Hello everyone, How are we all doing today?

The other day, I was looking at old photos of myself back when I was a student, and I just remembered the countless tests and exams I had to take before I finally graduated.

Image credits to Huffington Post

Looking back, it is safe to say that we have always traditionally measured intelligence by test scores and grades. Straight A’s? You were definitely intelligent. All D’s in your report card? There was probably something wrong with you. I completely disagree at all.

Over time, I have met people who were completely clueless when it came to mathematics, but had really high test in English and History tests. I also met people who were highly intelligent and critical, but had F’s here and there because they could not get certain subject matters at all. Some even failed in PE class or tended to skip because they really didn’t like their classmates. This goes to show that we can’t judge a person’s intelligence by grade alone, or in fact that there is just one kind of intelligence.

Psychologists have long talked about intelligence and could not come up with a single definition for it, but I like how Howard Gardner looks at intelligence – not just as one single thing but different types of intelligences, actually. Here they are:

The intelligence we most commonly share, as it involves the capacity to think using words and making use of these to communicate with others. This is the type of intelligence that allows people to make use of complex things and express these through language and is evident in novelists, poet, journalists, public speakers and the like.

This, on the other hand, is the kind of intelligence that manifests in abstractions, reasoning, logic and most certainly, numbers. Some people are really great at logic and mathematics, but this can he honed by learning computer programming, answering logic books and even knitting.

Do you remember those classmates in highschool practically floated on the dancefloor? People with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are great with body coordination, sense of timing and ease in manipulating objects. So, what are examples of people who are “body smart”? You’d probably think sportsmen and dancers, which is technically correct, but even craftspeople and surgeons  also possess this kind of intelligence to help them do their jobs.

This kind of intelligence is defined as a person’s capacity to consider things in three dimensions. This kind of intelligence requires mental imagery and a vibrant imagination. Individuals with spatial intelligence are really creative – they like solving mazes and jigsaw puzzles, drawing, daydreaming and they’re good in maps, too! If you’re able to remember streets and locations of new cities and towns (without the aid of GPS), then you’re probably “picture smart.”

We all know Cesar Millan, and you may have met your share of dog, cat, horse and other animal whisperers. Or, you may have encountered “green thums” or people who can coax any sort of plant into growing and blooming. These are examples of people who are “nature smart” or have naturalistic intelligence. People who are nature smart are not just those who are good with plants and animals to begin with, they’re also people who are in touch or are very interested in natural features like clouds, earth formations, rock configurations and other things. While often overlooked, this is perhaps one of the most basic and primal intelligences, as it was needed by our ancestors for survival.

People who are “music smart” gravitate towards the musical arts. These are people who are sensitive to music and can recognize pitch, tone and rhythm. These people are greatly attuned to music that they can reproduce this even by just listening. You’ll find music smart individuals in many attuned listeners, musicians, vocalists and the like.

People who are existentially intelligent have the tendency to stop throughout the day and consider deep thoughts on life and things that happen in between. For example, they are usually prone to thinking about things like why people exist, what they do with their lives, the reason for existence and why they die. There is very little discussion on this type of intelligence but it is also known as moral or spiritual intelligence and is seen in deeply philosophical people.

There are people who have this excellent ability to get along with other people, you know – people just flock to them. Also known as “people smart,” these individuals make use of their interpersonal intelligence to communicate and interact well with others whether through verbal and non-verbal ways. These people go beyond just talking, they’re also good in sensing the mood and temperament of people around them, and are easy to consider other people’s points of views. You’ll find people with this kind of intelligence in social workers, actors, teachers, politicians and student leaders.

This refers to the ability to understand oneself deeply. People with intra-personal intelligence are good in introspecting and using the knowledge of themselves, their emotions and thoughts to properly plan their lives. Known as “self-smart,” people with intra-personal intelligence are self-motivated, but they tend to be shy as well, and often become writers, psychologists, philosophers and spiritual leaders.

That is it – the nine domains of intelligence, presented by the psychologist Howard Gardner. It is good to note that these domains simply constitute a model for intelligence, and we can be good in few categories. Some people are excellent in a few categories, and these are the polymaths that we know like Leonardo da Vinci or Bejamin Franklin.

Just because you are bad at math or cannot master your second language does not mean you are not intelligent. It just means that you are probably good at other things. If you do not know what or where you are good at, try to go over the list and see which category you fall under. Better yet – check out those tests online which tell you where’ youre good at.

Lastly – it is important to note that you can foster your intelligence in other aspects. All you have to do is practice, practice, practice!

Cheers!

Nani Nani Kids