Jessie Mannisto
Gender and the Square Peg
When a quirky kid goes online to ask whether she might be trans, the algorithms aren’t going to give her any alternatives to consider. That’s a problem that this magazine’s mission demands that we address.
Katherine Burnham
Dysphoria and Disintegration in Women Who Are “Too Much”
Katherine knew she was uncommon. When she turned to the Internet to find people like her, they told her that was because a personality like hers did not belong in a female body.
Then she happened upon an alternative perspective—one that her fellow uncommon women should have been making clearer to her all along.
Unapologetically Speaking His Mind: An Interview with Upperhand Mars
It’s never been easy to be an independent thinker, but discussing contentious issues that affect you personally on social media has to be the hardest way to do it. We sit down with Mars, a politically homeless transgender man, to talk about where he found his confidence and why he keeps talking despite the abuse he takes from Left and Right alike.
A Fresh Perspective on Gender: An Interview with Angus Fox of Genspect
A new, moderate organization offers a new take on gender, zooming in on neurodivergence, the need for role models, and the good that outliers do in the world.
Favorites from the Archives
Remembering How to Be (Without Your Phone): An Interview with Anya Pechko
To connect meaningfully, the most important thing we can give people is our time—without a phone constantly interrupting it. Consultant and coach Anya Pechko shares some striking insights on how to do this from her work with clients seeking to overcome digital addiction.
Roland S. Persson
The Confusing Life of Being Too Different
It’s fashionable to argue that it’s better to fight for something and die trying than to surrender and admit defeat. But is that really true? Roland Persson offers some thoughts on the pursuit of happiness for those who are simply never going to fit in.
Self-Creation After Chaos: An Interview with Lotte van Lith
Chaos around her and intensity within her led the teenage Lotte van Lith to an eating disorder. Now, having recovered and reintegrated, she helps gifted people express their intensity with self-compassion—and let loose their incredible creativity in the process.
Bonus: Third Factor on a Podcast
If you enjoyed our August issue on gender and uncommon people, check out editor in chief Jessie Mannisto's interview on Gender: A Wider Lens. She talks to gender therapists Sasha Ayad and Stella O'Malley about giftedness and overexcitability, and the manifestations of these things that they see over and over in their clients.
Issue 16: Toward Positive Maladjustment
Getting Unstuck: Countering Polarization with Cognitive Flexibility
Stuckness, says Dr. Mike Brooks, is at the root of both his clients’ anxiety and depression and our political polarization.
So how do we get unstuck? In this interview, we chat about cognitive flexibility, the importance of relationships, and how it all unfolds on social media.
Adam Carrington
Where True Poverty Resides
When Adam Carrington, a practicing Christian, finds his well of patience for a fellow member of his church running dry, a core tenet of his faith takes on a more profound meaning.
Class, Luck, and the Outlier’s Quest for Belonging
Whether unusual people find the companions they need often comes down to luck—from being born into the right socioeconomic class to landing in the right career field.
In this interview, P. Susan Jackson talks to us about what her gifted clients tend to do when they don’t find people who click with them, what they can do instead, and how luck can shift for better and for worse over the course of life.
Maxwell Olin Massa
Issue 15: Resilience & Creativity
David Wakeham
Calling Down the Lightning
Why is Thoreau’s “little world” the image of restorative solitude, and Van Gogh’s “blazing hearth” that of genius misunderstood? In diving into these two men’s stories, David Wakeham demonstrates the pressing need for mentorship and community in those with great potential—and the consequences if this is nowhere to be found.
Book Club, April 2021: The Righteous Mind
Want to connect with other Third Factor readers over some in-depth content? Join our book discussion group!
Laura Stavinoha
Creative Disintegration
What drives us to create? Reflecting on her carefree creative expression as a child, struggles with self-consciousness, and industry pressures, Laura Stavinoha confronts the role her desire for validation had on her music and comes to understand why, ultimately, she creates.
So What is the Third Factor, Anyway?
You asked. We answered. What is this thing we named our magazine after, and what are the first and second factors? And why is this concept from Kazimierz Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration so much more important than his more well-known construct of overexcitability?
Why I’m Optimistic About Our New Forum
We’re trying to cultivate a high-quality space for Third Factor’s intellectually engaged readers to develop meaningful connections and have robust discussions. So why is this so hard on Facebook? Our editor in chief ponders why our new forum, at least so far, seems to suit us better than Facebook.
Resilience: From the Roots to the Branches
What stops a bright, intense, gifted person from blossoming? The Daimon Institute’s Sue Jackson sits down with us to talk about the hurdles her clients often face—and how they can begin to put out the roots they need to bloom.
Issue 14: A Hodgepodge of Color
The Depths of Dabrowski’s Levels: An Interview with Michael Piechowski, Part II
Michael Piechowski shares why he’s updated the way he thinks about Dabrowski’s levels of development.
Boris Glebov
The Mind Palace
Sherlock Holmes is known for his remarkable mind. But as Boris Glebov sees it, one of Holmes’ most powerful mind tricks is accessible to anyone—and can be especially helpful to creative writers.
The Heroes of Our Own Political Stories
Jessie just can’t help trying to understand why people think about politics the way they do. She’s betting plenty of others with high intellectual and emotional excitability might feel the same.
Dan Greco
Transcending Tribalism
Both Democrats and Republicans are spiraling into echo chambers and out of control. Now Dan Greco’s primary allegiance is to a plurality of voices.
Frank Robinson
Between Scylla and Charybdis: A Radical Centrism
Frank ran for office as a Republican. But instead of left vs. right, he looks at politics as open vs. closed—and that’s guiding his search for a new political home.
A Place for Orchids
If you think of yourself as “overexcitable,” you’ll surely see yourself in W. Thomas Boyce’s book, THE ORCHID AND THE DANDELION.
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