I too was a "gifted" kid, and the hardest part for me is that real life has matched up to the endless possibilities I was told would be open to me because of my intellect. I think it is very common for people who work with gifted children to present this idea that gifted kids are guaranteed success, and it can be kind of a rude awakening to discover that being gifted doesn't give a person any more opportunities than anyone else. Sometimes being gifted can even be a disadvantage because, as you said, society rewards the mediocre. Being very intelligent just makes a person appear strange or like an outcast or misfit.TRANSLATION:
"I'm a loser and it's not my fault, because when I was a kid people kept telling me I could be a winner!"
So much for the bloody "self-esteeming boosting" movement!
When I was in the fourth grade, we made paintings in class of ancient Egypt. Well, a few days later the principal called me into to her office and told me she was quite impressed with my artistic abilities and would like to place my Egyptian paintings on her wall. I was quite pleased with myself until I found out all the other kids in my class were told the same thing by the principal in private meetings. At an early age I caught on to that "self-esteem" crap.
BTW, my paintings were actually TERRIBLE.