THE DEEPER MY INSIGHT,
the more I connect with the universal

PREVIOUS: M.I. (Part 3d)

SITE: Gardner’s M.I. apps for iPads

See ACRONYM page for abbrev.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES (cont)
8. SPACIAL/VISUAL (picture-smart)

9. SPIRITUAL / EXISTENTIAL (spirit-smart) – seeing the big picture, likely a whole-brain function, which is increased by prayer & meditation, because they lessen the blood flow to the parietal lobes, which normally gives us a sense of time & space.

This group is concerned with the morals, ethics & values of life, looking for real-world understanding, & the application of new learning. They have the sensitivity & capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, how did we get here, what’s our purpose, & why do we die. They’re not afraid to look into the depths of truth to find the hidden answers, to think of other possibilities.

Being particularly aware of their own existence & introspective, they’re drawn to exploring existential & philosophical questions, including what may lie beyond death. Even as ‘every-day’ people, they have deep thoughts. They understand their role in others’ lives, and how they play a small but important part of the whole game. They are in constant search of their purpose of living.
They:
— see their role in the ‘big picture’ of things
— learn new things better when it’s value is known
— value truth & justice
— enjoy discussing questions @ life & death
— religion or spirituality is important to them
— find relaxation or meditation exercises rewarding
— are sensitive to different cultural environments
— want to make a difference in the world
— seem “wise beyond their years”, peaceful
— are “universalistic”, more tolerant  & respectful of diversity

For centuries philosophers have been debating the nature of human intelligence. We are different from the other animals, but why? Do we have a soul? Is there some sort of duality between the corporeal flesh and the mind or spirit? Did we acquire our unique capacity for rational thought and all that goes with it as a result of some special act of creation or did it just happen as a result of evolution through natural selection?

Dr. Gardner divided this category into:
Existential Intelligence
— concerned with ultimate issues – the larger spiritual concerns of life
— an ability to intuitively sense & gather clues from the environment – (people, places, things), contributing to the whole picture
— the ability to pick up energies & have access to information without actually being able explain exactly why or how we know these things.

Moral-Ethical Intelligence
— focused on the highest realization of human nature.
— an innate sense of morality – not necessarily associated with religion – but as a statement about the kind of personality, individuality, will, and/or character that a person has developed

VIRTUES:
Conscience – know the right, decent way to act, & act in that way
Empathy – identify with and feeling other people’s concerns
Fairness – choose to be open-minded, & act in a just, fair way
Kindness – show concern for the welfare & feelings of others
Respect – value others by treating them in a courteous, considerate way
Self-control – regulate thoughts & actions , to stop internal pressure & external reactions, to acting in the right way
Tolerance – respect everyone’s dignity & rights, even if they have beliefs & behaviors we disagree with

CAREERS: life coaches, cosmologists, prophets, philosophers, religious teachers, poets
INCREASE ability: make connections between book-learning in & the world outside, to see the big picture, look at every issue from different points of view, relate specific topics with national & global concerns

TECH ideas: Google earth, Discovery Education, Podcasts, GarageBand, Powerpoint, Keynote
FAMOUS People: Jesus, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates,Martin Heidegger, Buddha, St. Augustine, Wayne Dyer.

BOOK: “Ethical Intelligence” by Bruce Weinstein, PhD   // REVIEW  //  QUIZ

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WORK: There’s a natural correlation between the M.I. categories of human learning
& the knowledge & skills needed for 21st century workplace productivity.  This CHART shows the way each mental style contributes it’s specialty to modern-day tasks.