Author: Jessie Mannisto
A divergent thinker who can't abide an echo chamber, Jessie has served as assistant to the Consul General of Japan, Google Policy Fellow, and CIA leadership analyst. She is now an independent writer and analyst.
Living Life with an Intense Mind A Letter from the Editor for Issue Nine
Editor in Chief Jessie Mannisto introduces our new editors, invites you to take a survey, and highlights the issue’s theme of exploring that thing we (reluctantly) call giftedness.
Life in the Rainforest: Sensitivity, Intensity, and Giftedness An Interview with Psychotherapist Paula Prober
Paula Prober coined the term “rainforest mind” to describe those gifted, complex individuals she works with as a psychotherapist. And though having a rainforest mind may be uncommon, rainforest minds generally have some commonalities, as she explained when she sat down with us.
Cancel Culture and the Intellectually Intense Part I: Why We Need a Healthy & Courageous Speech Ideal
It’s always been hard to be a questioner, but today’s political atmosphere—combined with digital mobbing tools—have made it harder than ever. What’s a good-faith questioner to do?
Reflecting on Ourselves
Dear Readers, Welcome to our September/October 2019 issue! We’re delighted to feature two returning contributors as well as a new contributor and a new interviewee in this issue. The thread that ties all their stories together is that of reflecting: that essential process through which we come to understand ourselves better, thereby experiencing growth. In Can […]
A Winding Path to Artisanship An Interview with Pierre Miller of the Desiderata Pen Company
“Starting your own business is a lot of work. It should come as no surprise that ‘entrepreneurship’ is such a long word.” So says Pierre Miller, founder of the Desiderata Pen Company. In this interview, he shares the winding path that led him from his STEM degree to becoming an artisan and a small business owner, and how it required continual work at reintegration.
Third Factor’s First Anniversary Update Where We Stand, Where We're Going
Greetings, loyal readers and new visitors! The fireworks are not only to celebrate the Fourth of July here in the United States, but also to celebrate the fact that we finally got this issue out. After all, as some of you may have noticed, the May/June issue has become the July/August issue. Since the editorial […]
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.
From Buds to Blossoms A Letter from the Editor for Issue Six
It’s almost cherry blossom season! In the meantime, our authors offer their own ideas on how to reach one’s own personal peak bloom.
The Creative Intelligence Agency A Conversation with a CIA Creativity Instructor
The Central Intelligence Agency isn’t the sort of place that draws a lot of self-described “creative spirits.” But according to the 9/11 Commission, their presence is sorely needed. How can the CIA—and other highly convergent, formal bureaucracies—best make use of those employees who feel like square pegs in round holes?
Connecting to Dabrowski’s Theory
Dear Readers, Happy New Year, and welcome to Issue Five of Third Factor! I’m very sorry for the delay, but I hope it will be worth the wait. Each of the four articles in this issue is about some other topic, but each shows how Kazimierz Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration can enrich our understanding of […]