Why Did Multiple Intelligences Evolve In Humans?

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

How and why did multiple intelligences evolve in humans?

I think it had something to do with our being a social species. As a social species, we could benefit from having more than one way of looking at the world. That is, we could more or less "compare notes" about the world and arrive at a better understanding of it through having many different views of it. This might have been a crucial advantage that we had during our evolution.

But what do you think?

EDIT: What would be the evolutionary advantage of multiple intelligences in a social animal? How would having more than one kind of intelligence in a group of the same species help that species survive?

In other words, what is the evolutionary advantage of intellectual diversity?

So, how come we're not "all on the same page" when it comes to intelligences? How come humans found it advantageous to have people in their group that did not see the world the same as they themselves did? What was the survival advantage of that?

EDIT: What survival advantage(s) were great enough that multiple intelligences arose in humans despite that multiple intelligences might lead to social divisiveness?

Super Universe · Sep 18, 2006

Multiple intelligences?

Are you talking about multiple personalities?

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

Super Universe said:
Multiple intelligences?

Are you talking about multiple personalities?

Hardly.

From:

http://www.multi-intell.com/whatismiq.htm

PeopleSmart (interpersonal intelligence) involves the ability to work cooperatively in a group as well as the ability to communicate, verbally and non-verbally, with other people. It builds on the capacity to notice distinctions among others, for example, contrasts in moods, temperament, motivations, and intentions. In the more advanced forms of this intelligence one can literally pass over into another person's life context (that is, stand in their shoes, so to speak) and experience their intentions and desires. One can have genuine empathy for anothers feelings, fears, anticipations, and beliefs.

SelfSmart (intrapersonal intelligence) involves knowledge of the internal aspects of the self such as knowledge of feelings, the range of emotional responses, thinking processes, self-reflection, and a sense of or intuition about spiritual realities. Intrapersonal intelligence allows us to be conscious of our consciousness; that is, to step back from ourselves and watch ourselves as an outside observer does. Our self-identity and the ability to transcend the self are part of the functioning of this intelligence. SelfSmart is the most private and requires all other intelligence forms to express itself, such as language, art, music, dance, symbols, and interpersonal communication with others.

WordSmart(verbal-linguistic intelligence) is responsible for the production of language and all the complex possibilities that follow, including poetry, humor, grammar, metaphors, similes, abstract reasoning, symbolic thinking, and of course, the written word. Verbal-linguistic intelligence is awakened by the spoken word; by reading someone's ideas or poetry; and by writing one's own ideas, thoughts, or poetry

BodySmart (bodily-kinesthetic intelligence) is the ability to use the body to express emotion, to play a game, to communicate with others using "body language", or to create a new product. Our bodies are very wise. They know things our conscious minds don't and can't know in any other way. For example, if you had to lay out the keyboard of a computer on a piece of paper without moving your fingers, could you do it? Probably not. But your fingers know the keyboard without even pausing.

NatureSmart (NatureSmart (naturalist intelligence) is related to our recognition, appreciation, and understanding of the natural world around us. It involves such capacities as species discernment, the ability to recognize and classify various flora and fauna, and our knowledge of and communion with the natural world. You can see the naturalist intelligence when you find yourself drawn to and fascinated by animals and their behaviors. You see it when you notice the effect on your mood and sense of well-being when someone brings plants and-or cut flowers into an otherwise sterile, humanly-created environment. Think how often we head for nature when we want to relax, unwind or find inner renewal!

ImageSmart (visual-spatial intelligence) involves such activities as painting, drawing, and sculpture; navigation, mapmaking and architecture, and games such as chess (which requires the ability to visualize objects from different perspectives and angles). The key sensory base of this intelligence is the sense of sight, but it also involves the ability to form images and pictures in the mind. Our childhood daydreaming, when we pretended we could fly or that we were magical beings, or maybe that we were heroes-heroines in fabulous adventure stories used this intelligence to the hilt!

SoundSmart (musical-rhythmic intelligence) includes such capacities as the recognition and use of rhythmic and tonal patterns, and sensitivity to sounds from the environment, the human voice, and musical instruments. Many of us learned the alphabet through this intelligence and the A-B-C song. Of all forms of intelligence identified, the consciousness altering effect of music and rhythm on the brain is the greatest. Just think of how music can calm you when you are stressed, stimulate you when you're bored, and help you attain a steady rhythm in such things as typing and exercising. It has been used to inspire our religious beliefs, intensify national loyalties, and to express great loss or intense joy.

LogicSmart (logical-mathematical intelligence) is most often associated with what we call scientific thinking. Logical-mathematical intelligence is activated in situations requiring problem-solving or meeting a new challenge. This intelligence likewise involves the capacity to recognize patterns, to work with abstract symbols such as numbers and geometric shapes, and to discern relationships and-or see connections between separate and distinct pieces of information

Different people have different mixes of those basic intelligences.

Ormiston · Sep 18, 2006

I'd have to assume that we would develop "smarts" on every available subject. We're each more or less smart about everything we come in contact with. I'd say our "smarts" have molded themselves around our world/existance.

Random · Sep 18, 2006

In my experience, all attempts to categorise intelligences and the people who possess them are stupendously unintelligent. Cognitive and intellectual capacity cannot be summed up and folded away under the tag of various kinds of "smarts". That's rubbish.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "multiple intelligences" anyway, Sunstone. Everyone's thought-patterns and conscious awareness differs, there are no two alike. This really has little to do with evolution, aside from the brain matter utilised as a hard-drive processor.

Your "social animal" angle might cut it if we're talking Social Darwinism, but to say it's all about comparing notes and such seems a bit silly. I'm going to refrain from saying any more cos' I'm not sure what way to respond when the question is so vague.

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

Ormiston said:
I'd have to assume that we would develop "smarts" on every available subject. We're each more or less smart about everything we come in contact with. I'd say our "smarts" have molded themselves around our world/existance.

Would you say that human intelligences have been molded through an evolutionary process? That is, what process(es) account for the molding you speak of?

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

Godlike said:
In my experience, all attempts to categorise intelligences and the people who possess them are stupendously unintelligent. Cognitive and intellectual capacity cannot be summed up and folded away under the tag of various kinds of "smarts". That's rubbish.

If in your experience, all attempts to categorise intelligences are stupendously unintelligent, then you are most likely unfamiliar with the work of Howard Gardner on multiple intelligences. Gardner discovered that there were different neural pathways and neural structures involved in intelligence. Those different pathways and structures are the basis of his categorization.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "multiple intelligences" anyway, Sunstone. Everyone's thought-patterns and conscious awareness differs, there are no two alike. This really has little to do with evolution, aside from the brain matter utilised as a hard-drive processor.

Are you actually suggesting that intelligences can be discussed as seperate from and distinct to the functioning of the central nervous system? If so, do you have any evidence to support your contention, or is it just wild speculation on your part?

Your "social animal" angle might cut it if we're talking Social Darwinism, but to say it's all about comparing notes and such seems a bit silly. I'm going to refrain from saying any more cos' I'm not sure what way to respond when the question is so vague.

I completely fail to understand what any of this has to do with Social Darwinism. Could you elaborate on why you believe it does indeed have something to do with Social Darwinism?

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

What would be the evolutionary advantage of multiple intelligences in a social animal? How would having more than one kind of intelligence in a group of the same species help that species survive?

In other words, what is the evolutionary advantage of intellectual diversity?

So, how come we're not "all on the same page" when it comes to intelligences? How come humans found it advantageous to have people in their group that did not see the world the same as they themselves did? What was the survival advantage of that?

doppelganger · Sep 18, 2006

Sunstone said:
What would be the evolutionary advantage of multiple intelligences in a social animal? How would having more than one kind of intelligence in a group of the same species help that species survive?

In other words, what is the evolutionary advantage of intellectual diversity?

So, how come we're not "all on the same page" when it comes to intelligences? How come humans found it advantageous to have people in their group that did not see the world the same as they themselves did? What was the survival advantage of that?

I really don't know, but perhaps it provides a more diverse mix of possibilities for group problem-solving and cultural evolution. In other words, maybe it creates more ability to generate or brainstorm new ideas to help culture, language and associated memes adapt to changing conditions.

nutshell · Sep 18, 2006

Sunstone said:
What would be the evolutionary advantage of multiple intelligences in a social animal? How would having more than one kind of intelligence in a group of the same species help that species survive?

In other words, what is the evolutionary advantage of intellectual diversity?

So, how come we're not "all on the same page" when it comes to intelligences? How come humans found it advantageous to have people in their group that did not see the world the same as they themselves did? What was the survival advantage of that?

I believe the result of multiple intelligences would be a diverse community whose individuals would be able to contribute using their areas of strength.

In a modern context, a successful company will assign different tasks to individuals based on their natural strenghts. The assertive people may do sales, while the perfectionists are doing data entry, and the friendly people are doing customer service, and the talkers are doing training. I'm over-generalizing here, but perhaps the analogy works.

mostly harmless · Sep 18, 2006

Sunstone said:
Hardly.

From:

http://www.multi-intell.com/whatismiq.htm

PeopleSmart (interpersonal intelligence) involves the ability to work cooperatively in a group as well as the ability to communicate, verbally and non-verbally, with other people. It builds on the capacity to notice distinctions among others, for example, contrasts in moods, temperament, motivations, and intentions. In the more advanced forms of this intelligence one can literally pass over into another person's life context (that is, stand in their shoes, so to speak) and experience their intentions and desires. One can have genuine empathy for anothers feelings, fears, anticipations, and beliefs.

SelfSmart (intrapersonal intelligence) involves knowledge of the internal aspects of the self such as knowledge of feelings, the range of emotional responses, thinking processes, self-reflection, and a sense of or intuition about spiritual realities. Intrapersonal intelligence allows us to be conscious of our consciousness; that is, to step back from ourselves and watch ourselves as an outside observer does. Our self-identity and the ability to transcend the self are part of the functioning of this intelligence. SelfSmart is the most private and requires all other intelligence forms to express itself, such as language, art, music, dance, symbols, and interpersonal communication with others.

WordSmart(verbal-linguistic intelligence) is responsible for the production of language and all the complex possibilities that follow, including poetry, humor, grammar, metaphors, similes, abstract reasoning, symbolic thinking, and of course, the written word. Verbal-linguistic intelligence is awakened by the spoken word; by reading someone's ideas or poetry; and by writing one's own ideas, thoughts, or poetry

BodySmart (bodily-kinesthetic intelligence) is the ability to use the body to express emotion, to play a game, to communicate with others using "body language", or to create a new product. Our bodies are very wise. They know things our conscious minds don't and can't know in any other way. For example, if you had to lay out the keyboard of a computer on a piece of paper without moving your fingers, could you do it? Probably not. But your fingers know the keyboard without even pausing.

NatureSmart (NatureSmart (naturalist intelligence) is related to our recognition, appreciation, and understanding of the natural world around us. It involves such capacities as species discernment, the ability to recognize and classify various flora and fauna, and our knowledge of and communion with the natural world. You can see the naturalist intelligence when you find yourself drawn to and fascinated by animals and their behaviors. You see it when you notice the effect on your mood and sense of well-being when someone brings plants and-or cut flowers into an otherwise sterile, humanly-created environment. Think how often we head for nature when we want to relax, unwind or find inner renewal!

ImageSmart (visual-spatial intelligence) involves such activities as painting, drawing, and sculpture; navigation, mapmaking and architecture, and games such as chess (which requires the ability to visualize objects from different perspectives and angles). The key sensory base of this intelligence is the sense of sight, but it also involves the ability to form images and pictures in the mind. Our childhood daydreaming, when we pretended we could fly or that we were magical beings, or maybe that we were heroes-heroines in fabulous adventure stories used this intelligence to the hilt!

SoundSmart (musical-rhythmic intelligence) includes such capacities as the recognition and use of rhythmic and tonal patterns, and sensitivity to sounds from the environment, the human voice, and musical instruments. Many of us learned the alphabet through this intelligence and the A-B-C song. Of all forms of intelligence identified, the consciousness altering effect of music and rhythm on the brain is the greatest. Just think of how music can calm you when you are stressed, stimulate you when you're bored, and help you attain a steady rhythm in such things as typing and exercising. It has been used to inspire our religious beliefs, intensify national loyalties, and to express great loss or intense joy.

LogicSmart (logical-mathematical intelligence) is most often associated with what we call scientific thinking. Logical-mathematical intelligence is activated in situations requiring problem-solving or meeting a new challenge. This intelligence likewise involves the capacity to recognize patterns, to work with abstract symbols such as numbers and geometric shapes, and to discern relationships and-or see connections between separate and distinct pieces of information

Different people have different mixes of those basic intelligences.

I think that the development of these intelligences has more to do with things you are exposed to as a child. There may be people who seem to be born with a 'knack' for a certain thing (such as music)...but I think for the most part I believe life experience, right from birth, is what develops a persons brain to be more 'intelligent' in one aspect over another.

Take me for instance, I can 'read' a persons body language. However, I have no skill with math. I am 'people smart', 'nature smart', self smart, and 'body smart'...but I have no artistic ability. I can play instruments but I wouldn't say that I am 'musically inclined'.

The ways I am 'Smart' are directly related to my upbringing and the things I was exposed to and taught growing up as well as the parenting I had. (I had a very 'unpleasant' childhood after a certain age)

I don't think that for the most part evolution has much to do with which 'intelligence' a person would possess.

I'm sorry if I'm not making much sense...not feeling well today..

Random · Sep 18, 2006

Sunstone said:
What would be the evolutionary advantage of multiple intelligences in a social animal? How would having more than one kind of intelligence in a group of the same species help that species survive?

In other words, what is the evolutionary advantage of intellectual diversity?

We create new environments, languages, symbols and modes of thought using the intellect: these help us thrive but not necessarily survive. Beyond that, I don't know.

You rather rabidly tore apart my previous post, so perhaps you are better qualified than I to quantify wholly relative matters such as categories of intelligences and "intellectual diversity"...it's all noise to me.

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

doppelgänger said:
I really don't know, but perhaps it provides a more diverse mix of possibilities for group problem-solving and cultural evolution. In other words, maybe it creates more ability to generate or brainstorm new ideas to help culture, language and associated memes adapt to changing conditions.

I think you're onto something! Frubals!

Smith and Jones look at the world in different ways. When the group to which Smith and Jones belong is faced with a survival problem, it's as if Smith and Jones each has one piece of the puzzle to solving the problem. By themselves, neither has a very adequate solution to the problem. But taken together, their inputs solve the problem.

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

nutshell said:
I believe the result of multiple intelligences would be a diverse community whose individuals would be able to contribute using their areas of strength.

In a modern context, a successful company will assign different tasks to individuals based on their natural strenghts. The assertive people may do sales, while the perfectionists are doing data entry, and the friendly people are doing customer service, and the talkers are doing training. I'm over-generalizing here, but perhaps the analogy works.

Excellent analogy! Frubals!

I think you see the advantages of multiple intelligences in all sorts of cooperative behaviors that humans undertake.

Interestingly enough, it's when people play to their strengths, rather than try to compensate for their weaknesses, that the most gets done, and done well.

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

Godlike said:
We create new environments, languages, symbols and modes of thought using the intellect: these help us thrive but not necessarily survive. Beyond that, I don't know.

You rather rabidly tore apart my previous post, so perhaps you are better qualified than I to quantify wholly relative matters such as categories of intelligences and "intellectual diversity"...it's all noise to me.

My apologies for rabidly tearing apart your previous post, Godlike. I thought it was a thoughtful post even though I disagreed with it wholly. Frubals!

Sunstone · Sep 18, 2006

mostly harmless said:
I think that the development of these intelligences has more to do with things you are exposed to as a child. There may be people who seem to be born with a 'knack' for a certain thing (such as music)...but I think for the most part I believe life experience, right from birth, is what develops a persons brain to be more 'intelligent' in one aspect over another.

Take me for instance, I can 'read' a persons body language. However, I have no skill with math. I am 'people smart', 'nature smart', self smart, and 'body smart'...but I have no artistic ability. I can play instruments but I wouldn't say that I am 'musically inclined'.

The ways I am 'Smart' are directly related to my upbringing and the things I was exposed to and taught growing up as well as the parenting I had. (I had a very 'unpleasant' childhood after a certain age)

I don't think that for the most part evolution has much to do with which 'intelligence' a person would possess.

I'm sorry if I'm not making much sense...not feeling well today..

It seems to me the different kinds of intelligence predispose us to different talents and abilities. We tend to develop faster and more fully in those things for which we have an innate talent for. For instance, a person who has some athletic talent has a head start, so to speak, over someone who doesn't have such a talent when it comes to running and jumping.

I don't know what portion of each intelligence is innate and what portion of each intelligence is nurture. But I imagine it could vary with the kind of intelligence one is speaking of.

Jayhawker Soule · Sep 18, 2006

Sunstone said:
What would be the evolutionary advantage of multiple intelligences in a social animal? How would having more than one kind of intelligence in a group of the same species help that species survive?

Why must there be an evolutionary "advantge?

Quiddity · Sep 18, 2006

Sunstone said:
How and why did multiple intelligences evolve in humans?

I think it had something to do with our being a social species. As a social species, we could benefit from having more than one way of looking at the world. That is, we could more or less "compare notes" about the world and arrive at a better understanding of it through having many different views of it. This might have been a crucial advantage that we had during our evolution.

But what do you think?

EDIT: What would be the evolutionary advantage of multiple intelligences in a social animal? How would having more than one kind of intelligence in a group of the same species help that species survive?

In other words, what is the evolutionary advantage of intellectual diversity?

So, how come we're not "all on the same page" when it comes to intelligences? How come humans found it advantageous to have people in their group that did not see the world the same as they themselves did? What was the survival advantage of that?

EDIT: What survival advantage(s) were great enough that multiple intelligences arose in humans despite that multiple intelligences might lead to social divisiveness?

So some can say jokes without others understanding....

Sunstone · Sep 19, 2006

Jayhawker Soule said:
Why must there be an evolutionary "advantge?

One might conjecture that a social animal which had only one kind of intelligence would experience less social divisiveness than a social animal with multiple kinds of intelligence. If so, then what was the advantage to having multiple kinds of intelligence versus having one kind of intelligence?

Jayhawker Soule · Sep 19, 2006

Sunstone said:
Jayhawker Soule said:

Why must there be an evolutionary "advantge?

Click to expand...

One might conjecture that a social animal which had only one kind of intelligence would experience less social divisiveness than a social animal with multiple kinds of intelligence. If so, then what was the advantage to having multiple kinds of intelligence versus having one kind of intelligence?

If "one might conjecture" as you've suggested, then you've answered your own question, but you haven't answered mine.

Why Did Multiple Intelligences Evolve In Humans?

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