The experience of giftedness is a central part of self-experience as a whole, and it can be positive or negative. Carol Dweck has observed that certain gifted students encounter difficulties when asked to perform tasks. Her work focuses on the students’ fixed intellect mindsets, but a more fundamental dynamic may be at work. These students’ self-esteem may be affected by their belief that poor performance calls their giftedness into question. Parents, teachers, and counselors can help students undo this belief and create a path toward more positive self-experience and improved performance.