{"id":50054,"date":"2021-09-18T17:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-18T21:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=50054"},"modified":"2021-10-01T09:58:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T13:58:46","slug":"kinds-of-intelligence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/kinds-of-intelligence\/","title":{"rendered":"What Kinds of Intelligence and Genius Do You Have?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How many kinds of intelligence<\/a> and genius are there? What kinds do you have?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s important to know what types of intelligence and genius you have because they influence the choices you make and impact the way you solve problems and deal with challenges. When you know your strengths, you’re better able to leverage them for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about the various kinds of intelligence and genius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Different Kinds of Intelligence and Genius<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Experts agree that there’s not just one kind of intelligence. There’s also more than one kind of genius, which is about how you use <\/em>your intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kinds of Intelligence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experts commonly recognize eight different kinds of intelligence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Spatial. <\/strong>Spatial intelligence<\/a> is about understanding and using the space around you. <\/li>
  2. Bodily-Kinesthetic. <\/strong>Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence<\/a> is about physicality\u2014how well you can use your body. <\/li>
  3. Musical. <\/strong>Musical intelligence<\/a> is about sensitivity to pitch, tone, meter, rhythm, and so on. <\/li>
  4. Linguistic. <\/strong>Linguistic intelligence<\/a> is about understanding implications and subtext, not just the literal definitions of words. <\/li>
  5. Logical-Mathematical. <\/strong>Logical-mathematical intelligence<\/a> is about seeing the connections between different concepts or actions, and extrapolating based on those connections.  <\/li>
  6. Interpersonal. <\/strong>Interpersonal intelligence is about empathy and connection<\/a> with other people. <\/li>
  7. Intrapersonal. <\/strong>Intrapersonal intelligence<\/a> is about understanding and managing yourself; your thoughts and emotions<\/a>. People with strong intrapersonal intelligence tend to stay calm even under intense pressure, because they recognize and deal with their own reactions internally. <\/li>
  8. Naturalistic. <\/strong>Naturalistic intelligence is about recognizing the detail and variety in nature. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Limitless<\/em> author Jim Kwik suggests taking a moment now to consider which of these kinds of intelligence you lean toward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: Identifying your strengths, and making choices that complement those strengths, will give you a significant advantage in life.<\/a> For example, if you have exceptional Naturalistic intelligence, you might find your calling<\/a> as a biologist or a botanist. Or, if you\u2019re highly Interpersonal, consider ways that you could leverage your people skills to reach your personal and professional goals\u2014getting help and support from the right people<\/a>, for instance.)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Different Models of Intelligence<\/a><\/strong>

    The \u201ckinds of intelligence\u201d model in Limitless <\/em>is known as     Gardner\u2019s Theory of Multiple Intelligences<\/a>; however, while Gardner\u2019s Theory is very popular, some experts believe that it\u2019s inaccurate or too restrictive to reduce a person\u2019s intelligence to a collection of skills. 

    For example, in Make It Stick<\/em>, the authors describe the     Triarchic Theory of Intelligence<\/a>, which is more about what types of problems<\/a> you\u2019re good at solving,<\/strong> rather than what specific skills you\u2019re good at. 

    According to the Triarchic Theory, there are only three kinds of intelligence:

    Analytical: <\/strong>You\u2019re good at solving academic problems and puzzles.
    Creative: <\/strong>You\u2019re good at coming up with     unique ideas<\/a> and innovative solutions to problems.
    Practical: <\/strong>You can apply your skills and knowledge to the rapidly changing circumstances of real life (AKA \u201cstreet smarts\u201d). 

    Robert J. Sternberg, who developed the Triarchic Theory, based it on research he performed in Kenya. He also concluded that the kinds of intelligence people displayed were based more on how they were raised, rather than natural abilities<\/strong>\u2014whether they were raised to value academic learning or practical skills, for example. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The Kinds of Genius<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The four kinds of genius are about how you use <\/em>your intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A self-limiting belief<\/a> you probably have is that you\u2019re not a genius.<\/strong> Kwik says this is a common belief because people tend to associate genius with one specific measurement: IQ. Therefore, unless you\u2019ve scored especially high on an IQ test, you probably believe that you\u2019re not a genius. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, Kwik tells us that experts recognize four different kinds of genius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: In fact, the idea of four kinds of genius has existed for at least 5,000 years;<\/a> researchers have found the concept in ancient Chinese and Indian writing.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n