On: the different types of intelligence, the ABC goal framework and more
This issue was first published in my biweekly newsletter: The Sovereign Stoic.
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5 paragraphs on a mix of practical frameworks, principles, lessons, captivating stories and more.
Today’s Snapshot
- What really is intelligence, and what are its different forms?
- There is a great framework that can help you hit your goals.
- Can we cure all genetic diseases in the next 100 years?
- Do the best arguments always win over others?
- Is it possible to pursue multiple careers?
1-On the different types of intelligence
What really is intelligence?
There are different definitions of what characterizes intelligence, with the mainstream one often associating it with the ability to understand and solve scientific, mathematical, or other academic problems.
However, this narrow view paints an incomplete picture.
Defining intelligence in a single, simplistic sentence would be hard and impossible.
Considering the vast diversity among humans, from genetics, physical features, and abilities, it follows that diverse intelligences ought to exist as well.
It’s no surprise that various schools of thought have emerged, each with its own understanding of what constitutes intelligence and how it’s measured.
I have explored a few of those different perspectives and want to share my findings.
One the simplest way to define intelligence I found, was a framework put forward by the British psychologist Raymond Cattell.
Cattell proposed a theory of intelligence that distinguished two forms of intelligence:
1-Crystalized intelligence
Crystalized intelligence, as the name suggests, refers to knowledge that was acquired at some point in the past and the ability to recall and resort to that said knowledge.
E.g: When you are given an exam on the topics covered in class, the ability to recall the information and answer correctly would a good way to think about this type on intelligence.
2-Fluid intelligence:
Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, refers to the ability to connect patterns and deduce information that can help solve novel challenges.
E.g: For instance when it rains a lot and there is soil erosion, thinking of and finding new ways to prevent this from happening again would be a demonstration of the later.
Another school of thought about intelligence is one postulated by American psychologist Robert Sternberg.
Sternberg’s theory suggests that there are 3 types of intelligence:
-Practical intelligence (aka street smarts)
This intelligence is what we use to navigate daily life by applying knowledge obtained through our lived experience.
-Analytical intelligence (aka academic performance)
This intelligence is illustrated through the ability to take information, evaluate it, analyze it, sort it out and use the deductions to solve problems.
This type of intelligence is associated with academic performance.
-Creative intelligence.
This type intelligence refers to the ability to imagine novel ways to solve unexpected problems.
For instance let’s say you are out camping with a few friends, and you all forgot to bring a pan to cook dinned.
Figuring out a way to cook w/out the pan would be considered creative.
The 3rd theory I looked is that of multiple intelligences pioneered by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner.
This theory postulates that there are 8 types of intelligence:
1-Linguistic intelligence: those who possess it have a way w/ words (journalists, poets, novelists, etc…)
2-Musical intelligence: those who have it are good with music composition and performance. (singers, music producers, etc…)
3-Spatial intelligence: those who have this type of intelligence can easily conceptualize the relationship between objects and how they move and relate to the space around them (architects, sailors, etc…)
4-Intrapersonal intelligence: this is characteristic of the most successful people. This intelligence allows them to use emotional regulation to direct their behavior and successfully pursue their goals.
5-Bodily kinesthetic intelligence: this intelligence is associated with the ability to control body movements and perform various physical tasks (dancers, athletes, etc…)
6-Logical-mathematical intelligence: is characterized by the ability to reason and use logic to come up or observe numerical patterns (scientists, mathematicians. etc…)
7-Interpersonal intelligence: is associated with high empathy, or the ability to understand and the emotions of those around you (counselors, social workers, etc…)
8-Naturalist intelligence: is associated with the ability to appreciate nature and the natural world and the interactions therein.
It’s fair to say that most humans are not limited to one type of intelligence, but a rather a combination of all but at different levels for each (think of it as a gradient).
It’s also possible to practice and nurture the different intelligence.
Those who decide to specialize in some fields usually end up developing 1 or 2 forms of intelligence at the expense of others, and they are mostly rewarded for it.
I also like to think that those who can type into more of these forms of intelligence at adequate levels (generalists) are also rewarded as much.
2-On the ABC goal framework
One of the biggest obstacles to achieving goals is that they are too big and feel daunting.
A good solution to overcome this feeling is to break down a goal and have many levels of success.
Success shouldn’t be absolute.
There is a good framework that I found helpful in overcoming this issue.
It’s called the ABC framework.
If you want to do something, have at least 3 different levels of success to measure your achievements by.
Have at least 3 levels of success for any goals you want to achieve
Level A: achieving the highest level of success as you set out to achieve
Level B: the next lower version of the achieving Level A success
Level C: a lower version of success A, but significant to move the needle towards the goal.
Here is a simple practical example of this frameworks at work:
Let’s say you have a fitness goal to be more active and exercise consistently.
You then define that the highest level of succeeding at this goal as exercising 5 days/week (Level A).
5 five days into the week, you realize you won’t be able to achieve the 5 days/week exercise goal.
The next level of success here would perhaps be to exercise at least 3–4 days that week (Level B), and the lowest version of this goal would be have some level of activity, such as taking 50,000 steps/week (Level C).
The framework allows you to stay in the game and not be discouraged by the fact that you didn’t achieve the highest level of success towards the overall goal.
It works as long as everything you achieve at each level somehow moves the needle in the direction of the desired goal.
This can be applied in various areas of our personal and professional lives.
3-On the quest to cure all genetic diseases
A few months ago, CRISPR therapeutics and Vertex pharmaceutical companies announced the approval of the first CRISPR-based gene therapy in the world: Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel).
This is a big milestone in the quest towards curing all or most diseases that results from defects in our genes.
For a quick refresher, CRISPR technology can be used to precisely edit DNA in cells, and correct genetic mutations that could be responsible for a disease or other undesirable traits.
This approval marks a significant step forward in gene therapy, and highlights the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in treating various genetic diseases.
You can read more about this here.
4-On being persuasive
I will admit it here, I used to think that putting forth my best arguments is all I needed to persuade someone, or get to see the world from my perspective .
I thought of myself as super persuasive.
After all, why would someone disagree with my logical, well-thought out opinion disguised as the one and only truth there is?
Well, turns out I was completely wrong. I was just being loud, and pushing the other person to be less receptive to my ideas.
When having a heated argument or a debate, showing the other person that you disagree with their opinion or view does nothing to convince them of your point of view.
Instead, it pushes them further away from agreeing to a compromise.
Like Stephen Covey once wrote:
“The only way to persuade people to change their minds is to get inside their heads and see the world from their perspective.”
This is such a powerful concept that everyone should know and learn to use.
The key to convincing someone to consider your side of things is to find a shared belief or motive that will keep their brain open to your point of view.
The best persuasion tactic is that you should seek to understand the other person before you ask to be understood.
5-On having multiple professional pursuits
I recently read an article where the author was sharing an opinion that could be deemed controversial at the time of writing.
In this article, Kabir Sehgal, the author, suggests that having at least two professional pursuits would be more professionally fulfilling for most people.
Kabir shares about his own experience with having multiple pursuits (corporate strategist, music producer, Navy reserve officer and author).
There are 3 major points that stood out to me, on how to go about this and the benefits of doing so:
1- You can use your main pursuit to help you engage in other careers
A small part of the paycheck you get from working on the main pursuit can be invested in learning new skills that are relevant to another pursuit you are interested in.
The skills you acquired doing your main thing can also be transferred/applied to the new pursuit.
2-Having different careers allows you to think intersectionally
Different pursuits expose you to different opportunities, different point of views and different ways of doing things.
This combination can help you become a person who understands different environments, and can come up with ideas and innovations that bridge the gap across multiple industries.
3- Extending and diversifying your network
Most of us are likely to network and to professional interaction with people in same line of practice or industry.
When you engage in more than one professional pursuit, you get to meet other people in that line of work, therefore broaden your network and consequently your resourcefulness and understanding of different sectors.
When this article was written (6 years ago), most people would have scoffed at the idea of having it.
But now with the advent of AI, it’s increasingly obvious that the way we approach our careers will be dramatically different, and will more than likely need to pursue a portfolio of professional pursuits rather than just one.
You can read more here.
