9 Types of Intelligence
Wow, you’re so intelligent!
Wouldn’t we all love to hear that? But when we actually do…
~ 10% of people who hear this will react “I know right?”
~ 15% will react “Oh, thank you!”
~ 75% will react “Uhhh, I guess so” and not really believe it
But y tho?
The general public’s definition of “intelligence” is confined to the academic intelligence we spent 12+ years trying to master: math, science, social studies, and arts.
From Kindergarten to 12th grade, we are force fed knowledge then tested and judged on our ability to retain and recite that knowledge. The reward and punishment system is built on a benchmark of average, below average, and above average. Your performance in this system will determine your value to society. This is the education system.
Being educated DOES NOT make you intelligent.
Education is the receiving and giving of systematic instruction, while intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
It is possible to be educated AND intelligent. However, education is not a prerequisite for intelligence.
Most people have the limiting belief of “I’m not as educated, therefore I’m not intelligent.” This is false.
Intelligence isn’t something you have or don’t have. Everyone HAS intelligence. The question is… to what degree is your type of intelligence?
Would you like to know where YOUR intelligence is?
Grab a pen and pad. Let’s find out. 🙂
According to Howard Gardner, there are 9 types of intelligence. I’m going to elaborate on each type of intelligence and you’re going to grade yourself on the degree of each intelligence as you go. We’ll take a look at your score together at the end of this post.
1. Logical Mathematical
Logical Mathematical intelligence is measured by the capacity to understand the underlying principles of some causal system using logic, reasoning, abstractions, and critical thinking.
A indicator that you have strong logical mathematical intelligence is when you get excited to solve riddles like this:
You are killed in a plane crash and find yourself in front of two identical doors. One leads to heaven and one leads to hell. There are identical trolls at each door. One troll can only tell the truth, whereas the other can only tell lies. Only the trolls themselves know who does or does not lie. You can ask only one question to only one of the trolls. What is the one and only question that will ensure you passage to heaven?
Riddles like these require deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning.
- Deductive: If all men are mortal and Socrates is a man then Socrates is mortal
- Inductive: If Socrates is a man and Socrates is mortal then all men are mortal
- Abductive: If all men are mortal and Socrates is mortal then Socrates is man
An example of a extremely logical mathematical intelligent person is Gerolamo Cardano. Cardano was an italian polymath of his time who had a serious gambling addiction. It was because of his gambling obsession he created the first use of negative and imaginary numbers. His theories were the foundations of which probability theories and algebra is built on.
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being Cardano), what is your score? Write it down.
Oh, and the answer to the riddle is to ask either troll which door the remaining troll would point to if asked which door led to Heaven. The door chosen will lead to Hell so you pick the other door.
2. Musical
Musical rhythmic and harmonic intelligence is measured by the capacity to perceive and reproduce music using rhythm, pitch, meter, tone, melody, or timbre.
My mom forced me into piano lessons for 2 years like any loving asian parent would, and it would take me a solid week to learn a 3 page piano piece. I thought that was standard until I met my friend Joi. She didn’t read music sheets at all and would play a song after hearing it just twice. -_-
Most people would say she has a good “ear”. The truth is she has the same ear but is extremely musically intelligent.
A simple way to gauge your musical intelligence is to listen to a song like Redbone by Childish Gambino. Someone like me who is a musical idiot, I thought this song was a good song but I had no idea why I liked it. People who are non musically intelligent will recall music based on the lyrics of the song while musically intelligent people will recall a song based on it’s unique melody. When I saw the breakdown of this song, I was MINDBLOWN.
To see and example of a highly musical intelligent person, watch this video of the breakdown of Redbone made by the producer Ludwig Goransson: https://youtu.be/lGKlIJsz7bM
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being Ludwig), what is your score? Write it down.
3. Naturalist
Naturalist intelligence is measured by the capacity to understand the natural ecosphere holistically including the role of humanity.
The naturalist intelligence starts BEYOND the understanding of humanity. It’s the ability to comprehend the natural world of both living and nonliving organisms at a greater or equal depth of understanding ourselves.
This level of intelligence is incomprehensible to me personally. The idea of understanding how plant behave under stress or understanding the life of a rock or tree just by observing its surface is mindblowing to me. It may not seem impressive to most people now because you can read a textbook to understand it. But just imagine the level of intelligence it takes to actually discover it.
An example of a high naturalist intelligence is Charles Darwin. Darwin is famous for his evolutionary theory, but what led him to that theory was the Voyage of the Beagle. Darwin went on a expedition for 5 years around the world on both land and sea making observations in biology, geology, and anthropology.
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being Darwin), what is your score? Write it down.
4. Visual Spatial
Visual Spatial intelligence is measured by the capacity to visualize with the mind’s eye. The acuity of a human eye is measured by how accurately light is focused on the retina. But how do we measure the acuity of the mind’s eye?
Visual Spatial intelligence is the vision beyond the 20/20. I really really really wish there was some sort of training on this intelligence.
Visual Spatial intelligence is the ability to close your eyes and vividly visualize an object and be able to disassemble, change its color, adjust its size, angle, and plane without losing the details. Impossible right? It’s not. It’s just very under practiced.
The average person can’t even still the mind for 1 minute let alone hold a visualization of an object in their mind’s eye. This is probably the MOST under exercised ability we all have.
An example of someone with high visual spatial intelligence is Stephen Wiltshire. Wiltshire is famously known for his ability to draw from memory an entire landscape after seeing it just once. See him in action here: https://youtu.be/a8YXZTlwTAU
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being Wiltshire), what is your score? Write it down.
5. Intrapersonal
Intrapersonal intelligence is measured by the capacity to understand one’s own thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behaviors.
This intelligence is the easiest but one of the least utilized intelligences. I say it’s the easiest because we all are aware of our own thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. We all have the ability to learn about it thanks to the self-help industry. We don’t need to pick up any spectacular skill set. All we need to do is constantly ask one question: WHY?
Why am I not motivated to do this? Why do I not like this person? Why am I so afraid to take risks? Why do I have these panic attacks? Why is what I do different from what I say?
Why? Why? Why?
The best part is that you don’t have to rely on any external source for the answer. You have the power to ask and you have the power to answer.
So why doesn’t everyone do it? Because it’s uncomfortable. Why is it uncomfortable? Because people are afraid. Why are people afraid? Because what they reveal may not match their fantasy and they may have to put in work to overcome it. Why don’t people want to overcome their fears? Because it’s easier not to.
Our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions are like the controls to a helicopter cockpit. There’s alot going on at once.
But if you take the time to learn the intricate controls, you’ll have the freedom to fly, explore, experience, and go anywhere your heart desires.
On a scale of 1-10, what is your score? Write it down.
6. Verbal Linguistic
Verbal Linguistic intelligence is measured by the capacity to articulate abstract meaning and ideas through reading, writing, and storytelling.
We all can tell a good story from a bad story, but do we know what makes a good story good? There is a huge difference between a well written essay and a well written story. A well written essay is one that is simple, concise, relevant, and clear. It’s equivalent to a high definition photograph.
A well written story is like a well designed coloring book. The lines are the facts to the story but there is room for you to fill in the meaning and emotion with your colors.
An example of a high verbal linguistic intelligence are the writers of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings. It’s incredible each of these writers have created an alternate universe we all feel like we live in just by telling a story.
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being GoT author), what is your score? Write it down.
7. Bodily Kinesthetic
Bodily Kinesthetic intelligence is measured by the capacity to control one’s bodily motions and responses both timely and accurately.
The components of this intelligence is muscle memory, hand-eye coordination, and timing.
There are so many artists and athletes that are highly intelligent in bodily kinesthetic. One of the most impressive ones I’ve seen is from a woman who reached a extremely high level of balance and concentration: https://youtu.be/-KVPA-9hofw
On a scale of 1-10, what is your score? Write it down.
8. Interpersonal
Interpersonal intelligence is measured by the sensitivity to others’ moods, feelings, temperaments, motivations, and behavior as well as interacting and communicating in verbal and nonverbal ways.
Interpersonal intelligence is often described by calling someone a very “social” or “extrovert” person. This type of intelligence goes much deeper than someone who talks a lot. These skills include:
- Coordination – adjusting actions in relation to others.
- Mentoring – teaching someone how to do something
- Negotiation – bringing multiple people with different points of view to a common ground
- Persuasion – influencing others to change their mind or behavior
- Awareness – being aware of how others are perceiving you
An example of this intelligence is Kenny Brooks. He’s famous for having the best sales pitch ever. Most people would think it’s he’s just a funny guy. Watch the video below and pay close attention on his skills I listed above. 5 stars! https://youtu.be/LAo-DmzdvK0
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being Brooks), what is your score? Write it down.
9. Existential
Existential intelligence is measured by the capacity to critically contemplate the nature of existence and ability to enter/exit higher states of consciousness.
The core abilities that makes this intelligence is:
- Critical Existential Thinking – the capacity to contemplate the nature of existence, reality, the universe, within and beyond time and space.
- Personal Meaning Production – the capacity to derive meaning and purpose from all physical and mental experiences
- Transcendental Awareness – the capacity to identify with others and the world with full transcendence of self and ego
- Conscious State Expansion – the capacity to enter deep contemplation, meditation, prayer, cosmic consciousness, etc
An example of a highly existential intelligence is Giordano Bruno. Bruno was a philosopher in the 1500’s that proposed the possibility of multiple worlds and that the stars in the sky were distant suns surrounded by their own exoplanets. He was burned alive for his controversial theories but was named a martyr for science 400 years later.
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being Bruno), what is your score? Write it down.
Let’s calculate your intelligence!
Add up all the scores you have and divide the sum by 9. This will give you an average of your intelligence level out of 10.
By now you’ve probably realized there’s more to intelligence than you thought. You probably also realized you’re not as intelligent as you thought. 🙂
The great news is you can be as intelligent as you want to be.
We all have our default settings on what we are naturally intelligent at, but you don’t have to keep your default settings of intelligence.
In my personal opinion, everyone should strive to have at LEAST a 5 or above in each type of intelligence. After that, I would select 1-2 types of intelligence to specialize in and consciously grow my skills in that intelligence.
My favorite part is the many possible combinations of intelligent types that makes your intelligence unique. For example, someone who is high in logical mathematical intelligence AND musical intelligence would probably be a genius at music theory.
Make a choice right now on which type of intelligence you want to master and don’t ever believe that you’re not intelligent. ❤️
