It is said that the measure of intelligence is the ability of a person to make changes. True to life, we are endowed with such abilities to make changes, and what we need to do is to find these within us.
I know of several people (celebrities and commoners alike) with great stories to share about their failures and successes in life. I know of several college dropouts who have become billionaires. Who can forget the American business magnate and computer programmer Bill Gates? As chairman of Microsoft, he is consistently amongst the world’s wealthiest. What about the Internet entrepreneur who is at present the chairman and chief executive of Facebook Inc.? Both are examples of Harvard University dropouts who have made their names in the business world. The Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was also a dropout from Reed College in Oregon.
In the local setting, who can forget the Asia’s songbird Regine Velasquez? Her biography is a perfect example of “rags to riches” who had been through several painstaking and disparaging experiences in life. But she was able to rise above these challenges. She doesn’t dance but has an unparalleled lung power and immeasurable range and octaves. What about the Asia’s Primetime Queens Angel Locsin and Marian Rivera? Aside from their beguiling and fascinating beauties, they are well-recognized for their superb acting skills that landed them in good roles and projects.
These people have been proven to be successful in their respective fields of expertise, and they have nothing but gratitude for their gift of multiple intelligence.
Multiple Intelligence differentiates various skills into specific modalities. Howard Gardner in his book (1983) lists eight MI modalities:
1. Spatial. The ability to visualize with the mind’s eye. Artists, designers and architects are some examples with this intelligence.
2. Linguistic. Has something to do with words (spoken and written). People who are good in reading, writing, telling stories, and memorizing words are believed to easily learn foreign languages as they have high verbal memory and recall.
3. Kinesthetic. Demonstrated by people who learn best using muscular movements. They are generally good at physical activities such as sports and dance.
4. Musical. A sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones. Instrumentalists, singers, musical conductors, disk jockeys, and composers are examples with this level of intelligence.
5. Interpersonal. Involves social interaction with various types of people. Interpersonal intelligence is a unique understanding of what other people need; it requires a sensitivity to others’ moods, temperaments, feelings, and motivations.
6. Intrapersonal. Includes introspecting and self-reflecting capacities. This refers to a deeper self-understanding about personal strengths/weaknesses.
7. Naturalistic. Developed in conjunction with nurturing and/or relating information to one’s natural surroundings. Careers with a naturalistic intelligence include naturalists, farmers, gardeners.
8. Existential. A spiritual or religious intelligence. It includes the ability to contemplate phenomena such as the infinite and infinitesimal.
