Multiple Intelligences on Personal Success Multiple Intelligences

¶ … Multiple Intelligences on Personal Success

Multiple Intelligences

In the early 1980s, Howard Gardner first developed his ideas regarding multiple intelligences. His theory posits that each human has pluralistic intelligence -- that intelligence manifests in many ways at once. The theory of multiple intelligence leads to new ideas and perspectives regarding topics in education including types of learners, methodology, and philosophy of education. Gardner classifies the types of intelligences as follows: logical-mathematical; spatial; linguistic; bodily-kinesthetic; musical; interpersonal; intrapersonal; naturalistic; and existential. In an ideal world, each person would develop all their intelligences evenly and developed into truly well-rounded people who are highly capable and flourish. Just from reviewing the list of intelligences, a reader can easily imagine how the development or retardation of certain intelligences play out in one's life and how their development (or lack) has the potential to contribute to a person's success or failure. At first review of the kinds of intelligences proposed by Gardner, the mind of the author is immediately called to puberty & adolescence. The development and application of one's multiple intelligences during adolescence heavily determines that person's social, academic, and personal successes or failures. For this discussion, the paper will focus upon body-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, and logical-mathematical intelligence within the context of adolescence, when people are high school and undergraduate aged.

Body-kinesthetic intelligence concerns the movement of the body. Those with moderate to exceptional body-kinesthetic intelligence have exceptional control over their fine motor skills and their gross motor skills. People in abundance in this type of intelligence have above average control over their bodies and handle objects with exceptional skill and craft. Body-kinesthetic intelligence additionally heightens the person's sense of timing, motion, clear objectives/goals, as well as the ability to practice responses to stimuli to the point where they are no longer responses, but are reflexes. Therefore, body-kinesthetic intelligence enhances and develops muscle memory.

People with developed senses of body-kinesthetic intelligence are experiential learners; it is quite likely such individuals have developed senses of intrapersonal and spatial intelligences as well. People with body-kinesthetic intelligence learn by doing and by performing a task physically rather than learning by other means such as auditory learning (listening). Those with body-kinesthetic intelligence are skilled athletes, craftsmen/women, surgeons, actors, and dancers. One can readily see how the development of body-kinesthetic intelligence affects one's experience of adolescence. Often in high school and as undergraduates, a person's social circles are heavily predicated upon body-kinesthetic intelligence -- athletes or jocks, dancers/actors, kids who work with their hands, and the kids who are clumsy, have two left feet, have little hand-eye coordination, or relative to other kids their peer groups simply lack this kind of intelligence. This kind of intelligence has great influence upon success in the social arena during adolescence and into adulthood. Athletes and actors are the stereotypes that are popular. These kinds of individuals are at the top of the social hierarchy, typically.

Logical-mathematical intelligence is a kind of intelligence that is relatively praised and nurtured in normative, formal education. This form of intelligence relates to subjects such as critical thinking, logic, abstract concepts, reasoning, pattern recognition, and aptitude with numerals. People who demonstrate excess of this form of intelligence during adolescence are traditionally social outcasts and function at lower levels of the adolescent/young adult social hierarchy. Though in the 21st century, a highly technological age, some attitudes have shifted regarding mathematical intelligence in that those who have it are more likely to get better quality jobs and more kinds of jobs are available to them. Because the 21st century is highly contingent on increased forms and uses of technology, those with logical-mathematical intelligence are really at the forefront of global society and influence the global economy.

Professionals such as software programmers, coders, hackers, computer engineers, and network analysts make the 21st century go round and make the world a great deal of money. As the presence of technology in daily life increases, logical-mathematical intelligence in excess can produce rockstar-like success and regard. Consider Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as examples par excellence. Furthermore, as technology becomes more integral to daily existence, the aesthetics of technology become just as important as the functions they perform. There are now ways to represent data that are aesthetically akin to works of art. Logical-mathematical intelligence while seemingly cold and stoic, has great potential and some overlap with intelligences associated with artistry such as spatial intelligence.