The focus of this paper is to encourage the reader to think about intelligence in ways beyond those established by Western society, and to differentiate between intelligence and similar terms such as knowledge, common sense, and competence.
     Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, in 1983 theorized seven forms of intelligence in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. These seven types of intelligence, or mental functioning are:
     Linguistic intelligence, which is measured by the verbal portion of the SAT.
     Logical/ mathematical intelligence, reflected by one's score on the math section of the SAT.
     Visual/ spatial intelligence, or the ability to visualize and create mental images, as utilized by architects and navigators.
     Musical intelligence, or the ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch, and timbre - having an "ear" for music.
     Bodily/ kinesthetic intelligence, or the ability to work skillfully with objects that involve the physical movement of the body. A "hands-on" intelligence, if you will.
     Interpersonal intelligence, or the ability to communicate with others.
     Intrapersonal intelligence, or the ability to relate to one's own feelings in order to guide behavior. "Self-knowledge" (Al-Rawahi).
     Before delving further, we must first distinguish between "intelligence" and related terms like "knowledge," "common sense," "competence," etc. I tend to interpret Gardner's multiple intelligences not as "smarts," but more as learning methods. Perhaps this can be best expressed as thinking of each intelligence as a different road, and knowledge, common sense, and competence as the destinations. All three must be learned, though some people are a quicker study than others. No infant is born with knowledge -- it must learn to speak; neither is it born with common sense -- it must touch a burning stove before learning it is hot; and no infant is born competent to walk -- it must first learn to crawl.
     Western society tends to emphasize the linguistic and logical/ mathematical intelligences, as evidenced by our schools and traditional IQ tests, which measure aptitude in these areas. This has led to many students' falling through the proverbial cracks in our educational system, resulting in individuals ill-prepared for many of life's challenges. Such emphasis extends even into higher education. For instance, while attending electronics school, I learned plenty of theory (via linguistic and logical/ mathematical teaching) and made good grades, but any kind of hands-on training was restricted to hooking up a few resistors on a circuit board. I couldn't tell you the first damn thing about fixing your television. Perhaps if the school had taken a more kinesthetic approach, I'd be able to rewire my cable box and get free HBO!
     Some educators have experimented with forms of learning other than the traditional linguistic and mathematical methods. In Possible Lives: The Promise of Public Education in America, author Mike Rose features a high school video production class taught by Ed Murphy in Bell, California. Murphy starts each term with hands-on instruction in the use of the equipment, then splits the class into groups and allows them to develop their own projects. This combination of kinesthetic and interpersonal learning results in the students' winning local and state contests for their work on a regular basis. Murphy's approach to teaching allows many otherwise unsuccessful students to excel. Such new-found confidence has resulted in some of these teens setting their sights on higher education, when before such a thought would have never occurred to them (62-65).
     Overemphasizing traditional intelligence can often lead to underdevelopment in the non-traditional forms, sometimes with deadly results: In his book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman recounts the tale of Jason H, a straight-A high school student who assaulted his Physics teacher with a kitchen knife. It seems Jason was worried that the B he had received on a quiz would ruin his chances of getting into Harvard. This lack of judgement seems to indicate that despite the fact that Jason excelled in the mathematical and linguistic intelligences, he could have used a little help in the interpersonal area.
     Do such examples render traditional educational methods and IQ tests invalid? No, they simply show them as flawed. Many people find it difficult to learn mathematically or linguistically, and for them to succeed, educators must begin thinking differently about "intelligence." We must learn to recognize such people and work to discover what learning method works best for them. The truth of the matter is that everyone loves to learn -- we just have to discover what turns them on.
     On the other hand, educators must be wary of jumping into multiple intelligence headfirst: though plenty of anecdotal evidence exists to support Gardner's theory(such as trends in neurology and cognitive psychology), no formal studies have been done. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it leaves plenty of room for further investigation, which Gardner and many others feel is needed to validate - or disprove - multiple intelligence (Collins).
     Yet even if Gardner's theory and its successful utilization become commonplace, it is still inevitable that some individuals' learning ability will be limited, and that others may just be too lazy. Such people should not be written off; however, as society will always have plenty of menial jobs to go around.
 

Works Cited

Rose, Mike. Selection from "Possible Lives: The Promise of Public Education in America." Critical Strategies for Academic Thinking and Writing. Mike Rose and Malcolm Kiniry. Boston, MA. Bedford Books, 1998. 62-65.

Goleman, Daniel. Selection from "Emotional Intelligence." Critical Strategies for Academic Thinking and Writing. Mike Rose and Malcolm Kiniry. Boston, MA. Bedford Books, 1998. 20-21.

Al-Rawahi, Zahra. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.4 January 1996. http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/zahraar/mi1.htm

Collins, James. "Seven Kinds of Smart." Time Vol 152 No 16. 19 Oct 1998 http://www.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/981019/special_report.how_to_m5a.html