Intelligence: Its Concept, Types, and How to Invest It

Intelligence is a identifying feature that distinguishes every person and gives new energy to go through the paths of science, thought, art, and knowledge.

There is no totally failed human being nor a successful human being, every human being has to leave a mark and convey an eternal message with the title of love, peace, and justice.

What Is the Definition of Intelligence?

Intelligence is defined in a simplified and close way that the mind can understand as having great speed in understanding, perception, comprehension, and intuition. Intelligence refers to any intellectual, mental and cognitive activity that an individual engages in during their daily, professional and practical life.

It is not true that intelligence should be conditional on educational attainment and first ranks on university, academic study and high academic degrees, systematic academic achievement, and a master’s thesis, master’s and postgraduate studies, or on obtaining a doctorate in various scientific and educational specializations.

Intelligence cannot, therefore, be confined to the field of study, as some people claim or believe in the general public. The concept of intelligence is broad, and comprehensive and extends beyond the field of study to other types, patterns, kinds, and forms of intelligence that some people may or may not recognize; Social intelligence, emotional intelligence, sensory intelligence, linguistic intelligence, practical intelligence, sports intelligence, artistic intelligence, and creative intelligence.

So everyone, according to their interest, personality, and beautiful faculties, shows a new and different kind of intelligence that makes them close to and loved by people.

How Does Psychology View the Subject of Intelligence?

It can be said that each psychologist and researcher has a different definition from the other, summarizing their view of the subject of intelligence. This leads us to the conclusion that psychologists themselves did not agree on a unified definition of intelligence, rather they differed greatly among themselves.

Some scholars have defined intelligence as every intellectual, artistic, mental, cognitive, creative, scientific, and literary activity that a person practices in a manner consistent with the surrounding environment that created this intelligent person, and with the people around them.

Others defined it as the art of directing and launching constructive, clever, and correct criticism of a person, based on a certain position, behavior, or mentality, to guide them and push them to change their behavior, way of thinking or acting for the better.

While other psychologists have defined it as having the ability to learn and receive everything new, useful, and unfamiliar, and the ability to adapt, absorb and understand new skills and acquire them easily, lightly and gracefully, and in a very short time.

In addition to the above, intelligence is described as the increase in human, life, practical and scientific experience that gives a person the ability to solve and confront their problems and to address all the challenges that they may encounter in their life and path.

The concept of intelligence does not stop at the previous narration only, as the philosophers, orientalists, and researchers in the corners of psychology, the components of sociology, the nature of man, and understanding their instincts and genes have another opinion.

For example, Plato had a special view towards formulating the definition of intelligence, and he defined it as any activity of any kind that gives its owner the renewable and increasing ability to receive knowledge and learn everything new and useful, in addition to the love of science and the rush to it.

As for the famous philosopher and master of thought, Aristotle, he viewed intelligence in a way that differed from Plato's view of it. He defined intelligence as an accumulated, successive, and escalating group of sensations, feelings, and ideas that together constitute what is called reason and logic.

Within this context, and amid the great disagreement that has erupted between orientalists, psychologists, sociologists, analysts, and psychological counselors, psychologist Odin Borg intervened to resolve this great dispute and stop this controversy.

As he put a definition of intelligence that is more comprehensive and realistic than all that previous scholars wrote before him. This definition was produced through a new, modern, and before-its-era-and-time method.

This great philosopher conducted intelligence tests on people by discussing them on separate, different, and disparate topics, and in the end, the degree of intelligence was determined numerically for each person, and this gives a correct result and an accurate standard for the degree and level of intelligence for each person, and a clear definition of the literal meaning of the word intelligence and the concept of intelligence.

What Are the Types of Intelligence?

1. Musical intelligence

Musical intelligence is known as the ability to taste the musical tone. It is intended to be able to produce, value, and appreciate music, distinguishing between different musical styles in terms of rhythm and tone character, it gives a person the high ability to feel the music, understand musical stereotypes, good, correct, and accurate reading of musical notes with all their symbols, terminology, keys, and musical stairs. In addition, music intelligence enables a person, listener or interested in music, to distinguish and differentiate between a good tune and a bad tune.

Musical intelligence is a faculty of God Almighty and a great gift of Him. It enables a person to distinguish between the word that is suitable to be written in a song and the prevailing naive, fuzzy and repetitive speech, this faculty distinguishes its owner by not accepting any kind of tune and any kind of speech, especially shoddy and used in another speech pattern, or so-called kitsch, the descending speech, or the descending melody.

There are several fields in which musical intelligence flourishes and increases its area, such as musical composition, musical composing, solo music playing or in a musical choir, singing of all kinds on a stage, in an opera house, or a showroom, musical ear, good and quiet listening, and openness to the music of peoples.

2. Linguistic Intelligence

Linguistic intelligence means having the ability to understand and master the language, to be able to speak it fluently and turn it into a process of investment and abundant production, and to be familiar with its vocabulary, meanings, terminology, and original, foreign, Arabized, foreign and newly invented words.

Linguistic intelligence includes the use of language, whether it is, Arabic, English, French, Russian or Spanish, as a means of oral and written communication, adopting it as an official language in commercial exchanges between peoples and in transporting goods, and teaching it in universities, schools, and educational and scientific centers.

Linguistic intelligence also includes understanding word structure and composition, mastering grammar and spelling rules, the art of writing letters and poetry, how to ask questions in a sound language free from any looseness or errors, and possessing linguistic and spelling checking skills.

3. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence means having the ability to understand, master, appreciate and feel human emotions and feelings, as well as mastering the skills of dealing with sincere human emotion, managing it and using it beneficially, and investing it in a way that serves humanity as a whole. Emotional intelligence is also concerned with spreading good, science, knowledge, and noble human values among people, and contributes to reforming and building the earth and protecting it from tampering, corruption, and destructive criminal damned hands.

Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand the nature of our feelings and the nature of others' feelings, and then consider and console them on this basis, the emotional part of intelligence includes a sense of self, love, appreciation, respect, and consideration, not disturbing or torturing it, and staying away from everything that ruins, corrupts or destroys it.

4. spatial intelligence

Spatial intelligence is a new, different, unique, and distinct type of intelligence. It is characterized by a high and unique ability to perceive, and create new graphic mental images, tangible and intangible, in addition to having the ability to distinguish between colors and geometric shapes, which leads to the ability to express art and creativity with a high sense, high artistic decency and sensitivity.

Spatial intelligence increases our ability to sense the place and its magnificence, and the visual perception of things, cities, and lands and their spatial and aesthetic dimensions. Studies have confirmed that spatial intelligence is high among air, sea, and geographic navigators, given that they memorize places and natural visual scenes such as mountains, rivers, valleys, lakes, seas, oceans, and continents.

This increases their visual vision of beautiful places, increases their spatial intelligence, and accumulates their visual experiences. Which reflects in a positive, clear, tangible, and significant way in their practical life.

5. environmental intelligence

This type of intelligence is characterized by the ability to perceive, classify, and distinguish between the types of living organisms, plants, herbs, and environments in nature, in addition to estimating and feeling these environments.

This faculty extends to include the entire cultural world as a whole, and this makes this intelligence a unique feature that distinguishes its owner and makes them able to explain and interpret the features of beauty and its components in different, diverse, and disparate environments, and the individual is able, based on this feeling, to understand the surrounding environment and perceive its beautiful elements, and this gives them the ability to adapting to their environment and living in it in health, happiness, and beauty.

6. Logical intelligence or mathematical intelligence

People who enjoy mathematical intelligence tend to logic and rational and philosophical thinking. Their talents appear in a special, distinct and tangible way when they deal with intractable mathematical equations and problems, which ordinary people are not good at solving or analyzing or finding a real, clear and specific answer to. Mathematical intelligence also includes the ability to perceive mathematical patterns and perform mathematical analysis and logical reasoning for geometric, numerical, and mathematical shapes and patterns.

In Conclusion

The types of intelligence are different and varied, and each person has special skills. Some people achieve success in the scientific field, some excel in football, and others draw, color, innovate, merge with image and art, print their passion and draw their feelings with a stroke of genius, and imprint their immortal mark on this diverse society.