For most of my life, I have been awed by these words from our constitution, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." To me, these words imply all humans are created with an equal soul, but the soul needs to deal with different types of physical brains. My rationalization is that our God given soul appears to be capable of accommodating various brain types, in an effort to level the playing field for all humans. To accomplish this, our brains appear to develop different types of intelligences.
In my last article I described three of nine types of intelligences proposed by Dr. Howard Gardner. Here are the remaining six.
Existential Intelligence ("deep reasoning smart")
The sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here. Philosophers generally have this capability.
Interpersonal Intelligence ("people smart")
The ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to note distinctions among others, sensitivity to moods and temperaments, and the ability to entertain multiple perspectives. This intelligence is generally associated with salespeople, teachers, social workers, actors, and politicians.
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence ("body smart")
The capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills. It involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skills through mind-body union. Obviously this intelligence is associated with athletes, but could include surgeons, and craftspeople.
Linguistic Intelligence ("word smart")
The ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings. It allows us to understand the order and meaning of words and to apply meta-linguistic skills to reflect on our use of language. This intelligence is evident in poets, journalists, novelists, and public speakers.
Intra-personal Intelligence ("self smart")
The capacity to understand one's thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and directing one's life. It involves not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition. This is evident in psychologists, and spiritual leaders.
Spatial Intelligence ("picture smart")
The ability to think in three dimensions. Core capacities include mental imagery, special reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination - the previously mentioned aspects of original thought. We see this intelligence in sculptors, painters, inventors, and architects.
The reason why I have included the above list of intelligences in this commentary about the soul is to provide further evidence of the uniqueness of humans and the existence of the soul. And, as previously mentioned, it helps illustrate how God may have arranged for souls to level the playing field for mortal humans. However, I believe that intelligence and talent are closely linked. Furthermore I believe that talent, common sense, intuition and inclination are closely linked. A person is usually inclined to do what he or she is good at doing. Thank God for the people who have the talent and inclination to work for Hospice.
Before leaving the subject of intelligence, as it relates to the soul, I want to briefly discuss self image and how the soul can act to change lives. It's called the power of positive thinking or psycho-cybernetics. I consider this to be an important aspect of the soul that is often neglected in making the case for how the soul is separate and distinct from the brain. Stay tuned and I'll explain in my next article.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar