What’s Your Intelligence Type?
by Marissa Pomerance
Despite what we were raised to believe, there’s not only one type of intelligence. Being “intelligent” isn’t just about your SAT score from 23 years ago or how quickly you solved today’s Wordle or how well you can quote NPR podcasts at dinner parties.
In real, daily life, intelligence comes in a lot of forms, like the ever-so-underrated emotional intelligence, or the actually-more-helpful-in-real-life social intelligence.
In fact, according to Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, there are 8 (or possibly 9? Or more? Maybe “mathematical” intelligence wasn’t Gardner’s greatest strength) different types of intelligence, each important in their own ways. And we all possess many of these, not just one.
Now, is this theory scientifically validated? Not exactly. But, as we’re always looking for better, deeper ways to understand ourselves, it IS sort of fun to identify and celebrate our unique traits and talents with enthusiasm, instead of feeling dumb because we still don’t know how a Roth IRA works.
Which of these intelligence types are your strengths?
1. Visual-Spatial
Ok, so the names of these are pretty self-explanatory.
This intelligence type excels at…visualizing things and spatial reasoning. People who are great at geography (whoops, not me), excel at puzzles (uhhh), are crafty and can paint, draw, sculpt, etc (definitely not me).
People with this intelligence type make great architects, artists, designers, pilots, surgeons, and engineers. Yes, fashion designers can have the same intelligence type as surgeons!
They’re the ones you want in charge of directions on your next road trip, or helping you redesign your kitchen.
2. Logical-Mathematical
This intelligence type is great with math, logic, puzzles, and recognizing patterns.
They’re scientists, doctors, mathematicians, programmers, accountants, and economists. The ones who held onto everything they learned in high school calculus, and naturally just seemed to “get” organic chemistry (personally can’t relate).
Give these people an abstract problem, and they will solve it.
3. Linguistic-Verbal
Finally, one we can relate to!
People with this intelligence type are skilled writers and speakers (*ahem*). They enjoy reading and writing, have a deep understanding of and appreciation for language, get very hung up on proper grammar, and love telling stories. They’re also able to synthesize complex information, and deliver it in ways that are approachable, understandable, and persuasive.
They’re great writers, journalists, lawyers, teachers, and TedTalk givers.
4. Musical
People with a natural talent for music and a sensitivity to and natural understanding of musical principles, like rhythm, melody, pitch, and tone. They also have an appreciation for musical composition and performance.
They might be great singers or talented musicians or skilled dancers, or just really good at remembering songs. They might also be that person in your spin class who’s never off-beat.
5. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
If dancers have a great musical intelligence, they also have great bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, which means they have impressive physical control and awareness of their body’s movements and sensations. They have great hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and motor control.
They’re those friends that could pick up any ball and instantly excel at that sport. Annoying.
People with this intelligence type are often skilled dancers, athletes, actors, builders, physical therapists, and mechanics.
6. Naturalistic
People with a naturalistic intelligence type are in tune with nature and the environment; they’re nurturing, interested in learning about plants and animals, and aware of changes to their environment. Think Jane Goodall and Charles Darwin.
Those with a strong naturalistic intelligence type might become farmers, biologists, florists, geologists, Zoologist, environmentalists, or gardeners.
7. Interpersonal
Interpersonal intelligence is our ability to connect and understand others—to be sensitive to others’ feelings, to deeply relate to them, to assess their motivations and needs. It’s a sort of combination of emotional and social intelligence.
Interpersonal intelligence types communicate well with others, are highly empathetic, can understand and accept differing perspectives, and are skilled at resolving conflict. They make great therapists, counselors, politicians, HR specialists, negotiators, psychologists, managers, and sales people.
They’re the shoulders you cry on, the friend who always listens intently, the person whose support you can just feel when times are tough.
8. Intrapersonal
People with this intelligence type are highly self-aware, and excel at assessing their own feelings, values, needs, and anxieties. They like to self-reflect, can shrewdly analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and work to improve themselves.
If you’re reading this article, you probably have high intrapersonal intelligence!
Intrapersonal intelligence types make great theorists, philosophers, writers, counselors, psychologists, and entrepreneurs. But truly, it’s a great skill to have in every career path, and in almost every facet of life.
9. The sort-of 9th: Existentialist
Gardner proposed this 9th intelligence type after coming up with the original 8-type framework, so it’s not always “counted” amongst intelligence types, but it’s still fascinating.
This intelligence type, he suggests, includes the ability to deeply understand the world—to recognize collective values, consider esoteric questions about existence and the meaning of life, and have big-picture ideas about how to make the world better. There’s a lot of abstract thinking and theorizing involved in this one, and an aspect of spirituality too—asking questions like, how did we get here, what’s our purpose, what happens when we die?
So, which of these rang true for you? Which ones are you working on? If you identified with all of them, please tell us your secrets below.
Marissa Pomerance is the Managing Editor of The Candidly. She’s a Los Angeles native and lover of all things food, style, beauty, and wellness. You can find more of her articles here.
