Types of Intelligence

Most of us have heard about IQ, the Intelligence Quotient, which basically measures how good someone is at using information and logic to answer questions or make predictions. The higher the IQ, the smarter the person is considered to be, and that usually leads to success. But let's not forget that our brains are unbelievably complex, and the world is changing fast in some highly unconventional ways. It's not all about how quickly you can crunch numbers or foresee chess moves anymore. There are several different types of intelligence that we don't really talk about enough.

If you do a bit of digging online, you'll find various ways experts categorize intelligence. Like Dr. Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence (EQ), which covers things like self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Then there's Dr. Edward Thorndike's Social Intelligence (SQ), which is all about handling delicate social situations, understanding group dynamics, and communicating effectively. Dr. Howard Gardner further broke it down to 9 types of intelligence: visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, musical-rhythmic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and bodily-kinesthetic. And let's not forget Dr. Paul G. Stoltz's Adversity Intelligence (AQ), which is about dealing with challenges, setbacks, and using your smarts effectively. We want to help our children find their strengths and learn skills in a way that suits them most efficiently. But in today's world, unless you're some kind of genius the world can't do without, EQ, SQ, and AQ might just be even more crucial to affect your happiness and sense of fulfillment and purpose.

Even though AQ is the newest term, it's basically about using your EQ and SQ skills to tackle tough times and come back even stronger. EQ helps us take care of ourselves, while SQ helps us handle social stuff and build solid relationships. In challenging moments, we need to keep our spirits up, adapt to change, handle stress, communicate well, sort out conflicts, and bounce back from mistakes. These abilities are extremely important in today's fast-paced world. We want our kids to be positive, bond with good people, have great relationships, find common ground with others, and make good choices in their lives. We want them to know how to learn from mistakes and bounce back from obstacles and be stronger. All this requires the acquisition of solid social-emotional skills, which is a lifelong learning experience.

Adults need to show empathy, really listen, talk nicely, help kids understand and share their feelings, teach them to think about others' feelings too, let them hang out with friends in a positive way, help them learn to express and regulate their emotions, solve problems together, and make a place where they feel safe to be themselves. I know it feels like a lot. But here is the golden rule "one step at a time". For example, set a goal to listen better when there's a problem, and when you're upset, just say it and ask for understanding. Start saying "what's your take on this?" "I get what you're saying" "Here's how I see it..." "I'm a bit frustrated, thanks for understanding." Once you keep at it, it'll become second nature, then part of who you are. And guess what? Nobody's got it all figured out. We're all still learning as a society. Even therapists need their own support sometimes. So, take a deep breath, and remember, we're all in this together!