Summary Of The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences

As a whole, Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences can be summed up as the way that our minds work to do certain things. An article by Harry Morgan (1996) explains that “Gardner [suggested] that the human organism has seven distinct units of functioning” (para. 1). These distinct units – orbits of intelligence, as he coined them – vary from person to person, and determine the skill set that someone may end up with. With each person possessing a different combination of these cognitive styles, it is interesting to delve into which of this specific intelligence would apply to me and my interests and skills.

Going down the list that is featured in the aforementioned article, the first of Gardner’s Seven bits of Intelligence that I found I was able to describe was the Logical-mathematical Intelligence. As I am planning on majoring in Accounting after graduation, I like to believe that I am decent with certain aspects of math and numerical patterns. Things such as budgets or taxes make sense to me and are fairly simple for me to work out. I enjoy getting into the rhythm of a long math problem and coming to the correct conclusion. The satisfaction of finishing the task at hand is rewarding to me, and it plays a big part in the amount of work that I put into the problem without even realizing it.

The next Intelligence that I was able to identify with was Linguistic Intelligence. While I may sometimes struggle to find the best way to form my thoughts into sentences and make them coherent, I have always had a predilection for vocabulary. As I look at a word, I can easily use context clues to figure out the word’s definition, connotation, and part of speech. Of course, I am not superhuman; I am not able to look at a word that I have never seen before and automatically know what it means, but I have the skills necessary to inform myself relatively easily and quickly.

The third Intelligence that I related to was Musical Intelligence. This is undoubtedly the Intelligence that I can identify with the most. Music has been a giant part of my life and my family’s life for many, many generations, and it is one of the most important things in my life. My family has performed and written music for years, so it is a great way for me to connect with the people that I love. When I joined the band in sixth grade, I never dreamed that it would have anywhere near the impact that it has had on my life. I thought that it would be a fun thing to do and assumed that I could just play an instrument and go home. After a few years of the band, it was clear that was not the case. Band and music, in general, overtook my life, and it has been all that I think about ever since. I still quite enjoy it after close to ten years and have come to realize the importance of music as to who I have grown into as a person.

The final Intelligence that I connected with was Interpersonal Intelligence. If someone was to ask anyone that I know if I was a very empathetic person, they would laugh in their face. Not because I am selfish, but because I am known to be too empathetic as I base everything that I do on someone else’s feelings. I am a very sensitive person, so I try to make everyone around me as comfortable and as happy as possible, often putting myself and my feelings last without realizing it. This is one of my flaws that I am trying to be more aware of, but it is ultimately a part of me to put others' needs above my own, and I am afraid that it probably always will be.

I was able to identify with many of these seven bits of Intelligence, which surprised me. I enjoy finding ways that I can connect with other people and fit myself into certain groups and compare with my friends. Horoscopes and Astrological signs come to mind. This is a very interesting theory to me, and I think that it is a good base to go on when considering the human mind. Obviously, no one person is the same, and there would need to be much more Intelligence to capture every person on the Earth, but it is an interesting concept to consider.