was saying that he felt "normal" for him. I reported his remark and he was much attacked for it, by anonymous strangers on the internet. They thought that he must be disregarding the nature of others, to make such a remark. They accused him of lacking social skills. Well, no: it shows none of these things - it just shows what I have been saying - that a gifted child will typically see themselves as the normal way to be - and everyone else as the abnormal way to be. They are usually defined as "normal" by themselves.

I find this interesting. The whole world goes around defining these children as "gifted"...that is distinguished from the average by the presence of "gifts"...whereas these children probably, in fact, see themselves as "normal" as my son does, despite his prodigious childhood. (The fact that he spends so much time among adults may have something to do with it, of course). Indeed, it seems healthy to conceive one's own way of being as "normal" even if it is not. Conceiving of oneself as "abnormal" cannot be a good stressor. Yet, also interestingly enough, I don't think that gifted children go around defining, consciously, others as "impaired". The term, "impaired" has never entered any human language I know of, to describe the average person. Thus, the perspective of gifted people has never entered common language. The world is defined, therefore, not by the gifted minority, in this descriptive sense - but by the ungifted majority.

What I am trying to convey is that, to the gifted, they do not seem "gifted" to themselves they seem "differently normal". They know they are DIFFERENT - but that difference feels NORMAL. It is the way they are. It is the way they have always been: how else could it feel but normal?

So, perhaps, instead of marking out the gifted as apart from the rest of the world and subject to jealousies and hates, as a consequence, perhaps they can be reframed as "differently normal" - and accepted as just another way of being. After all, a gifted child has to learn to accept, as they grow up, that the impaired people they see around them, everyday of their lives are, in fact, the most common type - and conceive of themselves as "normal". The gifted child has to learn to accept them, as "normal". Yet they also conceive of themselves as "normal" - for how else could they think of themselves when that is the way they are involuntarily? Yet, they can also see that they are different from the others. The way to resolve this is to see that each type of person - the "gifted" or the "impaired" is "differently normal" - normal from their own point of view. Perhaps this way of looking at things will allow all people, of all gifts or otherwise, to get along.

At least, that is my hope.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.htmlI also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to:http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Fintan's deft rejoinders.

Fintan, seven, is, as I have noted, before, a boy who surprises. He has a disarming manner which lulls one into a sense that all is to be as expected - and then he pounces with one of his characteristic unpredictabilities. If an "unpredictability" can be characteristic, of course.

Today, he bested me, twice, in conversation.

I was discussing reading with him. "Reading is the most important skill in life.", I opined, seriously.

"Reading?", he doubted, openly, "Not walking?", he continued, with one of his little smiles that says so much with so little.

He had me there. I imagined then, a life of utter immobility and compared it to a life of illiteracy. He was right: immobility was worse than illiteracy. The former quite deprived one of a rich life - the latter, however, might not affect one, anywhere near as drastically, if one's choices were carefully made.

He had won, without even trying. I just nodded, a little, in acknowledgement of his point.

Later that day I said: "I am going to buy a dog."

Fintan looked at me, his eyes sparkling, with amusement at what was to come. "You don't want to buy a dog, you should rent one."

Again, he had a point, for we are very unlikely to live in Malaysia for the length of a dog's life: what would we do then, when the time came to leave? He had identified the essential problem with my proposal - and proposed his own slightly whimsical solution.

I like the way he challenges my assumptions, points them out to me and punctures them. He does it so casually, as if, perhaps, it were an automatic reflex with him. I think it is, actually. I think he sees the problem with what is said to him, the moment it is said. He sees the cracks in things - the flaw that should be highlighted for a better understanding of the situation. It is a useful way to think, particularly if developed, as he grows up. It should allow him to avoid many a problem and to act, I should hope, with a certain care and wisdom.

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy being defeated by my son's ripostes. It makes me smile, to hear him so.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.htmlI also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to:http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

How long is my blog?

For almost four years, I have been writing this blog. In fact, it will be four years in three days. At the time, of writing, it did not seem so effortful, nor so copious as it is. Yet, today, out of curiosity, I decided to count the words on ONE blog post and its comments. I chose the first post: "First Words of a Child Prodigy". It is a fairly average length post of 541 words, including its date. Yet, if the comments below are counted, at least half of which were written by me (there are 57 of them), the word count is rather more. Please guess what you think it is, for this single post.

Well, the grand total of words resulting, so far, from that single post is 13,646 words. That gave me pause. That is about one fifth of the length of the typical book. Somehow, in between the rest of my life, and work, and raising a family, I have managed to put together 13,646 words on a single post - and write about 1,400 OTHER posts, each with its own comments section and abundance of words therein.

This simple exercise has prompted me to understand that my blog is rather a large piece of writing. Indeed, I have no doubt that it runs into millions of words, since it would only take about 700 words per post, to take it to the million mark - and I am sure that the average post and comments section is much longer than that.

Then again, that prompts me to reflect that, not only have I written these million(s?) of words, over the past four years - but many people around the world, have read them, too. For comparison's sake, let us convert each million words into book length equivalents. A typical book of fiction on the shop shelves is about 75,000 words or thereabout. Thus a million words is about the length of 13 and one third novels. That is quite some tally...it means that people who have stayed with my blog all these years, have read the equivalent of dozens of novels, of my written words (and those of my commenters).

That moves me to ask: is this the best way to spend my writing time? I could, instead, have written dozens of novels, I suppose, instead of one extensive blog. Yet, I have an answer for that. Novels would embody worlds that never were and never could be, in all probability - but this blog embodies one world that is, and one world that I feel I should record, lest it pass, without record and be lost forever, when I pass on and those I write of, are gone, too.

Thus, though my writing time could be spent writing other things, I feel, from my own way of looking at the world, that this is one of the most valuable ways I can spend at least some of my writing time. This is, I believe, a project worth directing a portion of my attention to. It is to create a structure of my understanding of what I have lived, what I have seen, known and come to appreciate, in founding this one particular family and in raising my own particular children.

Amongst the particularities of my observations, there will be universals, too, that speak for all fathers, for all mothers, for all families, everywhere. I do not know which you might find more valuable: the particularities of my own family or the universals of all that I chance to speak of. Let me know your own thoughts: which is of greater value - the particularities of thought, feeling and experience - or the universals of the same. Comments on this dichotomy would be appreciated, below.

As I consider all the words I have written, and all the words you all have read, thereby, I am left to wonder at their effect. What impact have these millions of words had on you, if any? What have they changed for you? What have you understood by them? In what way are you, or is your view of life, different, thereby? I know I am different. I understand more of what I have lived, by having had to reflect upon it, for these untold pages. So, for me, at least, it has been enlightening in a way. The question is: has it been enlightening in any way, for any of you? Please let me know, below. Thank you.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to:http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Publishing my blog on Kindle, Amazon.

Yesterday, I published my blog feed on Kindle, Amazon. As most of you will know, Kindle is an e-reader, that allows one to read books, on the go and to store a library of, I hear, up to 3,500 books in one slim, lightweight electronic device. It also, interestingly enough, allows bloggers, like myself, to syndicate their blog content so that it is automatically updated on Kindles, to be read.

Now, not all countries allow for the reception of blogs on Kindles. I know Malaysia doesn't (since Amazon won't display its blogs to me, if I give my location as "Asia and Pacific"). Thus, this comment does not, at this time, apply to everyone. However, for those of you in countries where Amazon is distributing blogs, perhaps you might like to consider subscribing to mine, on your Kindle.

It is relatively easy to do so, if you have a Kindle. Just go to my blog's page on Amazon (new, freshly minted...) at:

http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

There you will see a presently very brief description of my blog (which I suppose needs to be enhanced) and a screenshot of its first page. To get the blog to your Kindle and have it update wirelessly through "Whispernet", just click on the right hand side where it says "1-click" and you will have my blog feed downloaded onto your Kindle for easy reading, wherever you are.

I would much appreciate it, if you could let your friends know, who might have Kindles, that my blog is on Kindle and can be subscribed to. Those of you who are regular readers could really do me a big favour in return for all the reading you have, I trust enjoyed, over the years: please go to my Kindle blog page and write a review of what you like about my blog. If you are a regular reader, you will have a much better idea of what there is to enjoy and appreciate on my blog - so you are in a very good position to provide a good, thoughtful review. So, please, if you have been reading for a while and commenting on my blog - such as Slawek, Christina, Louis, Anthony...and many others...please take a moment to write a review on Kindle, with your thoughts and feelings on what my blog has to offer readers.

It may just be me - but I think the fact that I like to write, should make reading my blog, something others might like to read: my enthusiasm for the written word, should communicate with those who appreciate the written word. At least, that is my hope and belief. So, if you like to read my blog - please let others know, on my Kindle blog page.

Your kind assistance in this request is much appreciated - and I am very grateful, in advance, to any of you who are good enough to take a moment to write a review of my blog, on Kindle. Thank you so much.

The reason I ask, should be clear to anyone who understands readers: without a review, very few people will subscribe, since they won't "jump in" without knowing how others feel about the water...so help if you can. Thanks.

An afterthought:

After writing this, I realized something: you don't need a Kindle to read Kindle books or blogs. All you need is one of a range of modern electronic goodies: such as an iPhone, or an iPad etc. You see Kindle provides apps that allow the reading of its books and blogs across various other platforms...so if your friends have an iPhone (and many people do) or an iPad, then I understand they can read Kindle blogs and books on them.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to:

http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Don't be shy.

It is odd. Yet, ever since I posted about there being a "new silence" on this blog, in the form of a reduced number of comments, since I blocked anonymous comments, there have been no comments at all, on this blog. It seems that I have been misunderstood. That, of course, is the peril of written communication: there is only the word to inform us, without expression, gesture or clear intent. This can make one misinterpreted.

Anyway, perhaps I used the wrong words. It hasn't been "silent" since I blocked anonymous comments - but it has been quieter. It has, however, been actually silent since I referred to the phenomenon. So, don't be shy. If you have a thought worth communicating in the comments, please do so. I know you have to sign in...but that should be fair enough, since you all know who I am too. A conversation with an anonymous person, is a one sided affair. I prefer not to have them anymore.

So, I hope to write to the less shy among you, in due course. Thanks.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Malaysia's serial killer lawyers.

Yes. I didn't believe it, either. However, as I write, Malaysia has erupted with news that two lawyer brothers are, it seems, responsible for murdering at least 17 people, some of them, at least, of whom are clients or business associates.

Now, what makes these crimes even more surprising, given Malaysia's social stratification is that one of the accused lawyer brothers is a Datuk. That is equivalent to the European aristocratic designation of "Lord". He is - or was - a highly respected and very well positioned member of society. He is, also, it is alleged, a rampant serial killer.

The people presently known to have been murdered include Sosilawati Lawiya, a millionaire Beauty queen tycoon, whose disappearance along with her driver and her lawyer, sparked the investigation. All three were murdered, their bodies burnt. Since then it turns out that an ever rising number of people who had contact with the lawyer brothers, have turned out to have been murdered. Only a few days ago, newspapers were saying that 9 had been murdered. This morning that tally has risen to "at least 17". They even include a housewife, T.Selvi who was related to the brothers, by marriage. Her husband had lent money to people designated by the lawyers (which included a woman close to them). Two tranches of the money (of sums up to 80,000 RM at a time) were not repaid. The lawyer brothers then threatened THEIR OWN RELATIVE that his family would be harmed if he didn't drop the matter. In due course they attacked him, then killed his wife. After her death, he received a phone call saying they would wipe out the rest of his family, if he didn't back off. Curiously, the police did not really investigate his complaint with any vigour at the time.

Now, police are examining the main suspect's poultry farm at Sungai Gadung, near Tanjung Sepat and the waterways close by for bodies, bones and personal possessions. It is a grim mission and one that moves me to ask: how on Earth could two brothers, capable of such gruesome crimes, ever have become lawyers and climbed to such respected positions in society in the first place?

A man does not just become a serial killer overnight: there must always have been, within these two brothers, a murderous darkness - how is it that no-one saw it, until now? How is it that they murdered at least 17 people who had encountered them, perhaps all of them through their business dealings...and no-one had noticed, until a very high profile victim disappeared?

There seems to me to be too little oversight in who is allowed to become a lawyer and who is conferred the title of Datuk. No-one who could commit crimes like this, should ever become the local equivalent of a Lord. It mocks the whole idea of a respected position in society, when that respected position is occupied by a monster closer to Hannibal Lecter than the ideal of an aristocrat.

It is my hope that, in the light of this, there might be implemented a system of assessment of the character of applicants to the legal profession. Every potential lawyer should be examined closely for evidence of evil in their disposition. Should there be ANY signs of dishonesty, undue anger, violence or vengefulness in their background, such a person should NEVER be allowed into the legal profession. To do so, is only to court the kind of gross criminality these two brothers indulged in. When a monster is placed in a position of trust, over his client's money, it should be little surprise if the client ends up buried in a country estate, somewhere, as it appears likely these brothers did with their clients.

Then again, there is the matter of the Datukship. How was such a worthy title ever conferred on the lawyer in question? It can only mean that he utterly gulled society with his personally constucted image of worthiness. To my mind, that means that people were only looking at the superficial aspects of his life - and not examining too closely the character behind it. Surely, even if he managed to put on a public persona, is it not certain that, in the privacy of his own family environment, that the monstrous side of him, would have been clear? Would they have not seen dishonesty? Would they have not been victims of rage or seen his immoral dealings, firsthand? Might they not have heard speak of "getting rid" of people...of plotting the demise of people who, mysteriously, were never heard from again? All of this is very likely...yet, the family said nothing. So, even if the brothers are convicted in this matter, I don't really think it is enough. It might be wise to look at the entire family of these villainous two, and discover to what extent they might have been complicit in the crimes.

If there is a lesson to be learnt from this, for Malaysia and the wider world, it is that we cannot assume that, just because a profession is respected, that its members are worthy of that respect. A lawyer may not be lawful in their dealings, though they are supposed to be custodians of the Law. So, too, with the police, accountancy, medicine, science and any other number of professions. The integrity of a person can never be assumed, it must be proven by their conduct. In the case of the Law, however, given the special position of trust, in which lawyers are placed, it would seem negligent of society, if special procedures were not put in place, to ascertain the integrity and decency of the members of the Law. A new requirement should, therefore, be put in place, for admission to the profession: a character check. So, too, should such a check apply to anyone who is to receive a title, such as Datuk. No one should be made a "Lord" who is not worthy of being one.

I hope that such a character check can be implemented, soon, on all members of the legal profession, present and future - for many are the crimes of lawyers, around the world, though they are usually less notable and of the financial variety. I have heard of untold numbers of lawyers disappearing with their client's money: there is one sure way to stop that - make sure they never become lawyers in the first place. It is, therefore, a preventable category of crime - it is only up to society to take action to snuff it out, before it happens.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

A wealthy man in the making?

I try to see, in my sons, the men they will one day become. I look for underlying attitudes, outlooks, beliefs, habits, and patterns that may persist through time and define the adults they will one day be. It is not something that I do with effort, but something which I do with reflexive automaticity. In gazing on them, today, I gaze, too, on the tomorrow that shall come, one day, in which our eyes are level and they are men.

Fintan, for instance, shows a particular attitude to money that foretells of richer days, for him. Fintan is not a great spender, of money, he is a saver. He gathers together the notes he is given, counts them, accumulates them, and puts them carefully away. He knows his personal wealth, to the dollar - and asks about such matters as whether he can open a local bank account, in Malaysia (he already has one in Singapore). He is not, as most children are, focussed on immediate spending and the transformation of temporary wealth into even more temporary pleasure. No. He thinks of growing his wealth, of becoming richer, by virtue of having more cash to hand. He forestalls spending and chooses instead to wait.

You might wonder why a little boy of seven is concerned with saving money. Well the other day, he gave a peep into his psychology. He mentioned that he wanted to put the money in a bank account so that "When I am bigger I can buy houses and cars..."

That is quite a surprising little plan for a little boy of seven years old. He is already planning for his lifestyle and trying to ensure his own security. He wants to make sure he has his own house to live in and his own car to drive - and he is starting NOW on the work necessary to get him there.

His mother studied him, a few nights ago, as he counted his money...and remarked: "You will be the richest of my sons, Fintan." He didn't look up from his counting, so intent was he on those numbers flashing through his mind.

Indeed, Fintan may be the richest son, one day - for he has the greatest interest in money and the most far sighted outlook towards it.

I am beginning to understand, about Fintan, that he has a very long term vision for his life. Though he is at the beginning of it all, his eyes look not on today, but on a far tomorrow, on a world that is not yet, and plans his place within it. Fintan is a man of tomorrow, living only temporarily as a boy of today. Fintan is already guiding himself through an adult world that is not yet, positioning himself for success within it and developing the attitudes and habits that will allow him to flourish.

I wonder at him, now. Why is he so intent on the future? Why does he not live, entirely, in the moment, as most little boys do? What is it about him that makes him so aware of the unseen parade of his life ahead of him?

As ever, I get the sense that Fintan may turn out to be a very surprising son, indeed. No boy who thinks so much of the man he is one day to be, can fail, at the very least, to lead an interesting life, in some way.

I look forward to whoever Fintan becomes and hope that I am around, to see it.

In the meantime, Fintan, keep on gazing on tomorrow!


(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

The power of word of mouth.

I find myself, quietly astonished, sometimes, at the power of word of mouth. Today, for instance, someone searched for "Ainan Cawley", from Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. Now, I found that rather startling, that someone, from a third world city, of 191,000 people, should know of Ainan. How did they find out about him? What had they heard of him? It struck me as rather unexpected.

Yet, this is not the first time this kind of thing has happened. People have arrived on my blog, searching for Ainan or myself, from the most far flung parts of the world - parts which I am sure have never had any media coverage of either of us. Yet, word of us has penetrated those countries and reached cities we will never visit and people we will never meet.

All of this is a strong reminder of just how interconnected the world is. One cannot, now, do anything of note, in one part of the world, no matter how seemingly isolated it might appear to be - without the rest of the world, even in its most distant parts, eventually getting to hear about it. It is a commonplace idea to say that it is a "small world"...but in truth, it is not that the world is small, but that it is highly interconnected. Only a few people and a few conversations lay between any of us, and everyone else in the world. We are not "alone". We are, in fact, all conjoined, as one.

So, welcome readers from Botswana, St. Helena and Cambodia...and all the other unusual places...I don't know how you heard about us...but I know that you have. Happy reading.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

The new silence in the world.

There is a new silence in my blogging world - and, in a way, it is a good silence. Ever since I implemented the "no anonymity for commenters" policy, there has been a notable reduction in the number of comments. Though this might seem like an unwelcome development, in a way it is not - for it tells me something. It tells me that a significant proportion of commenters do not have the courage to stand by their words and put their name to them. That is fine by me - for I have no wish to converse with someone who has no wish to let me know who they are. How often do we stand for conversations in real life, without some kind of introduction? So, too, should it be on the net: it should be basic courtesy to provide a name and an identification, before beginning a conversation. Now, of course, I have required such an identification it is very interesting to see who and how many people are willing to stand by their own words. Not as many as one would think...

So, I would like to thank those who have the courage and decency to identify themselves before they write comments...that, to me, shows a certain worthy character. As for those who no longer comment: they fall into three camps. Firstly, those whose comments were extremely unpleasant, and for whom identifying themselves could lead to negative consequences in their own lives; secondly, those who feel unable to stand revealed as authors of their words, perhaps because they don't wish to be known for certain opinions, even if they don't fall into the third category - and lastly, those who do not have any form of online ID and either do not know how to get one or do not wish to get one.

Whatever is the case, however, I am much more comfortable corresponding with people willing to let me know who they are. It always seemed strange to me that the net was full of people who wanted to say something, but who didn't want you to know that they were saying it. It seemed, somehow, abusive of the basic laws of human conduct. So, I am pleased, at the change, even though it is quieter on the blog. That quietness signifies an improvement in the QUALITY of discourse, since, now, those who know that they could not possibly leave a clue as to their identities without finding trouble for their words, have ceased to write. That is good.

So here is a thank you to those who remain to comment: it is good to see some who are willing to put a name to their own words. It is a pleasure to read them. Cheers.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)