Everybody Is Smart In Their Own Unique Way: 7 Different Types of Intelligence

There are 7 billion people living in this world with each individual belonging to a distinct culture, country, upbringing, and lifestyle. There are those who worship the Bible, others who live by the Quran, and those who worship Sunday night football more than anything else. There are dozens of religions, hundreds of countries, and thousands of different lifestyles. Nobody is alike, everybody has their own unique experience, and this is what makes us great. Just like there are multiple forms of personalities and lifestyles, there are multiple types of intelligence each with their own unique advantages. 

Below are several different types of intelligences and what they mean. 

Visual Spatial Intelligence 

Spatial intelligence is “the ability to accurately perceive the visual world and the ability to re-create, manipulate, and modify aspects of one’s perceptions” It also includes our ability to visualise, dream, and imagine things or objects. People who gravitate towards visual thinking tend to think in images and process information faster through seeing rather than hearing. They enjoy activities such as drawing, photography, doing puzzles, or any other art related project. Individuals who think visually tend to go into careers such as graphics arts, drawing, photography, other any other job related to the arts. 

Linguistic or Verbal Intelligence 

Verbal intelligence is the “ability to use language and to analyze information and solve problems using language based reasoning”  This includes things such as the ability to understanding the meaning of written information, solve language based problems, to write and communicate effectively. People with verbal intelligence tend to think primarily through words rather than images and tend to be good at reading and writing. They enjoy things such as reading, writing blogs or poetry, word puzzles or telling stories. People who lean towards verbal thinking naturally gravitate towards jobs such as writing, blogging, journalism, or anything with words.

Social and Emotional Intelligence

Perhaps one of the most important forms of intelligence is not the ability to reason with the mind but to reason and relate with other people. Introducing social and emotional intelligence, the ability to communicate and get along with others as well as understanding others and their intentions. People with high social intelligence are socially attuned to their environment and use this to their advantage. They are often sharp with their words and how to influence and convince others to get what they want. They also have a strong ability to know how others are feeling, read the intentions of others, know when people are lying, and are careful about what they say because they know exactly how someone will react. Making friends, finding romantic partners, and networking is easier compared to someone with low social intelligence.

Logical and Mathematical Intelligence

This “involves the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively, and to think logically” People with good logical intelligence are typically good with numbers and do well at math along with analyzing problems logically and investigating issues scientifically. They often think in patterns and can recognize similarities others might miss. Writing various computer code such as javascript or c++ comes naturally for those with good logical ability and they can learn and understand it at a faster rate. Jobs for people with this type of intelligence include accounting, computer programming, engineering, or anything in the medical field.

Kinesthetic and Mechanical Intelligence 

People with natural kinesthetic ability naturally love movement and learn best by doing rather than listening or watching others. They are often mechanical in nature and are skilled in putting things together, taking things apart, and building various things. Oftentimes, they can’t stay in one place for long periods of time and would rather work a job that involves moving around rather than sitting in an office room all day. Good jobs for those with high levels of kinesthetic or mechanical intelligence include welding, farming, photography, anything mechanical, or anything outside.