Intrapersonal Intelligence: Definition & Examples - MentalUP

What did Socrates, Albert Einstein, and Mahatma Gandhi have in common? We know that you have science or philosophy in mind, but that’s not the answer we’re looking for.

They and many of the names that led to the changing of the world had a type of intelligence called intrapersonal intelligence. So, what is intrapersonal intelligence?

You will find out all about intrapersonal intelligence meaning soon. But there's much more to learn. Read on to discover interesting facts about intrapersonal intelligence, its examples, and how it can benefit your life.

What Is Intrapersonal Intelligence?

Intrapersonal meaning is defined as within a person; that is, taking place within one person's self or mind. The definition of intrapersonal intelligence is not to be confused with interpersonal, which refers to something occurring between people.

Hence, intrapersonal intelligence definition is about the capacity to explore one's inner world and feelings. This type of intelligence can help a person focus on planning and managing their life.

What Is Intrapersonal Intelligence in Psychology?

In 1983, developmental psychologist Howard Gardner defined 8 different types of intelligence and learning styles according to the multiple intelligence theory.

These are:

• Linguistic intelligence
• Mathematical intelligence
• Existential intelligence
• Kinesthetic intelligence
• Naturalistic Intelligence
• Musical intelligence
• Intrapersonal intelligence
• Spatial intelligence
• Social intelligence

According to Gardner's theory, intelligence is not a steady phenomenon. People can hold different types and levels of intelligence.

A person with advanced potential in mathematical intelligence will understand the world through mathematics, whereas intrapersonal multiple intelligence provides the chance to see the world from a different angle.

According to Gardner, a person who cannot master mathematics cannot be considered less successful or intelligent than someone who can.

On the other hand, Gardner's theory also has some drawbacks. For example, it is very difficult to know exactly how many different kinds of intelligence areas there are. Likewise, we cannot speak of a standard intelligence test or an intrapersonal intelligence test that can reveal these types of intelligence.

Therefore, it is important to remind you that the question of “who has intrapersonal intelligence?” is hard to be answered exactly. We can only have an idea about Howard Gardner intrapersonal intelligence.

What Are the Characteristics of Intrapersonal Intelligence?

The journey to know and understand others for an intrapersonal person starts with knowing themselves. After they get to know themselves, these people have a chance to understand other people, their inner worlds, and their thoughts. This way, intrapersonal strengths will show up.

We cannot define people with intrapersonal intelligence as narcissistic people. Narcissism is categorized as a personality disorder, while intrapersonal intelligence is not a disorder. In addition, people with intrapersonal intelligence are concerned with the environment around them, not just with themselves.

So, how does a person with high interpersonal intelligence behave? Individuals with high intrapersonal intelligence potential are motivated to apply what they learn to their daily lives. A person with an intrapersonal personality is often very determined to achieve his or her goals no matter how old she or he is.

You can find some other characteristics of intrapersonal intelligence here. The people who have intrapersonal characteristics might look like the below.

• They start getting to know other people by getting to know themselves.
• They enjoy being alone and dealing with something alone.
• Their intuition is strong.
• Although they are aware of their strengths, they often do not boast.
• They are independent and have high self-confidence.
• They can control many feelings, especially anger.
• Young people may be more introverted compared to their peers.
• They like to process the events they’ve experienced.
• They seek to understand their own mistakes in any negative events they have experienced in order to avoid similar situations in the future.
• They tend to express their feelings and thoughts in creative ways, such as through writing or music.
• Development is almost guaranteed for people with high intrapersonal intelligence potential. They constantly look for new life philosophies and ways to improve themselves.

What Are Intrapersonal Intelligence Examples?

Intrapersonal intelligence is mainly about managing thought processes. People who have this type of intelligence use this strategy in creativity, problem-solving, or productivity.

When we look at intrapersonal intelligence examples, we can talk about rational thought, emotion control, discipline, concentration, and introspection. If you or your kids have intrapersonal intelligence, you obviously have these skills.

Moreover, situational awareness, specific plans, and visual and conceptual thinking are among the other examples of intrapersonal intelligence. Working hard, self-direction, and achievement, which are examples of intrapersonal goals, are very important for an interpersonal personality.

Why Is Intrapersonal Intelligence Important?

When you think that you or your kids have intrapersonal intelligence, you can start to wonder how intrapersonal intelligence helps relationships, school, work, or daily life. Let’s deep dive and learn the answer to the question, “What is intrapersonal intelligence good for?”.

Intrapersonal intelligence is one of the types of intelligence, but it has obviously some strong and weak spots as the others. Firstly, people who have this type of intelligence can evaluate their thoughts and feelings pretty well. This gives them clarity of mind. So they can designate their goals better than others and achieve them easily.

Moreover, they can manage their emotions and reflect them to other people openly. Intrapersonal intelligence is important for these reasons, but you don’t need to worry if you don’t have these qualities. You can always develop your intrapersonal intelligence and cognitive skills through the proper tools to be more successful.

How to Test Intrapersonal Intelligence?

After you learn the specific details of intrapersonal intelligence, you might want to learn whether you are among the people with intrapersonal intelligence or not. So, how do you know intrapersonal intelligence?

Before diving deep, it is important to remind you that there is no exact intrapersonal intelligence test in the market. But you can determine if you or your kids have this intelligence type by using suitable sources such as the Multiple Intelligences test.

How to Develop Intrapersonal Intelligence: 5 Simple Tips

As Howard Gardner said, “Everything worth learning can be taught in different ways. The diversity of these methods stimulates multiple intelligence.”

By using effective learning tools and exercises, you can always develop your cognitive potential in different ways.

Children with intrapersonal intelligence are aware of their intelligence. They know what goals they want to achieve and what they need to do to achieve them. They learn from their mistakes and often enjoy individual work.

Don’t you want to learn how to improve intrapersonal skills? What needs to be done to develop intrapersonal intelligence potential? Here are some development suggestions for those who want to improve their intrapersonal intelligence.

1. Keep a diary

A diary can help you see what's going on around you from a different angle.

Routinely keeping a diary also helps create awareness. If it seems old school to write a diary, it can also be logged using a voice recorder.

“Writing in a diary reminds you of your goals and learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.” - Robin Sharma

2. Take Thinking Breaks

Thinking is one of the greatest abilities of mankind.

You can develop your intrapersonal intelligence with short thought breaks. It doesn't matter what you think about it. You will be shocked by the impact of thought journeys during your short breaks in a day.

3. Consider All Types of Intelligence

If we use Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, we can say that one person can be successful in more than one intelligence field.

Apart from your intrapersonal intelligence, you can improve yourself in many areas, especially visual and verbal intelligence by doing suitable intrapersonal activities.

“Although I have worked on many subjects and written books, I have never lost interest in multiple types of intelligence.” - Howard Gardner

4. Develop Social Hobbies

Intrapersonal intelligence does not only apply to a person’s inner thoughts and feelings.

It is important you to know that people with high intrapersonal intelligence can also understand other people's feelings and thoughts, which is a very important leadership trait.

Children with high intrapersonal intelligence potential may have difficulty adapting to social settings, but this is the kind of problem that can be overcome with social hobbies. More involvement in social communities and emotional intelligence activities can help manage and eventually eliminate social anxiety.

5. Be Involved in Personal Development Activities or Read Books

We have mentioned that children with high intrapersonal intelligence may constantly seek to develop themselves.

To support them, you can encourage your child towards personal development activities and age-appropriate personal development books.

Child-friendly workshops are great social activities for intrapersonal development. With this type of education, children develop the right skill set for Education 4.0.

Difference Between Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Intelligence

When it comes to drawing the lines of intrapersonal intelligence, it is necessary to compare its features with those of interpersonal intelligence.

So, what is the difference between interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence? It is time to learn how to remember intrapersonal vs interpersonal intelligence.

The difference between interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence is as follows:

Famous People with Intrapersonal Intelligence

If you are curious about the characteristics of intrapersonal intelligence, it is not enough to look at its definition, features, or examples. You can benefit from world-known famous people who have intrapersonal intelligence to understand this type of intelligence.

Do you want to find out famous people whose intelligence is intrapersonal? Great. We’ve compiled celebrities who have intrapersonal intelligence for you. Let’s discover together!

Possible Careers for People With Intrapersonal Intelligence

Thanks to great examples of intrapersonal intelligence, such as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Aristotle, Socrates, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Albert Einstein, we have seen how people with this type of intelligence have changed the course of history.

Thanks to their imagination, intuition, creativity, and other features that come with intrapersonal intelligence, they have accomplished great things and made their mark in the world.

A career for intrapersonal intelligence needs to be appropriate for their unique characteristics. Now, let’s have a look at intrapersonal jobs. Some of the most suitable intrapersonal intelligence careers include:

• Author
• Poet
• Thespian
• Philosopher
• Religious leader
• Private trainer
• Computer-assisted instructor
• Police and other security forces units
• Lawyer
• Politician
• Entrepreneur
• Farmer
• Historian
• Inventor
• Librarian
• Philosopher
• Psychologist
• Scientist
• Theologian
• Consultant
• Researcher
• Theorist

The above examples can be used as an ideal list for people with intrapersonal intelligence. But you should never forget that our brain functions across more than one intelligence type. So you or your child can have high potential in other types and have a successful career in different fields as well.

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