Howard Gardner: The Eight Frames of Mind

There are many different kinds of intelligences in the world, and yet most people think of intelligence as one specific ability. Some psychologists and scientists don't like thinking about intelligence in this way, however. The mind is divided into different sections and these sections control our specific different intelligences. Howard Gardner divided up these intelligences into eight main groups.

Verbal Intelligence

People with verbal intelligence are able to use language to express meaning. Famous examples of this kind of intelligence would include T.S. Elliot the famous poet and Charles Dickens the novelist.

Mathematical Intelligence

People with this intelligence can process mathematical problems faster than others. Albert Einstein is a famous example. A little known fact is that he, like many other mathematical geniuses, was slow in learning how to speak. Scientists who studied his brain found that some areas were larger than average (the ones for doing math) and others were smaller than average (language).

Spatial Intelligence

This kind of intelligence is great for creative design and architecture. A famous example would be Pablo Picasso. With his ability to imagine shapes in relation to one another, he was able to make beautiful artwork out of simple shapes like circles and triangles.

BodilyIntelligence

These people are able to manipulate objects and be physically adept. This intelligence can vary widely but includes all famous athletes like Michael Jordan and Payton Manning.

Musical Intelligence

With this kind of intelligence, you have sensitivity to pitch, rhythm, melody, and tone. Famous musicians like Eric Clapton and Beyonce have this kind of intelligence.

Interpersonal Intelligence

This kind of intelligence allows someone to understand and interact effectively with others. This kind of intelligence is what makes CEOs so influential. An example of this kind of intelligence would be leaders like Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr.

Intrapersonal Intelligence

Not to be confused with the former, this intelligence is the kind that allows one to understand one's self. People with this skill are often more able to understand their own actions. Psychologists like Sigmund Freud are often this kind of person.

Naturalistic Intelligence

The ability to see patterns in nature and understand natural and human systems is also a form of intelligence. Scientists and sociologists every day see connections in the systems that they observe and are able to draw conclusions from these observations. The most famous Naturalistic observer would probably be Charles Darwin who noticed the similarities between species and formed the theory of evolution.

Howard Gardner also suggested that there may be a 9th intelligence, called "Existential Intelligence." This form of intelligence helps philosophers to be able to think logically about life's tough questions: why do we exist? Who are we? And how can we deal with Death? A famous example of this kind of thinker would be Thomas Hobbes, the philosopher who developed the social contract theory.

With all of these different intelligences that individuals can develop, its no wonder that there are so many different kinds of people doing so many different things. Within each of these disciplines of intelligence there are many "geniuses" who may be less skilled at other forms of intelligence. With such a complicated definition of intelligence we quickly are able to see that there are many different ways, according to Gardner, to be intelligent.

Source: Psychology 9th edition - Myers