Why Upgrade Your Intelligence?
In our modern times, there is no doubt that our intelligence is needed for us to survive and thrive. Generally, intelligence is considered to be that quality that helps us work, succeed in school, and make good decisions with finances, problem solving, and person choices. Wikipedia gives us the following concise definition “Human intelligence is the intellectual capacity of humans, which is characterized by perception, consciousness, self-awareness, and volition. Through their intelligence, humans possess the cognitive abilities to learn, form concepts, understand, apply logic, and reason, including the capacities to recognize patterns, comprehend ideas, plan, problem solve, make decisions, retain information, and use language to communicate. Intelligence enables humans to experience and think.” Given that definition, we can see that many characteristics and traits can be defined as intelligence.
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences identifies eight different types of intelligence: Visual-Spatial, Logical-Mathematical, Verbal-Linguistic, Body-Kinesthetic, Naturalistic, Musical, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. These are fairly self-explanatory so we won’t get into specifics, but as we can see even at a glance, there are far more types of intelligence that what is evaluated on an SAT or IQ test. All of these intelligences are important to civilized society. However, more and more, we are seeing logical-mathematical skills and verbal skills accounting for academic and career success. In a high tech world, the ability to solve complex technical problems and to communicate in writing and speech are essential to maintain the status quo and to advance. Prior to the industrial revolution, naturalistic skills were much more important to survival and success as people had to navigate the rugged terrain, forage for food, and farm the land.
As this life becomes more complex, people are seeking to advance their intellect, their ability to learn and digest new information, and to attain more knowledge. Only a few decades ago, a person could live a very comfortable lifestyle with a high school education or less. Today, competing for the top jobs and being prepared to search again in the event of corporate mergers, outsourced jobs, and phasing out of outdated operations leaves more people seeking higher education, more certifications, and the ongoing upgrading of technical skills. To maintain their place in the workforce, the ability to learn, adapt, and change are often more important than years of experience in a particular job. This is why the ability to reshape our minds is increasingly essential. Neuroplasticity is the concept that describes our ability to learn, adapt and “rewire” our brains, and ongoing research has proven that varying degrees of neuroplasticity are within reach to varying degrees throughout our lifetimes as long as our brains are still generally healthy. In a nutshell – Never. Stop. Learning. Follow our blog on NeuroHacking – Adventures of the Mind, as we explore the adult capacity to make meaningful changes in the brain.
