To become smarter, you must develop all forms of intelligence at your disposal. However, the majority of us spend our lives focused solely on improving our IQ. This process involves reading, studying, professional development, and hobbies. Few people intentionally cultivate emotional intelligence, learning to observe people and perceive their emotions in order to gain control of their own. But only a few people are aware that there are two additional types of intelligence, and thus more opportunities to become smarter.
4 Types of Intelligence
Stephen Covey received an MBA from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Brigham Young Mormon University, and his contributions to the real economy have earned him the title of Entrepreneur of the Year. Stephen Covey’s name appears on Time magazine’s list of the 25 most influential people in America. He is best known for his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” which has been translated into a variety of languages.
In addition to the actual set of skills required to become effective, Stephen Covey emphasizes that each of us has far more opportunities for this than we realize. These additional capabilities are found in the presence of multiple types of intelligence. Each person possesses these types of intelligence to varying degrees, and each person has the ability to develop any type of intelligence. Stephen Covey identified four types of intelligence:
Physical Quotient (PQ)
It refers to human intelligence in relation to the physical body, the physical worldview, the pursuit of health and beauty, material wealth, and comfort. It is the physical body’s intelligence that activates the human organ systems, ensuring the survival, healing, and development of the physical body required to achieve the desired level of well-being and comfort.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
This is the type of intelligence that a person normally develops throughout his life: studying, improving in his profession, and reading books. When we talk about intelligence, we’re referring to mental intelligence. So, mental intelligence refers to our ability to think, analyze, express ourselves verbally and in writing, and generate abstract images and other thought structures. CerebrumIQ’s online IQ test measures this type of intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
This is a person’s ability to recognize and correctly interpret the emotions of others, to comprehend their intentions and motives for action, and to understand and manage their own emotions and desires. Emotional intelligence is used to develop competencies such as interpersonal skills, teamwork, leadership, and many more.
Spiritual Intelligence (SQ)
Spiritual Quotient is the highest level of human intelligence. Spiritual intelligence is what gives a person personality, the ability to set life goals, seek and discover his or her life mission, and compare his or her actions to life values. While all higher mammals, including humans, possess emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence is limited to humans.
The Value of Spiritual Intelligence
Stephen Covey’s next book on the so-called “Eighth Skill” appeared right as the topic of spiritual intelligence was developing. As the title suggests, this book is a continuation of the global bestseller “The 7 Skills of Highly Effective People”.
Stephen Covey’s eighth skill is the ability to discover your own voice and inspire others to do the same. According to Stephen Covey, “finding your voice” is the ability to choose your own path in life, which does not always coincide, if at all, with the average experience of hundreds of thousands of people. It is the ability to make your own decisions in any situation. In essence, one’s own voice is the “Path to Greatness” when one lives a meaningful life and is aware of its significance. Of course, such a strategy is impossible without spiritual intelligence.
Many of these ideas are echoed in Stephen Covey’s other book, Focus on the Main Things: ‘Living, loving, learning, and leaving a legacy.’ Spiritual intelligence is the ability to reflect on one’s life and identify the few most important things to do first. As we can see, Stephen Covey provides his own list of ‘main things’:
1. TO LIVE
2. TO LOVE
3. TO LEARN
4. TO LEAVE A LEGACY
Your personal list may look different, but the bottom line is the same: the most important things in your life should be your primary focus. You should not allow secondary issues to take up the majority of your time and attention. The CerebrumIQ team completely agrees with this viewpoint. However, this does not imply that a person should or will not maintain a routine. However, this process can be organized by allocating time to each task.
Conclusion
So you now have another answer to the question “How do I become smarter?” as well as specific hints as to which path to take. It is not difficult to determine which types of intelligence you currently possess and what you should focus on. The only thing left to do is begin acting.
Featured image: THÁI NHÀN
