THE 9 TYPES OF INTELLIGENCE In today's video I will talk
about intelligence, and in particular I will focus on the "multiple intelligences" theory
developed in 1983 by the psychologist and Harvard’s University professor Howard Gardner,
in his book “Multiple Intelligences”.
We all know that intelligence is not a one-dimensional resource.
Since we go to school as young kids we understand that some of us are better at subjects such as
math, some others are better in languages and others excel in physical activities for example.
These natural propensities reflect the type of intelligence that most characterizes us.
Some scientists believe that intelligence is innate and therefore it is very difficult
to modify it because it is conditioned by our genetic heritage. Others believe
that intelligence can be trained and that we can develop it in every moment of our life.
Both points are correct, each of us has a type of innate intelligence superior to the others,
but this does not mean that training cannot improve the other types of intelligence as well.
It is important to be aware of the different types of intelligence so that each of us
can identify and train it’s strengths, and choose the profession that suits him best.
I repeat this sentence because it is the key point of this video:
It is important to be aware of the different types of intelligence
in order to enhance one's strengths, not in order to fix one’s weaknesses.
How many times have you met people working in a job they are clearly not suited for?
For example, have you ever been a guest in a hotel where you have found yourself dealing
with a rude receptionist, a person with perhaps great technical skills, who would do a great
job in another department, but who clerly isn't suitable for a customer-facing job?
Or take a soccer team for example: pick the best strikers, the top goalscorers in the world
and have them playing in defence - do you think they would play as good? Although they are great
in their roles, if they play defense the will probably end up conceding 5 goals per game.
These are just a couple of the numerous examples I could make. I'm sure that through your lives
you all had experiences where you found yourselves dealing with people in a job
role that was clearly not suitable for them. Albert Einstein once said: “Everybody is a genius.
But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will
live its whole life believing that it is stupid ”. Gardner, in his theory of multiple intelligences,
describes nine different types of intelligence and argues that no one possesses them all
together at excellent levels, but all are very useful in helping through our lives.
Now let's see what these 9 types of intelligence are. You will surely
recognize yourself in one or more of those listed. If you’d like, tell us which in the
comments. I'm curious to see what is the most common type of intelligence among the followers
of this channel. Let's begin. 1. Linguistic intelligence
Linguistic intelligence is reflected in the ability of an individual to use
a clear and effective vocabulary. This type of intelligence is common among writers, journalists,
poets and linguists for example. Having lived abroad for a long time,
I have met many people from all over the world, some of whom already spoke
the new language fluently after a few months, while others still struggle after many years.
The former are clearly endowed with superior linguistic intelligence.
This type of intelligence is useful not only for writing correctly and learning
foreign languages with ease, but also for skillfully conversing and speaking in public,
always finding a way to translate even sophisticated concepts into simple words
and being able to understand and associate with great ease even the most complex terms.
2. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence Logical-mathematical intelligence is
the ability to use logic to establish cause and effect links between various elements
and the ability to juggle numbers easily. This type of intelligence is typical of scientists,
engineers and technologists for example. Those in possession of it love arithmetic,
deductive reasoning and games of logic. It should be noted that logical-mathematical
intelligence involves both cerebral hemispheres: the left one, which recalls mathematical symbols,
and the right one, which deals with building and elaborating concepts.
Young adults with lots of logical intelligence are interested in patterns, categories,
and relationships. They are drawn to arithmetic problems, strategy games and experiments.
3. Spatial Intelligence Spatial intelligence is typical of
sculptors, painters, pilots and architects. This type of intelligence consists in the
ability to perceive shapes and objects in space. Those who possess it normally have a developed
memory for environmental details and know how to orient themselves in intricate places and
recognize objects according to very complex mental patterns. This type of intelligence
is particularly important for all those people who like to deal with planning and designing.
Young adults with this kind of intelligence may be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles,
or spend free time drawing or daydreaming.
4. Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence Bodily kinesthetic intelligence is the
capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills. Who posseses this type of
intelligence also has strong coordination skills. Athletes, dancers, surgeons, and crafts people
exhibit well-developed bodily kinesthetic intelligence.
5. Musical Intelligence
Normally musical intelligence is located in the right hemisphere of our brain,
but people with musical culture elaborate the melody in the left one.
Those who have musical intelligence usually have a marked talent for
playing musical instruments, or for singing. It goes without saying that this type of
intelligence is predominantly possessed by composers, musicians and singers.
Interestingly, there is often an affective connection between music and the emotions;
and mathematical and musical intelligences may share common thinking processes.
Young adults with this kind of intelligence are usually singing or drumming to themselves.
They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss.
6. Interpersonal Intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and interact with others
effectively. Those who possess it use their empathic abilities to connect with others and
understand their fears, feelings and needs. This type of intelligence allows those who
have it to know human beings, to understand their motivations and, if necessary, to manipulate them.
Whatever type of intelligence you most associate yourself among the 9 explained in this video,
this is probably the one that all of us should develop in some way
since it is fundamental in everyday relationships with others, both work-related and personal.
This type of intelligence allows us to recognize the character and personality of those around us,
to anticipate the behavioral reactions they will have, and to act accordingly.
Usually this kind of intelligence is found in teachers, managers,
political leaders, and good entrepreneurs.
Young adults with this kind of intelligence are leaders among their peers,
are good at communicating, and seem to understand others’ feelings and motives.
7. Intra-personal Intelligence: Intra-personal intelligence
for an individual is the ability to fully understand himself, including his feelings,
his fears and his weaknesses in order to improve himself to achieve his personal goals.
This is the type of intelligence that you can most develop by following this,
or other YouTube channels on personal growth that help you
think about yourself by speaking to you frankly but without judgment.
This type of intelligence is common among actors, psychologists and philosophers.
These young adults may be shy. They are very aware of their own feelings and are self-motivated.
8. Naturalist Intelligence: Naturalist intelligence is typical of biologists,
astronomers and anthropologists and indicates the ability to make relevant distinctions within the
natural world such as distinguishing one plant from another or an animal from another and so on.
This ability was clearly of value in our evolutionary past as hunters,
gatherers, and farmers; it continues to be central in such roles as botanist or chef.
It is also speculated that much of our consumer society exploits the naturalist intelligences,
which can be mobilized in the discrimination among cars, sneakers, kinds of makeup, and the like.
9. Existential Intelligence: The last in this list is existential intelligence
which represents sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence,
such as the meaning of life, why we die, and how did we get here.
It is important to emphasize that this type of intelligence allows those who possess it to ask
themselves these questions, but also to accept that the answers to these questions are partial,
in constant evolution and that they cannot be simply grasped in a rational way.
Existential intelligence is typical of philosophers, psychologists,
and partly also of physicists.
To conclude, we can establish that these different types of intelligence are more
or less innate in individuals, they are not static and can be developed through exercise.
Furthermore, if not kept trained, an intelligence can become weaker over time,
so it is important to keep our brain in continuous exercise.
As mentioned in the introduction of this video, knowing how to recognize the intelligence closest
to our attitudes allows us not only to understand which studies to undertake in order to develop
it further, but also how to use it in in order to achieve a successful life.
What do you think of these 9 types of intelligence? Do you think they are a
good type of classification for our intelligence, or do you prefer other
classifications such as IQ and Emotional Intelligence? Let us know in the comments!
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