Nine Types of Intelligence That Everyone Possesses
If you think about it, intelligence is a pretty broad term. Most of us are downright harsh in some areas, but dumb in others. Psychologist Howard Gardner argued that we actually have “multiple intelligences,” and this infographic summarizes them.
In his book, Mood: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences , Gardner explained that, traditionally, intelligence was “a single entity that was inherited” and learned. He offers a different point of view:
Currently, an increasing number of researchers believe the exact opposite; that there are many intelligent beings, completely independent from each other; that each intelligence has its own strengths and limitations; that the mind is far from free at birth; and that it is surprisingly difficult to teach things that run counter to early “naive” theories that challenge the natural lines of force within the mind and its corresponding domains.
Not all psychologists accept Gardner’s concept of multiple intelligences , but many professionals find it useful. For example, on infed.org, they explain how teachers and professors used its structure:
… The theory confirms the everyday experience of teachers: students think and learn in different ways. It also provides educators with a conceptual framework for organizing and analyzing curriculum assessment and teaching practice. In turn, this reflection has led many teachers to develop new approaches that could better meet the needs of a wide range of students in their classrooms.
Theory is useful for identifying your own strengths and weaknesses so that you can also learn and build on them accordingly. In Funders and Founders, designer and author Mark Vital describes Gardner’s nine types of intelligence. Check out the infographic below, then head over to Vital’s post for more details.
9 types of intelligence | Sponsors and founders
9 types of intelligence | Sponsors and founders