How intelligent are you

How smart are you? I bet you are smarter than you think. While you might not necessarily be smart in one area, you are smart in another. I always joke with my friends that I'm "not as smart as the average man." When I said this to a patient the other day, he introduced me to the philosophy of Mr. Howard Gardner and "The Nine Types of Intelligence."

1. Natural Intelligence: I don't have the ability to relate things to my natural surroundings, so this is not me.

2. Musical Intelligence: I don't even need to go here. I have none of this.

3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart): This included scientists, mathematicians and detectives. That is not me.

4. Existential intelligence: 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. I have this. My blog is all about this. In fact, all my blogs tackle this.

5. Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart): I'm not this in the slightest.

6. Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart): This is the ability to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills. No, I'm not athletic, although I might pretend to be.

7. Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart): This is the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings. I definitely am this.

8. Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Smart): This is the capacity to understand oneself and one's thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and directing one's life. This involves not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition. It is evident in psychologists, spiritual leaders and philosophers. Well, I consider myself a philosopher of sorts, and therefore I am definitely this.

9. Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart): This is the ability to think in three dimensions. Core capacities include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination. Sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters and architects all exhibit spatial intelligence. Young adults with this kind of intelligence may be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend free time drawing or daydreaming. I typed this all out because I initially thought this was not me, yet now I'm thinking about it. Although I'm not necessarily picture smart per se, I do spend free time drawing and daydreaming. Likewise, I am a writer of fiction and I once took an advertising class in which my teacher told me I had one of the best creative minds in the class. Likewise, on the top of one of my A+ advertising campaigns, he wrote, "You have a visual head, Bothead."

So, there you have it. You can head on over and check out where your intelligence stand. Click here.