The theory of multiple intelligences proposes the differentiation of human intelligence into specific modalities of intelligence, rather than defining intelligence as a single, general ability. The theory has been criticized by mainstream psychology for its lack of empirical evidence, and its dependence on subjective judgement. [1]
How many types of intelligence are there?
There have been at least 13 different types of intelligence that have been identified so far. These different ways of being smart can help people perform in different areas from their personal life, business, to sports and relationships.
What are the 13 types of intelligence?
- Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
- Emotional Quotient (EQ)
- Social Quotient (SQ)
- Adversity Quotient (AQ)
- Financial Quotient (FQ)
- Nutrition Quotient (NQ)
- Positive Quotient (PQ)
- Spiritual Quotient (SPQ)
- Experience (XQ)
- Digital (DQ)
- Vision (VQ)
- Creative Intelligence (CQ)
- Technical and ethical competencies (TEQ)
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
Your IQ is simply a number representing reasoning ability measured by using problem-solving tests.
According to many reputable studies, children who score higher on IQ tests will, on average, go on to do better in the conventional measures of success in life: academic achievement and economic success. These children are also more likely to have better health and a longer life.
Real leverage in life comes mostly from the things that IQ doesn’t test, such as social and emotional intelligence, creativity, and self-awareness. Life isn’t an exam. It’s a process. Success in life overall is almost always about relationships and adding value to other people, and assembling and working in a team. [2]
Emotional Quotient (EQ)
Emotional intelligence is being smart enough to identify, understand, and also manage emotions. This ability means you’re smart about feelings and can recognize them as they arise, interpret their meaning, and regulate your emotions. Being emotionally intelligent also means you can see emotions arise in others. EQ is different from IQ and many of the smartest people are not aware of their own feelings or how they affect the emotions of others. [3]
Social Quotient (SQ)
Social intelligence helps individuals build relationships – and is important to numerous aspects of a person’s life. It allows an individual to form friendships and alliances. And, it assists a person against being taken advantage of. [4]
This is being smart enough to keep a close relationship with your family, maintain friendships, and build social networks of connections for business. It is the art of being smart with people.
Adversity Quotient (AQ)
The adversity quotient is the ability to face situations, problems, and obstacles in life until they are overcome. A person with a good adversity quotient will be able to effectively face down their obstacles consistently and take advantage of opportunities to accomplish their goals.[5]
The AQ is being smart enough to keep going when you have trouble getting through to your goals. It’s also called having grit.
According to Angela Duckworth:
Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
One way to think about grit is to consider what grit isn’t.
Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something.
Instead, grit is about having what some researchers call an “ultimate concern”–a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. And grit is holding steadfast to that goal. [6]
Financial Quotient (FQ)
Financial intelligence is the ability to both build and manage wealth by understanding how money works. Finances are more behavioral than intellectual and are mostly about self-control, self-discipline, and consistency of action. Financial literacy is understanding how to write a budget, create an investment portfolio, and earn money. Financial intelligence is being smart enough to follow your budget, deposit money in your investments consistently, and go earn money every week.
Most people are unable to make money in the stock market due to a lack of financial intelligence to follow a strategy with discipline. The inability to say no to yourself when you want to buy something you can’t afford also shows a low FQ. Someone with a high FQ can play good financial defense through saving and good financial offense through earning power.
Nutrition Quotient (NQ)
Nutritional intelligence is how smart people are with the food choices they make. All good and bad effects of food and beverages should be considered not just one aspect. The full nutrition profile of a diet is understood by people who have a high NQ.
People with a high NQ eat nutritionally dense and low caloric whole foods. They watch their daily intake of calories and plan to get an adequate amount of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, and protein from their food choices.
NQ is about knowledge, choices, and self-control in what we consume. People with a low NQ don’t understand the effects different types of food have on their health, energy, and mental state.
Positive Quotient (PQ)
The positive intelligence quotient is used to amplify mental abilities by focusing on good thoughts and the good aspect of events in our lives. It’s the percentage of time the mind is being positive and creating energy by seeing the good in the world and your own life. It’s a huge factor in allowing you to reach your full potential by not suppressing your own drive and ability to act.
Being smart enough to stay focused on the positive stops people from being their own worst energy. A positive mindset has an edge over negativity and realism as mental energy is reduced with an internal narrative of doubt. A high PQ sees the current good in people, things, and situations and assumes good outcomes eventually regardless of the current reality.
Spiritual Quotient (SPQ)
Our spiritual quotient can be our most fundamental intelligence. It’s what we use to develop our purpose and meaning in life along with our vision for how the world should be. Our spirituality can determine our core values. It allows us to have faith in something bigger than our self and to strive to be a better person. It underlies why we believe the things we do.
Our underlying beliefs in our place in the universe creates our mental model for our moral and theological beliefs that creates the values that determine the actions that we take. Our spiritual intelligence is primarily where our sense or responsibility, humility, and happiness can emerge from. The more popular term for your spiritual intelligence is faith.[7]
Experience Quotient (XQ)
The ability and skills to understand the expectations of people you have a personal or business relationship with and be able to meet their desired outcomes by creating the value they seek.
One of the critical people skills is to be smart enough to understand people’s expectations of us. Knowing what people want from us is crucial for success in life whether it’s our spouse, children, boss, or customer.
Digital Quotient (DQ)
The awareness and application of new digital technologies in business to optimize profitability or personally to improve quality of life. This is being smart enough to stay updated with existing and emerging digital technologies, capabilities, platforms, computing power and processing speed.
Vision Quotient (VQ)
The ability to identify current trends and predict future trends accurately by projecting the trajectory of existing trends into the future using facts along with math. Being smart enough to bridge the gaps from where you are currently to where you want to be in the future by thinking innovatively.
Creative Quotient (CQ)
The ability to make connections between existing knowledge, experience, and information in a new situation, explore all potential and probable outcomes and come up with brand new ideas.
High creative intelligence enables people to come up with consistent new ideas that are relevant to a situation, business, or as an artist or musician. This higher level thinking will allow people to respond better to constant changes in their personal life and career.
Technical and Ethical Competencies Quotient (TEQ)
The skills and abilities to perform activities to a defined standard, while maintaining high standards of integrity, independence, and integrity. Being smart enough not to comprise your integrity, rules, or laws in the short-term for results that will cause you to lose everything in the long-term.[8]
Which type of intelligence is the best?
The type of intelligence that you already possess and can also identify, along with use in the real world to achieve your goals, is the best type of intelligence for you.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Anonymous
