The Nine Types of Intelligence, which are you?

In 1983, a psychologist by the name Howard Gardner published the book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, where he explained his theory that intelligence is not limited to only one factor. Gardner suggests that people are very capable of having different forms of intelligence.

Through the years we have all known people that were exceptionally good in specific subjects, but do poorly in others. Chances are we have experienced this many times during our lifetime. This is a prime example of why schools are not able to determine how intelligent a student is accurate.

The truth is, we are all intelligent in various ways and we may not even be aware of all of them. Gardner’s 9 types of allow us to determine what our strengths and weaknesses are. This will also allow us to focus on specific areas we would like to improve ourselves in.

The 9 Types of Intelligence are as followed:

Interpersonal Intelligence-

Those with this type of intelligence can walk into a room and work the room casually and effortlessly. This happens because these people can relate well with any and everyone. This type of person is often well-liked and can influence others with very little effort. These individuals can read others easily and pick up on the slightest social cues and sense the way others are feeling. Social cues may be body language, facial expressions, and changes in the person’s voice. They have the power to be very diplomatic and tactful but are also commonly the peacemaker in any group they are around.

Considering they have a habitual amount of charm and a natural way to negotiate to mean they could excel in a leadership role being a teacher, lawyer, politician, or social media influencer.

Intrapersonal Intelligence-

People that display intrapersonal intelligence have a unique ability to comprehend their own emotions, which causes them to be empathetic towards others. These people are extremely accustomed to both their thoughts and behavioral patterns. When they see someone else with behaviors similar to their own, they can empathize, see deeper than others, and understand where the actions stemmed from because they have experienced similar issues. Those with intrapersonal intelligence are caring and nurturing, and are frequently the ones that do working allowing them to help others. These people tend to be introverts and shy, but also very aware and creative. People that have intrapersonal intelligence are often writers, artists, and musicians because they connect with features of themselves many are not aware of.

Spatial Intelligence-

Individuals that have spatial intelligence find it easy to visualize things in three dimensions. They are typically extremely creative, have a keen imagination, and can contemplate all aspects of a particular concept by simply pondering about it. Spatial intelligence primarily uses the function of the right side of the brain when solving puzzles, understanding maps, and taking part in any kind of construction or engineering projects. They also love to draw and possibly as the years moved on in life, they developed a fondness for reading mystery books and tried solving the mystery before they reached the end of the book.

Naturalist Intelligence-

Those with naturalist intelligence have consideration to and appreciation for nature. They focus on the way people relate to their natural surroundings. Their admiration for nature provides them with a unique capability to grow plants, vegetables, and fruits. They also have special rapport and fondness for animals and can do well with training and understanding them. People with this type of intelligence can easily differentiate patterns in nature. They tend to have awareness and are fascinated by weather phenomena. These individuals excel with uncovering the wonders nature offers us all. Those with naturalist intelligence love to walk, hike, climb, camp, and feel the sand on their bare toes, and anything else they can do out in nature.

Musical Intelligence-

People with musical intelligence can recognize pitch, rhythm, quality, and tone. This type of intelligence provides unique abilities to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on the music that was demonstrated by composers, conductors, musicians, and vocalists. There are common connections between musical intelligence and emotions. There are also common ways of thinking between mathematical and musical intelligence. I find it interesting and amazing that some prodigies can play any song by ear and then others that may be synesthesia and appreciate the way different notes make them see/feel color and taste certain flavors.

Logical/Mathematical Intelligence-

This type of intelligence is something that no matter how hard I tried, I never developed. Logical/Mathematical Intelligence is a style that concerns the ability to reason, solve problems, and learn to use numbers, abstract visual information, and analyze the cause and effect of relationships. People with this type of intelligence can do complex math problems in their heads, where many others with the same math problem would not be able to finish even hours later. While people with this type of intelligence expertise in highly advanced reasoning, they normally are not very emotional and prefer for things to be logical and rational.

Existential Intelligence-

Individuals with existential intelligence can utilize collective values and intuition to understand others and the world are around them. They prefer to pursue deeper questions regarding human existence, such as the meaning of life, why we did and where we go when we die, and how did we get here and why are we here. These people could not care less about the latest celebrity gossip, fashion, or sports because they find those topics superficial. People with this type of intelligence are often viewed as intense, but they truly can be sensitive, consideration with an infinite amount of compassion and empathy.

Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence-

It is commonly assumed that people with bodily/kinesthetic intelligence have remarkable athletic abilities, but this is not always the case. This type of intelligence has more to do with hand-eye coordination and being able to utilize various other physical skills than it does strength and endurance. To have a high score with this type of intelligence one needs to have very fine motor control and a good sense of timing. This person’s mind-body connection is highly receptive, which provides them with quick reaction time and the ability to multitask successfully. Those with bodily/kinesthetic intelligence might be dancers, martial arts professionals, fine artists, neurosurgeons, or classical musicians.

Linguistic Intelligence-

The people in this world that have linguistic intelligence can use words very well in both speaking and writing. They tend to have a sizeable vocabulary, they enjoy reading in various literature categories, and they value others that can express themselves meaningfully. These individuals may also have a strong inclination with other languages, typically speaking two or three in addition to their native tongue. Those scoring high in linguistic enjoy and excel in all word games, such as scrabble, word puzzles, and crossword puzzles.

After reading about the different types of intelligence, which of these do you feel you have? I do find it remarkable that there are so many different types of intelligence and yet so many that have a difficult time using just one type of intelligence. I guess it is possible there are some people that have intelligence in several types, but also do not have the common sense that is needed.

I look at the state of our world and wonder why there are so many that not only don’t take the virus seriously, but also gamble with their lives by not wearing a mask. The proof is out there with how much COVID-19 numbers are increasing throughout every state in the United States. Deciding to believe a president over experts in infectious disease indicates a severe lack of intelligence. I am definitely not a genius, but I do take this virus very serious and follow all the safety protocols that have been given.

Thank you for stopping by my site today and reading about the different types of intelligence. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts and what type of intelligence you connected most with. I hope your holiday weekend is starting off well; you are feeling the best you possibly can, and staying safe! I hope you never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa