“IT’S NOT HOW SMART YOU ARE THAT MATTERS,
WHAT REALLY COUNTS IS HOW YOU ARE SMART.” — Howard Gardner
The nine intelligences identified by education professor Howard Gardner of Harvard University:
LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE refers to an individual’s capacity to use language effectively as a vehicle of expression and communication. (Examples: poets & writers) Students with this kind of intelligence enjoy writing, reading, telling stories or doing crossword puzzles.
LOGICAL-NUMERICAL INTELLIGENCE [Gardner: Logical-Mathematical] refers to an individual’s capacity to think logically, use numbers effectively, solve problems scientifically and discern relationships and patterns between concepts and things. (Example: mathematicians and scientists) Students strong in this intelligence are interested in patterns, categories and relationships. They are drawn to arithmetic problems, strategy games and experiments.
SPATIAL-GEOMETRICAL INTELLIGENCE [Gardner: Spatial] refers to the capacity to think visually and orient oneself spatially. In addition, spatially intelligent people are able to graphically represent their visual and spatial ideas (Examples: artists, decorators, architects, surveyors, inventors, and guides). These students think in images and pictures. They may be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend free time drawing, playing computer games, or daydreaming.
BODILY-KINESTHETIC INTELLIGENCE refers to the capacity of using one’s own body skillfully as a means of expression or to work skillfully to create or manipulate objects (Examples: dancers, actors, athletes, sculptors, surgeons, mechanics and craftspeople). These students process knowledge through bodily sensations. They are often athletic, dancers or good at crafts such as sewing or woodworking.
MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE refers to the capacity to appreciate a variety of musical forms in addition to using music as a vehicle of expression. Musically intelligent people are sensitive to rhythm, melody, and pitch (Examples: singers, musicians, and composers). Musical students may always be singing or drumming to themselves. They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss. These students are often discriminating listeners.
INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE refers to the capacity to appropriately and effectively respond to other people and understand their feelings (sales people, social directors, travel agents). Students who are leaders among their peers, who are good at communicating and who seem to understand others’ feelings and motives. [Broken into two of five “emotional intelligences” by Peter Salovey at Yale: recognizing emotions in others and handling relationships, as popularized by Daniel Goleman in 1995.]
INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE refers to the capacity to accurately know one’s self, including knowledge of one’s own strengths, motivations, goals, and feelings (Examples: entrepreneurs, therapists). These students may be shy. They are very aware of their own feelings and are self -motivated. [Broken into three of five “emotional intelligences” by Peter Salovey at Yale: knowing one’s own emotions, managing emotions, and motivating oneself, as popularized by Daniel Goleman in 1995.]
NATURALIST-ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE refers to the capacity to associate one’s self to nature, animals, and the environment. (Examples: park rangers, animal trainers, biology instructors, environmentalists etc.).
EXISTENTIAL INTELLIGENCE refers to the sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.
Howard Gardner defined the first seven intelligences in FRAMES OF MIND (1983). He added the last two in INTELLIGENCE REFRAMED (1999).
Which of the intelligences do you favor? What are your strengths? Answering these questions will enable you to focus on making sure you make the most of your abilities, and if you so desire, develop some of the others.