seven kinds of smart

Here you’ll be introduced to a revolutionary idea that is gaining respect from both the
scientific community and the public at large. Developed over the last 20 years by
psychologist Howard Gardner, the theory of multiple intelligences challenges old beliefs
about what it means to be smart. Gardner believes that we are too focused on verbal
and logical thinking and neglect other ways of knowing. He suggests that there are at
least seven intelligences worthy of being taken seriously as important modes of thought.
Armstrong has worked with Gardner’s MI theory, translating it into “smarts” to help
people discover and unleash their own intellectual strengths. Check all that apply to
you.

Word Smart
___ I write well and enjoy putting thoughts on paper (or in the computer).
___ I enjoy telling stories or jokes.
___ I can remember names, places, dates or trivia.
___ I enjoy word games.
___ I enjoy reading books and magazines.
___ I am a good speller.
___ I enjoy nonsense rhymes, limericks, puns, etc.
___ I enjoy listening to the spoken word.
___ I have a good vocabulary.
___ I enjoy communicating by talking or writing.
___ Total

Logic Smart
___ I ask questions about how things work.
___ I can do math problems in my head.
___ I enjoy math classes.
___ I enjoy math games, e.g., computer math games.
___ I enjoy chess, checkers, or other strategy games.
___ I enjoy logic puzzles or brainteasers.
___ I like to put things in categories or hierarchies.
___ I like to use a variety of thinking skills to figure things out.
___ I am good at thinking on an abstract or conceptual level.
___ I clearly see cause-effect relationships.
___ Total

Picture Smart
___ I can visualize things clearly in my mind.
___ I like maps, charts, and diagrams better than words.
___ I often daydream.
___ I enjoy artistic activities.
___ I’m good at drawing things.
___ I like movies, pictures and other visual presentations.
___ I enjoy mazes, jigsaw puzzles, and Rubik's Cubes.
___ I can manipulate three dimensional drawings in my head.
___ I frequently doodle or sketch.
___ I am sensitive to colour.
___ Total

Body Smart
___ I am good at sports.
___ I fidget when asked to sit for very long.
___ I am good at mimicking others' gestures.
___ I like taking things apart and putting them back together.
___ I like touching/holding objects and moving them around.
___ I enjoy being on the go; running, jumping, moving, or wrestling.
___ I like working with my hands, e.g., sewing, repairing, making things.
___ I use many gestures when expressing myself
___ I experience different physical sensations when thinking or working.
___ I enjoy expressing myself through movement, e.g., dance.
___ Total
Music Smart
___ I can distinguish among different sounds/tones.
___ I remember melodies easily.
___ I can carry a tune.
___ I can play a musical instrument.
___ I often hum or sing to myself.
___ I am sensitive to noises, e.g., rain, traffic.
___ I like doing things in a rhythmic way.
___ I can hear music in my head.
___ I enjoy reading music.
___ I can keep time to a variety of music.
___ Total
People Smart
___ I enjoy socializing.
___ I am a natural leader.
___ I am a good listener when friends have problems.
___ I make friends easily.
___ I enjoy clubs, committees and organizations.
___ I like teaching things to others.
___ I have many good friends and close acquaintances.
___ I am good at seeing another person's point of view.
___ I enjoy talking to groups.
___ I enjoy exchanging ideas with others.
___ Total
Self Smart
___ I know how to set goals and reach them.
___ I clearly know my strengths and weaknesses.
___ I am comfortable with myself and enjoy my own company.
___ I feel good about who I am and what I stand for.
___ I would be described as someone who "has their act together."
___ I stand up for what I believe, regardless of what others think.
___ I am continually learning from my successes and failures.

___ I am not much concerned about fads, fashion or what is "in."
___ I am always honest and up front about how I am feeling.
___ I almost never feel bored or "down."
___ Total

Word Smart ___
Logic Smart ___
Picture Smart ___
Body Smart ___
Music Smart ___
People Smart ___
Self Smart ___

characteristics
Word Smart
Linguistic: the ability to express oneself in words on paper and aloud and to
conceptualize ideas and thoughts verbally. People who are particularly smart in this area
can argue, persuade, entertain or instruct effectively through the spoken work.

Picture Smart
Spatial: art, architecture, engineering, graphic design, photography, etc. This is the
intelligence of thinking in pictures and images, and the ability to perceive, transform and
recreate different aspects of the visual-spatial world.

Music Smart
Musical: composing, playing musical instruments, singing, retaining melodies, pitch, etc.
Key features of this intelligence are the capacity to perceive, appreciate, and produce
rhythms and melodies.

Body Smart
Kinesthetic: athletic ability, physical strength, endurance, coordination. This is the
intelligence of the physical self. It includes talent in controlling one’s body movements
and also in handling objects skillfully.

Logic Smart
Logic/Mathematics: reasoning, math, science, computers, technology. Traits of this
intelligence include the ability to reason, sequence, think in terms of cause and effect,
create hypotheses, and look for conceptual regularities or numerical patterns.

People Smart
Interpersonal: people skills; dealing with others/relationships; working in teams, etc.
This is the ability to understand and work with other people. It is the capacity to
perceive and be responsive to the moods and temperaments and desires of others.

Self Smart
Intrapersonal: self-knowledge; search for enlightenment, inner peace, meditation,
spirituality, personal growth, etc. This is the intelligence of the inner self. A person
strong in this kind of smart can easily access their own feelings, discriminate between
many different kinds on inner emotional states and use their self understanding to
enrich and guide their life.