The purpose of this paper is to propose the beginnings of a theory of personal talent. Personal talent is defined as exceptional ability to select and attain difficult life goals that fit one's interests, abilities, values, and contexts. Personal talent knowledge and skills can be learned and facilitate many positive life outcomes. In this paper, the knowledge and skills that comprise personal talent are described. Then personal talent is distinguished from personal competence and several related psychological constructs such as social intelligence, motivation, and wisdom. Finally, the usefulness of the theory of personal talent for research and practice in the field of high ability studies is discussed. Personal talent can enrich theories of giftedness, explain puzzling phenomena, and broaden the range of outcomes considered in the development of talented persons.
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