Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Your Profile
The intelligence profile shown below is based on how you answered the survey questions. The profile
reveals current strength and challenge areas. Strengths usually come from a combination of natural
ability and a lot of practice and support in that area. Lower ranked intelligences may exist because the
right opportunities to develop them have not been made available. Knowing your intelligence profile
will help you to take advantage of your strengths and develop your challenge areas.
Reminders:
Everybody has all the intelligences.
Your strengths can be used in many ways to help you be successful.
Intelligences can always be developed further - both strengths and challenges.
Profiles can change as intelligences are developed.
Existential
Musical
LogicalMathematical
Linguistic
Naturalist
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Spatial
Intrapersonal
Degree of Match
Music Composers and Arrangers
Music Directors and Composers
Financial Examiners
Hydrologists
Insurance Underwriters
Mathematical Technicians
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
Nuclear Engineers
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
Statisticians
Accountants and Auditors
Agricultural Inspectors
Assessors
Biologists
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Geological and Petroleum Technicians
Chemical Technicians
Food Scientists and Technologists
Geological Sample Test Technicians
Budget Analysts
Geophysical Data Technicians
Materials Scientists
Microbiologists
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Treasurers and Controllers
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Coroners
Personal Financial Advisors
Existential Intelligence
Description
Existential intelligence is the ability to see the big picture in everything - the relationships and
connections, vastness and limitations, and how everything fits together. This intelligence is used in
considering questions about our existence, such as purpose, life, death, and our place in the universe.
NOTE: Existential Intelligence should not be confused with existentialism. Existentialism is an area of
philosophy dealing with certain views on human existence. Philosophers who examine and promote
existentialist theories would certainly use their existential intelligence. However, the intelligence can
be applied to other areas as well.
Questioning
People with strong existential intelligence tend to question ideas, actions and policies. However, this is
not because they disagree. It is more out of curiosity and a quest to find deeper meaning. The questions
are often, "What purpose does this have?" or, "How does this fit with everything else?"
People may say that you ask tough, sometimes even unanswerable, questions. And, you are probably
more comfortable than most with not having a clear answer. Instead you like to consider different
possibilities and explore issues without the need to reach a final conclusion. You may have to be careful
about the amount of time you spend thinking about ongoing issues and make sure that you also pay
attention to your day-to-day responsibilities, such as schoolwork, scheduled activities, and
relationships.
say that "your head is in the clouds". Not everyone steps back to seek the connections that you do.
However, existential intelligence can help with understanding the "big picture". It helps you to
understand the connections between details and the larger issue, so each piece has meaning. Seeing
these connections can improve your motivation for completing school work, for example, because you
know the point of the assignment, how it relates to your other school work, and even how it benefits
your educational development as a whole. Therefore, it is helpful for you to spend the time to
understand the how a topic or task fits into the larger picture before you begin.
This strength may also allow you to adapt when having difficulty on an assignment, because you
understand the overall goal and can think of different ways to achieve it. Also, your consideration of
other viewpoints allows you to think about problems from different angles, making it easier to solve
them.
Question Others
People with strong existential intelligence like to ask 'why' things are the way they are, or want to
understand the purpose behind doing things. However, remember to ask such questions only when it is
appropriate and do so respectfully. Even if you are not really curious, asking questions can help you
understand how things fit into the bigger picture. As you learn about how stuff connects, hopefully your
curiosity will grow, and you will ask questions on deeper topics. Talk to people who explore deep
topics on a regular basis such as religious leaders, counselors, university professors, sociologists, etc.
Seek multiple sources to get different points of view.
Question Yourself
When learning new information or talking with others, be prepared to question your own beliefs and be
open to new possibilities. We all have our own ways of thinking about things, but existential thinking
means thinking about the larger society, the world, and even the universe. Remember that other people
and cultures can have very different life experiences and so their views can differ from yours. By truly
listening to other viewpoints, and not just sticking to your own, you can learn much about the world.
You don't have to believe everything you hear, but if you put it all together and add it to what you
know, you will have a better idea of the big picture.
Interpersonal
Talking about deeper topics with others can deepen relationships and lead to a better understanding of
people.
Interact with people who are spiritual and/or philosophical like you. During conversation with
them, instead of trying to contribute to the existential topic, try to play the role of listener. Try to
understand others' point of view. Think about the person speaking and why their views may be
the way that they are.
Take a look at some online forums that discuss existential topics. Instead of providing your
views, try to understand all the different beliefs you see. It is especially helpful to interact with
people in very different cultures than your own. Online forums are a great opportunity to do this
with cultures around the world. When you contribute to the forum, focus on who the audience is
and attempt to be sensitive to that audience. Note: always use caution and avoid using personal
information online.
Spatial
The connection between spatial intelligence and existential intelligence may be less obvious. Your
spatial intelligence deals more with things you can see and touch, while existential deals more with
thoughts and ideas.
Some visual artists use existential questions to inspire their work. You may enjoy learning about
the themes and stories behind the works of art by Michelangelo, Salvador Dali, and Germaine
Richier. Find out what inspired these artists to create the works that they did. Then, learn more
about the techniques and spatial details and how they fit into those themes and stories. As you
come to appreciate the works produced by artists like these, you will begin to develop your
spatial intelligence.
Try to get information in visual form, such as a picture, graph or chart. You can do this whether
you are learning information, taking notes or completing assignments. In some cases you may be
looking for a visual, modifying it, or creating one yourself. Use your existential intelligence to
understand the overall idea and base the visual on that. Examples of this are mind maps, concept
maps, storyboards, and dioramas. The process of creating the information in visual form will
help you develop your spatial intelligence.
Intrapersonal
Intrapersonal intelligence is a good partner to existential intelligence because the self-confidence you
gain from knowing yourself can leave you better prepared to explore tough questions about existence.
Self-awareness can also help with knowing when it is time to stop exploring existential questions and
get down to business with the details.
During the time you spend thinking about existential questions, try to focus on questions that
have a personal nature, such as "What is my purpose in life?", "What will happen to my
consciousness when I die?" and, "What do I want to be remembered for in my community, this
planet, or the universe?"
As you become more comfortable examining your own motivations, shift to more specific
reflections on your personal goals, relationships, and feelings.
Knowing yourself also plays a role in staying on-task with school work and learning. While
exploring big questions can be useful in preparing for and expanding your learning, be sure to
stay focused on lessons and school work when it is time to do so. Be aware of your thoughts and
productivity during class time and other work times so that you can keep up with your
responsibilities.
Musical Intelligence
Description
This intelligence includes the ability to play an instrument or sing, as well as a number of other skills
such as: recognizing various tones, patterns, rhythms, beats, and sounds; enjoying and analyzing music;
understanding musical structures; and creating melodies and rhythms.
Listening to Music
This means that you tend to excel at and enjoy activities that are musical and rhythmical. This also
means that you often find yourself listening very closely to music and rhythms that you hear. You are
probably able to point out the different instruments and melodies within a song, and can pick up the
rhythm and timing very quickly. You have a great ability to hear pitch, tempo, timbre, and dynamics.
You may even be able to copy a note on the first try with an instrument or your voice. You enjoy and
can easily identify many different styles of music. You can also remember the melody and lyrics to
songs very easily, especially if you also have a strong linguistic intelligence.
life is stressful, soothing music can calm your mind and body, while stimulating music can motivate
you and make you more alert.
Listening to Music
You should also listen to music when you are not working on another task, and you can focus entirely
on the music. At these times, practice your listening skills by analyzing the music you hear. Pay
attention to different tempos, levels of pitch, instrument types, repeating patterns, and any gradual or
sudden changes. Also, try to listen to a variety of musical styles, rhythms and sounds.
Making Music
And, of course, learning to produce music is an excellent way to develop this intelligence. You can
choose to take singing or instrument lessons, or try a self-taught method. There are plenty of tools to
help you learn on your own, such as books, videos and online resources. Even instrument-based video
games can help you develop a sense of timing and rhythm. As your musical intelligence develops, it
can be of much help to your work habits and personal life.
Interpersonal
To improve your interpersonal intelligence, it is important to communicate with people around you. At
first you may communicate best through music. Afterwards, try other forms of communication, and pay
attention to what others are communicating to you.
Talk about your favorite music with friends. Discuss what you like about music and compare
different songs in terms of the rhythm, instruments and other aspects.
Play multiplayer music video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Focus on cooperating
with other players and helping others when they invite that help.
Whether solo or in a group, perform for different audiences. Once you are comfortable playing
for an audience, work on trying to read and respond to the audience in the best way possible.
Spatial
Spatial intelligence involves the ability to interpret imagery and the physical space around objects and
drawings.
Work on your ability to read music. Reading music requires you to quickly interpret the visual
patterns of notes and other symbols on the music sheets.
Conducting and choreography are music-related activities that can help your spatial ability.
Even if there is no specific program for them at your school, your music, dance, or drama
teachers may be able to provide opportunities to practice these activities for special events.
Learn about musical acoustics, or more specifically architectural acoustics and other fields that
look at how music and sound are affected by physical structure - whether that structure is the
instrument or the space in which the music is heard.
Work on puzzles or other spatial-oriented games and activities while listening to music that helps
you focus.
Analyze music videos that focus on a visually artistic theme. Try to figure out why certain images
were used, and how shape, color and space relate to the music and lyrics.
If you have access to video editing tools, try creating your own videos to go along with your
favorite music.
Intrapersonal
Many musicians explore their personal thoughts and feelings, and as a result, better understand
themselves through the creation of music.
Listening to and creating music can be a good way to get started with self-reflection. Think about
why you connect with different types of music in different situations and when you are in
different moods. If and when you create music, think about what you want to say with your music
and why you want to say it.
Pay close attention to your mood and how it can be changed by the type of music.
Think about how what you say and do can affect other people's moods, just like music can. This
will help you become more self-aware and may even help you have the impact you want.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
Description
This intelligence includes the ability to reason inductively (make conclusions based on observations)
and deductively (make conclusions based on hypotheses). This intelligence also involves finding
relationships between abstract ideas (e.g. numbers), recognizing logical sequences and patterns,
recognizing problems and solving them. This intelligence is closely linked with being successful in
school.
Problem-Solving
People with a strong logical-mathematical ability are often seen as investigators or questioners. Your
favorite questions are likely "how" and "why". You're probably interested in learning about scientific
discoveries, including exactly how the discovery was made. You tend to believe there are rational
explanations for most things, and will spend time and energy trying to find those reasons. Solving
problems is something you enjoy and can usually do well because of your methodical approach and
your ability to process a lot of information very quickly. You often think about different strategies to
make things more efficient and effective - for school, work and play.
Connecting Ideas
You can see patterns and connections between things more quickly and easily than most others,
especially when it comes to abstract ideas or lessons in school. For example, you may see the
connection between the way a computer stores and indexes information, and the index at the back of a
book. This ability to recognize patterns can easily be applied to just about any area: economics, biology,
history, logistics, architecture, medicine, language and more.
Finding Balance
With your strong ability to analyze and compare, be careful that you don't get caught up in every
curiosity you have at the expense of other responsibilities or other people's feelings. Remember to
develop your interpersonal and intrapersonal abilities to keep things in balance, and even enhance your
logical-mathematical abilities in certain areas. For example, the skills of empathy, perspective and selfknowledge, which are important in building relationships, can also help to make more accurate
predictions for situations involving people. The reverse is also true. Our relationships can be studied
and improved using logical-mathematical skills. When the emotional world is analyzed using
estimations, patterns, and probabilities, it can increase awareness and provide information that supports
a better understanding.
a graph. Outlines can also be shown as a mind map. Even music can be represented differently,
e.g. guitar tab vs. chords. Also, try to create different versions of the same information yourself.
If you take notes in outline form, re-write them as a mind map or a chart.
Online Puzzles
There are plenty of websites dedicated to logic puzzles, riddles, and unique math problems. This is a
great way to practice your logical-mathematical intelligence because there is so much variety, you get
immediate feedback, and many sites are freely available. The only disadvantage is that you are not
practicing the intelligence in a real-world situation. However, the flexibility and choice does make it
convenient and allows you to select the level of difficulty as you develop your skills. The websites
listed below will help get you started.
Real-World Examples
Take a little time each week to read or watch a science-based article or story. Pick a topic that somehow
relates to the people or things in your life. Get to know some of the theories or facts in the story. Over
the next few weeks, try to find real-world situations to the concepts you read about. For example, if you
have a cell phone, you can learn about microwave radiation and how it is used to send the signal to and
from your phone. Also, learn about how microwaves travel and what materials block or absorb them.
Then, you can see where you get the best and worst signals on your phone and try to figure out why.
This fully-sponsored, ad-free site allows anyone to view videos and practice problems in math and
other topics including science, computer programming, finance, humanities, and test prep. Whether you
want to browse the site or create an account, everything is free of charge. Creating an account on the
site allows you to track your progress and earn badges for achieving certain milestones. The site
contains topics for primary school through up to advanced graduate level. This site is highly
recommended.
Math Playground
This site is an excellent all-around math site that is supported by ads for educational products. The site
appears geared towards younger students, but it actually addresses concepts that apply all the way
through post-secondary mathematics. It uses a fun and interactive approach to math and even some
computer programming concepts. This is a great site for those who may want to start at a more basic
level, but it also contains challenges and fun for those with fairly advanced skills.
The Math Forum
The Math Forum is a research and educational enterprise of the Goodwin College of Professional
Studies. This site contains a variety of word problems that you would typically see in school
assignments and tests. Each problem includes a full step-by-step explanation of how to come up with a
solution for the problem itself and others like it. This site is a great 'next step' once you are comfortable
with the basics, or are doing some practice before a big test.
Galileo Network Educational Association
This site contains more off-the-wall and advanced problems for those seeking a challenge as well as
those looking for math concepts that are applied to interesting real world problems. The puzzles on this
site are the kind often seen at math competitions. Students who are comfortable with math will find the
challenges on this site entertaining and helpful in sharpening their skills.
Interpersonal
Get involved with groups or even online communities that engage in logical-mathematical activities.
Many massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) rely on a combination of logical strategy
and interaction with others to achieve a successful outcome.
Take psychology and other social science classes. Learn what sorts of interactions people respond
positively to and why.
Get involved with a charity or community service group. Your role may start with a focus on the
logical-mathematical aspects, but you can work towards taking part and discovering rewards in
the interpersonal side too.
Spatial
Your logical-mathematical strength can be significantly improved by also developing your spatial
ability. Spatial intelligence helps you to quickly understand and imagine images and the position of
objects within a defined space.
Attempt to solve logical problems that have a visual-spatial component. Examples include work
in architecture, mechanics, engineering, graphic design, building trades, electronics, landscaping,
and much more.
Visual puzzles use your talent for gathering information and finding answers. Look for patterns
and connections in the images and for different possible arrangements.
Activities like model building, electronic hobby kits, geocaching, orienteering, and some
computer games use both spatial and logical-mathematical intelligence.
When you are working on logical-mathematical problems, try putting the information into visual
form. Create a chart or graph, sketch pictures or diagrams to represent the information.
Intrapersonal
Logical-mathematical intelligence involves a lot of pattern recognition, reasoning, and problem solving.
The trick is to apply these skills to knowing and improving yourself.
Treat your emotions and innermost thoughts as puzzles that need to be analyzed. The clues to
these puzzles are your behaviors and feelings in different situations. Just as puzzle-solving
benefits from focus and undivided attention, learning about yourself occurs best during quiet selfreflection.
Ask your school counselor about self-assessments that are available (in addition to this one).
Take any that are recommended, go over the reports with your counselor and compare them to
what you have learned from personal experience.
Set goals, make plans, and track your progress for specific achievements in school, such as test
scores, grades, making sports teams, election to student council, etc. Whether or not you achieve
every goal, the process will help develop your intrapersonal intelligence, and you just might
accomplish a few great things along the way.
Linguistic Intelligence
Description
Linguistic intelligence helps you to understand and use language properly in reading, writing, speaking,
including sign language and Braille. It also affects vocabulary and the ability to understand and use
humor, create pictures using words, notice language patterns, and recognize relationships between
words. Linguistic intelligence is one of the main intelligences linked with succeeding in school.
Note: While your assessment results currently place you as being "moderately oriented" towards this
intelligence, you were very close to being described as "strongly oriented" towards this intelligence.
Therefore, you may find that some of the descriptions in this profile understate your actual abilities
regarding this intelligence.
Academic Ability
This means that you probably have moderate skills in the areas of languages, grammar and vocabulary.
Linguistic ability also affects your communication, creativity, and semantic memory. Therefore, you
may occasionally enjoy activities like reading, writing and wordplay. You probably earn decent grades
in your English classes at school, but are maybe not a top performer in the higher grade levels. Chances
are you prefer classes that do not involve a lot of reading or writing.
Communication Preferences
Linguistic intelligence affects your ability to both give and receive information. In other words, it
affects your ability to read and listen as much as it affects your ability to speak and write. Having
moderate linguistic skills, you may be more comfortable with some of those activities, but less
comfortable with others. However, other traits and intelligences can affect how often and how well you
perform each activity. For example, an extroverted personality type with a strong interpersonal
intelligence and musical ability (for pacing and tone), may enjoy lively group discussions and debates
on difficult topics. Meanwhile, a shy individual with strong intrapersonal intelligence may prefer
reading advanced psychology textbooks.
Read More
Reading can improve your linguistic skills in understanding and interpretation. However, the quality of
what you read is key. Reading Facebook updates and text messages all day won't be of much help.
There are books of every sort and subject that have been recognized for the quality of writing. There are
also many topics covered in respected magazines and periodicals - both online and paper-based. Simply
figure out which topics you're most interested in, and take it from there.
When choosing your reading material, libraries are a great place to start. Talk to the librarian or your
English teacher for help finding high quality material. For motivation, think about which linguistic
skills you want to improve the most. If you want to understand and share facts with others, try reading
journalistic writing in newspapers and magazines. If you want to learn how to write more poetically and
use creative language to stir emotions, check out novels, plays and poetry.
Explore Humor
Finally, a fun and challenging use of linguistics is found in humor. Humor uses all the subtleties of
linguistics to achieve its goal. For example, irony, sarcasm, and satire mean the opposite of what is
being said. For these forms of humor, sensitivity to context and intonation are very important. Also,
due to the subtext, word choice and sentence structure are important too. Learn to enjoy different types
of humor and practice being funny yourself. Note that humor is sometimes a tricky form of
communication that also utilizes interpersonal, kinesthetic and other intelligences.
Existential
While existential learners look to find meaning, linguistic people look to express meaning. There are
many talented authors who write about existential topics.
Read resources like The 10 Big Questions, Philosophy: A Beginner's Guide (Blackwell
Publishing, 1999) and the Galilean Library's online section on philosophy for beginners. While
these may discuss topics already familiar to you, they are good examples of how linguistic
intelligence can be used to explain complex topics in a simple way.
Talk to your English teacher about opportunities to read a novel that would appeal to your
existential intelligence.
Read about different philosophies, such as ontology, cosmology, realism, idealism, Hellenistic
philosophy, analytic philosophy, postmodernism, Transcendent theosophy or any other
theories that may interest you. You will be able to take advantage of your existential intelligence
as you develop your linguistic skills.
Talk to your teachers about opportunities to write or speak about your own ideas on existential
topics. You can also use a journal, blog, forum, etc. In addition to your teacher's feedback, try to
get feedback on your writing from other existential thinkers, and then from those who are less
existentially inclined. Existential topics can be one of the more difficult topics to write about
clearly. Writing on a difficult topic for a general audience is a great way to develop your writing
skills.
For more advanced reading levels and existential discussion, try books from authors such as
Chomsky, Emerson and Kierkegaard, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Camus all of whom excel in
both existential and linguistic intelligence. Their writings will hold interest for your strong
existential intelligence while you are exposed to examples of excellent linguistic skills.
Musical
Use your ability to express yourself through music as a starting place to develop your ability to express
yourself with words.
You may enjoy books about music or musicians, or try reading song lyrics without the music.
Think about the writing techniques of the writer - word choice, sentence structure, and the way
ideas were presented over each paragraph, chapter, or the entire work.
Try writing lyrics to songs or even poetry. Start by rewriting a favorite song with your own
words, then move on to creating brand new material. Write without worrying about mistakes. Just
let your thoughts flow. Once you have all your ideas written down, examine what you have
written. Ask yourself how you can improve it. Also seek expert advice.
Because of the attention to rhythm and timing, poetry and creative writing classes are good places
to start for someone with strong musical ability.
Logical-Mathematical
The combination of logical-mathematical and linguistic intelligence is extremely important in school.
This combination of skills will allow you to quickly and clearly understand classroom instruction,
organize and store information, as well as remember and express what you've learned on tests and
assignments.
Practice your linguistic skills using logic-related activities such as word-based puzzles, Scrabble,
crosswords and vocabulary games.
Simply read. Pay attention to the writing in your textbooks and ask your English teacher about
books that may stimulate your logical-mathematical intelligence. For extracurricular books,
choose topics related to logical-mathematical intelligence, like scientific discoveries, science
fiction, mystery, computers and technology, or philosophy. While the content may be what
interests you at first, pay more and more attention to how the content is delivered - the writing.
Find opportunities to write about things in a logical-mathematical way. Write about how you
analyze, compare and reason for different topics. Refine your writing over time so that it appeals
to a diverse audience.
Get involved in discussions or formal debates on issues or theories that center around your
logical-mathematical abilities. You may find that you focus on being correct and precise, but
remember that being eloquent and persuasive are also important. Work on the latter by starting
with written discussions (e.g. web-based forums) where you have time to plan out your wording.
Then, gradually move to spoken discussion.
Naturalist Intelligence
Description
Naturalist intelligence involves being able to recognize, appreciate and group different things in the
environment: plants, animals, people, structures, weather patterns, landscapes, etc. It also allows you to
see the connections between different parts of the environment, to easily recognize when environmental
changes happen, and to understand what impacts those changes might have. People with a strong
naturalist intelligence are typically seen as "in tune" with nature.
Note: While your assessment results currently place you as being "moderately oriented" towards this
intelligence, you were very close to being described as "strongly oriented" towards this intelligence.
Therefore, you may find that some of the descriptions in this profile understate your actual abilities
regarding this intelligence.
Connection to Nature
You are usually comfortable when out in nature, but may avoid more remote and wild environments.
While you usually enjoy spending some time away from cities and buildings, you sometimes miss the
conveniences of civilization. You might find insects a nuisance or fear certain predatory animals. You
may also have difficulty recognizing certain sounds found in the wilderness, which can leave you
feeling nervous.
Practice Categorization
The grouping of natural objects is something our brains are designed to do. It may have helped our
ancestors to survive by knowing what to eat, what to avoid, and how to tell friend from foe. Grouping
non-living objects by their features also uses and develops your naturalist intelligence. So, if you prefer,
try categorizing man-made objects, and remember that it is helpful to use multiple senses in doing so.
For example, learn to identify cars by the sound of the engine, colognes and perfumes by their smell,
fabrics by their texture, or anything else that interests you.
Existential
Existential intelligence may be very helpful in developing naturalist intelligence. Nature is complex,
involving many individual details that are part of a much bigger picture. Also, many cultures find a
strong spiritual connection to nature.
Try to see nature from the big picture point of view. Does nature have goals, direction and
purpose? What are our roles and responsibilities to nature? What defines a living organism? As
you try to answer these questions, learn more about the elements of nature and spend time in a
natural environment to make observations that you can connect back to the big picture.
Get involved with a naturalist group in your school or outside of it. Find a role that uses your
existential intelligence by gathering information from different sources to figure out what the
overall strategies and policies for the organization should be. Spending time with the organization
will increase your appreciation for naturalist causes and develop your naturalist intelligence.
Musical
The following activities will help you become familiar with and appreciate elements in the natural
environment, improving your naturalist intelligence.
Listen to or play music in different natural environments and pay attention to the unique acoustics
of each.
Learn about the different types of wood and fibers used to make musical instruments (e.g.
woodwinds or strings) and why they are used.
Try being quiet in a natural environment and use your naturalist wisdom to focus on the sounds
around you, whether they are made by animals or by other natural sources. The British Library
has an excellent website that allows you to listen to many sounds of nature right from your
computer.
Learn how different animals produce the noises that they do, and compare their bodies with the
structures of musical instruments (e.g. birds and whales).
Logical-Mathematical
Naturalist intelligence has many connections to math and logic, such as pattern recognition. However,
while logical-mathematical people notice patterns in abstract concepts like numbers and scientific
principles, naturalistic people see patterns in physical objects in the environment.
Learn about some scientific discoveries of the natural world (e.g. ecology, geology, meteorology,
astronomy, etc.), until you find one that interests you. Look for information that uses stats,
measurements, and other methods to show clear comparisons. This type of information should be
easily understood with your logical-mathematical intelligence.
Get involved with a school group or outside organization that deals with the natural environment
in a way that your logical-mathematical intelligence can be used.
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
Description
This intelligence provides you with the mind and body coordination needed to move your body and
other objects. It influences small movements, such as using your fingers to play a musical instrument,
and large movements, such as running and catching a ball. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence also affects
certain mental abilities such as visualizing and remembering complex movements.
Analyzing Movements
You probably have some ability to analyze your own movements and also do well when coached in
your athletic or physical goals, especially if your spatial ability is strong. Of course this does take focus
and some intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. Continue to practice your bodily-kinesthetic
intelligence through physical activities, using intrapersonal reflection to analyze your movements.
When combined with interpersonal and linguistic intelligences, your bodily-kinesthetic intelligence can
help you to coach and instruct others as well.
Body Language
When you pay attention, you may find that you are able to understand body language and other nonverbal forms of communication. You can also be expressive in your own body language when you
practice your bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Adding this layer of non-verbal communication gives you
the potential for excellent communication skills when combined with strong interpersonal and linguistic
intelligences.
Existential
This intelligence can help improve your ability to achieve excellence in coordinated movement.
Take part in activities like yoga, tai chi, martial arts and other activities that have a spiritual
nature. These types of activities allow you to be contemplative and consider the wider world
beyond you while you develop your mind-body connectedness.
Some athletes describe being in a "flow state" during peak motivation, performance and mental
focus. This state, when the athlete feels they have heightened senses and can instinctively act
within the big picture of their sport, is connected to existential intelligence. Investigate flow state
and how best to achieve it.
Musical
Bodily-kinesthetic abilities can be improved with a strong musical intelligence.
Try watching and playing instruments that require a lot of movement such as drums, guitar, piano
or violin.
Attend a fitness class that uses music to help motivate people and provide a sense of timing and
rhythm.
Dance courses and classes have a very strong connection between movements and music.
Logical-Mathematical
Logical-mathematical people may enjoy bodily-kinesthetic activities that incorporate strategy, analysis
and goal-setting.
Many team sports use strategy, as well as activities like paintball, golf, and model building.
Look into fitness programs with the goal of designing the ideal program for you. Carry out the
program like an experiment: make observations, record your results, and adjust your method as
needed.
Practice every movement with the goal of feeling coordinated and natural.
Use mirrors to analyze your movements for correct form.
Interpersonal Intelligence
Description
This intelligence includes understanding and working with people, building relationships, seeing the
world from others' point of view, communicating well verbally and non-verbally, cooperating in a
group, having influence, and responding to the mood, personality and goals of others.
Maintaining Relationships
This means that you may have some difficulty building and keeping social relationships, because you
sometimes do not notice nor appropriately respond to the feelings, motivations, and behaviors of others.
By increasing your attention towards how you communicate with others, you will be better able to
maintain close friendships, as well as lead, collaborate and fit within groups.
similar to your own. While this is comforting, it does limit the opportunity to learn new ideas and
opinions from individuals outside of your group. Try interacting with people of different ages, skill sets,
and other cultural groups.
Helping Others
You may be involved in charity or community service work, but chances are you do it only on an
occasional or non-voluntary basis. If you are already involved, look for ways to increase your personal
interaction. If you are not involved, remember that this can be a great way to develop your interpersonal
intelligence while you are helping others. There are so many groups out there that you are sure to find
an organization that specializes in one of your areas of interest. See the examples below on using other
intelligences as a place to start.
Understanding Humor
Interpersonal intelligence has a close connection with humor, both in finding things humorous, and in
being humorous yourself. With an undeveloped interpersonal intelligence, you may be limiting yourself
to only some of the many forms of humor out there. You might find it more difficult to see the humor in
things that others find funny. Humor involves subtleties, excellent timing, being able to respond
quickly, and knowing your audience. Some of these skills may be difficult for you at certain times.
Everyone can benefit from developing their sense of humor, as it can help with lowering stress and in
forming and strengthening relationships. It can also help with persuading others, relaxing tense
situations, and improving morale in a group.
Observe Others
Leading or participating in groups is always more enjoyable and successful when you are able to read
others' body language and communicate accordingly. Whether you are in a group or one-on-one
situation, the key is to pay careful attention to facial expression, body positioning, and to just listen and
observe. Learn what motivates others and adapt your role to one that works best for the situation whether as an encourager, harmonizer, follower, opinion-giver, compromiser, etc. Then, you can
suggest your ideas to the group in a way that will have the impact you want.
Help Others
Getting involved in charity work and service-oriented activities are excellent ways to express and
develop your interpersonal intelligence. These types of projects improve your ability to feel empathy,
understand others' points of view, and build your communication skills.
Learn Humor
Another good way to develop your interpersonal abilities is to watch and attempt different forms of
humor. To be funny requires being able to read your audience well and deliver lines with precise pace,
timing, and clarity. Comedians typically use a strong combination of verbal and non-verbal
communication. Humor can also help with persuasion and tact in a group setting. Learning how to be
funny in a positive way can dramatically improve your interpersonal intelligence.
Existential
Talking about deeper topics with others can deepen relationships and lead to a better understanding of
people.
Interact with people who are spiritual and/or philosophical like you. During conversation with
them, instead of trying to contribute to the existential topic, try to play the role of listener. Try to
understand others' point of view. Think about the person speaking and why their views may be
the way that they are.
Take a look at some online forums that discuss existential topics. Instead of providing your
views, try to understand all the different beliefs you see. It is especially helpful to interact with
people in very different cultures than your own. Online forums are a great opportunity to do this
with cultures around the world. When you contribute to the forum, focus on who the audience is
and attempt to be sensitive to that audience. Note: always use caution and avoid using personal
information online.
Musical
To improve your interpersonal intelligence, it is important to communicate with people around you. At
first you may communicate best through music. Afterwards, try other forms of communication, and pay
attention to what others are communicating to you.
Talk about your favorite music with friends. Discuss what you like about music and compare
different songs in terms of the rhythm, instruments and other aspects.
Play multiplayer music video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Focus on cooperating
with other players and helping others when they invite that help.
Whether solo or in a group, perform for different audiences. Once you are comfortable playing
for an audience, work on trying to read and respond to the audience in the best way possible.
Logical-Mathematical
Get involved with groups or even online communities that engage in logical-mathematical activities.
Many massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) rely on a combination of logical strategy
and interaction with others to achieve a successful outcome.
Take psychology and other social science classes. Learn what sorts of interactions people respond
positively to and why.
Get involved with a charity or community service group. Your role may start with a focus on the
logical-mathematical aspects, but you can work towards taking part and discovering rewards in
the interpersonal side too.
Spatial Intelligence
Description
Spatial intelligence includes the ability to identify objects accurately, change and recreate images, and
recognize how shapes and objects relate to each other. While this intelligence is typically applied
through visual means, spatial intelligence does not only rely on vision. It can also be used through
touch and sometimes even hearing.
Processing Information
You rarely visualize information in the form of pictures or diagrams. When watching or creating
presentations, you probably focus on the words for meaning, especially if you have a stronger linguistic
intelligence. You may have difficulty learning and remembering information when it is presented
visually or as objects you can touch and feel. In these situations, ask the presenter to explain their
visuals further. Or when giving presentations, have someone help you create some props or visuals, as
your audience is bound to have some spatially-oriented people.
Memory
While you may have a good (linguistic) memory for facts, dates and numbers, your spatial memory is
probably less than average. You likely have difficulty remembering details of what things look like or
where things are, and you may even forget faces, on occasion. You often run into trouble finding a
place, even after being there a few times. And, you may have to go over maps, charts, and diagrams
several times before you can really understand the information.
involve shaping and fitting pieces together, like woodworking, jewelry making, or scrapbooking. You
may have tried activities like these in the past and even had some fun, but you probably do not have a
natural talent for them. However, a strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence can help with the fine motor
skills needed in activities like these, and may help you to overcome some of the challenges you have
with spatial skills.
Think Composition
Photography, art and design courses are an excellent way to start thinking about composition, or how
all the different elements of an image, work of art, or other objects are arranged and work together.
Composition is also important in film for framing camera angles and editing a sequence of shots. It is
also important in graphic design and desktop publishing, where it is usually referred to as page layout.
Becoming more aware of compositional details can help you understand visual information better and
help you create more successful visual communication.
Existential
The connection between spatial intelligence and existential intelligence may be less obvious. Your
spatial intelligence deals more with things you can see and touch, while existential deals more with
thoughts and ideas.
Some visual artists use existential questions to inspire their work. You may enjoy learning about
the themes and stories behind the works of art by Michelangelo, Salvador Dali, and Germaine
Richier. Find out what inspired these artists to create the works that they did. Then, learn more
about the techniques and spatial details and how they fit into those themes and stories. As you
come to appreciate the works produced by artists like these, you will begin to develop your
spatial intelligence.
Try to get information in visual form, such as a picture, graph or chart. You can do this whether
you are learning information, taking notes or completing assignments. In some cases you may be
looking for a visual, modifying it, or creating one yourself. Use your existential intelligence to
understand the overall idea and base the visual on that. Examples of this are mind maps, concept
maps, storyboards, and dioramas. The process of creating the information in visual form will
help you develop your spatial intelligence.
Musical
Spatial intelligence involves the ability to interpret imagery and the physical space around objects and
drawings.
Work on your ability to read music. Reading music requires you to quickly interpret the visual
patterns of notes and other symbols on the music sheets.
Conducting and choreography are music-related activities that can help your spatial ability.
Even if there is no specific program for them at your school, your music, dance, or drama
teachers may be able to provide opportunities to practice these activities for special events.
Learn about musical acoustics, or more specifically architectural acoustics and other fields that
look at how music and sound are affected by physical structure - whether that structure is the
instrument or the space in which the music is heard.
Work on puzzles or other spatial-oriented games and activities while listening to music that helps
you focus.
Analyze music videos that focus on a visually artistic theme. Try to figure out why certain images
were used, and how shape, color and space relate to the music and lyrics.
If you have access to video editing tools, try creating your own videos to go along with your
favorite music.
Logical-Mathematical
Your logical-mathematical strength can be significantly improved by also developing your spatial
ability. Spatial intelligence helps you to quickly understand and imagine images and the position of
objects within a defined space.
Attempt to solve logical problems that have a visual-spatial component. Examples include work
in architecture, mechanics, engineering, graphic design, building trades, electronics, landscaping,
and much more.
Visual puzzles use your talent for gathering information and finding answers. Look for patterns
and connections in the images and for different possible arrangements.
Activities like model building, electronic hobby kits, geocaching, orienteering, and some
computer games use both spatial and logical-mathematical intelligence.
When you are working on logical-mathematical problems, try putting the information into visual
form. Create a chart or graph, sketch pictures or diagrams to represent the information.
Intrapersonal Intelligence
Description
Intrapersonal intelligence includes the ability to understand oneself - emotions, fears, motivations,
strengths, and weaknesses. This intelligence allows you to reflect upon your own thinking and
behavior, learn from that reflection, find ways for self-improvement, and build self-confidence.
Self-Awareness
Intrapersonal intelligence can also affect social situations. Self-awareness helps you to recognize your
impact on those around you. You may have accidentally offended others at times when a stronger sense
of self-awareness was needed. Being aware of your mood, tone of voice, and how you carry yourself,
can help with understanding why people react to you the way that they do. Also, you may sometimes
allow your personal biases to negatively affect your decisions and how you interact with others. We all
carry biases that come from our personal character and life experience. However, with a strong
awareness, you can prevent them from blinding your judgment. Maintaining objectivity like this allows
you to see other viewpoints and make positive connections with more people.
Goals
You may sometimes find that you set goals and end up making little or no progress towards them
before giving up. Then, you set a similar goal only to repeat the cycle. Goal setting involves a lot more
than just stating the goal. You need to know your strengths and limitations so that you can set
challenging but realistic goals. You also need focus and control to ensure that you stay on track. If you
think taking time to reflect is wasteful or too slow, you may find yourself avoiding the very process it
takes to identify and reach your goals.
Finding a Career
It has been shown that people with low intrapersonal intelligence can have difficulty in finding a
suitable career. Finding your ideal career requires knowing yourself well so that you can properly
match career opportunities to your strengths and preferences. There are many self-assessments
(including this one) that will help you know yourself better, specifically for the purpose of career
development. Talk to your counselor about ones that may be available at your school.
get yourself in check whenever you're feeling frustrated, angry, upset, or any other negative
emotion that may interfere with learning or your ability to perform. Athletes often do this in the
middle of a big game; the same strategy works for learning and test preparation.
This intelligence, especially when combined with a strong interpersonal intelligence, can make you a
better communicator. When you can understand and manage your own feelings well, it is easier to
imagine what it is like for others. Sympathy and empathy are powerful tools for communicating with
people so that they understand you and respond positively. Also, when you spend time self-reflecting,
you are more energized to engage the outside world and are better able to help others. These abilities to
communicate, influence, and help others also improves your ability to take on leadership roles.
Set Goals
Some advice to get you started with goal-setting is to remember the 4 R's. Record your goals. Make
your goals realistic. Be specific with your goals so that you can recognize when they have been
accomplished. Try to have a range of goals, from short-term to long-term, and from easy to more
challenging. As you achieve your goals and develop your abilities, you will start to notice your selfconfidence strengthen. You can then take on more and more challenging goals. Ultimately, your goals
should be your own, but sometimes it helps talking about them to people like teachers, counselors,
friends and family.
Be Self-Aware
Beyond understanding your past situations, intrapersonal intelligence also relates to being aware of
your impact in the present. At any moment in time, you have an impact on your own future, the people
around you, and sometimes even on the people and places where you are not present. For example, you
may be trying to finish a conversation with a friend while you are late for class. Your friend may see
your body language as expressing a desire to leave, while your teacher may see your absence as a sign
of disrespect. Meanwhile, in your rush to get to class, you forget your notebook and are unable to take
the notes you will need to study. You may be able to fix things later on, but being more aware of your
impact during or even beforehand may allow you to avoid these issues altogether. Practice being selfaware. Try to predict how your actions or inactions will affect others and your own future.
Existential
Intrapersonal intelligence is a good partner to existential intelligence because the self-confidence you
gain from knowing yourself can leave you better prepared to explore tough questions about existence.
Self-awareness can also help with knowing when it is time to stop exploring existential questions and
get down to business with the details.
During the time you spend thinking about existential questions, try to focus on questions that
have a personal nature, such as "What is my purpose in life?", "What will happen to my
consciousness when I die?" and, "What do I want to be remembered for in my community, this
planet, or the universe?"
As you become more comfortable examining your own motivations, shift to more specific
reflections on your personal goals, relationships, and feelings.
Knowing yourself also plays a role in staying on-task with school work and learning. While
exploring big questions can be useful in preparing for and expanding your learning, be sure to
stay focused on lessons and school work when it is time to do so. Be aware of your thoughts and
productivity during class time and other work times so that you can keep up with your
responsibilities.
Musical
Many musicians explore their personal thoughts and feelings, and as a result, better understand
themselves through the creation of music.
Listening to and creating music can be a good way to get started with self-reflection. Think about
why you connect with different types of music in different situations and when you are in
different moods. If and when you create music, think about what you want to say with your music
and why you want to say it.
Pay close attention to your mood and how it can be changed by the type of music.
Think about how what you say and do can affect other people's moods, just like music can. This
will help you become more self-aware and may even help you have the impact you want.
Logical-Mathematical
Logical-mathematical intelligence involves a lot of pattern recognition, reasoning, and problem solving.
The trick is to apply these skills to knowing and improving yourself.
Treat your emotions and innermost thoughts as puzzles that need to be analyzed. The clues to
these puzzles are your behaviors and feelings in different situations. Just as puzzle-solving
benefits from focus and undivided attention, learning about yourself occurs best during quiet selfreflection.
Ask your school counselor about self-assessments that are available (in addition to this one).
Take any that are recommended, go over the reports with your counselor and compare them to
what you have learned from personal experience.
Set goals, make plans, and track your progress for specific achievements in school, such as test
scores, grades, making sports teams, election to student council, etc. Whether or not you achieve
every goal, the process will help develop your intrapersonal intelligence, and you just might
accomplish a few great things along the way.
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