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A Special Note on Naturalist/Existential Intelligences

by Dr. Yehia A. Ibrahim

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A Special Note on Naturalist/Existential Intelligences

By: Dr. Yehia A. Ibrahim, Professor & Rational Emotive Behavior Thinker (REBT)

Howard Gardner has opened a new era of human intelligence. The most important characteristic of this era is the multiplicity and uniqueness of individual intelligence. It is not clear and may never be, as to where those multiple intelligences are located in the human brain. However, the outcome of those intelligences is observable and applicable either solely or synergistically. Gardner's list of multiple intelligences originally contained seven members (intrapersonal, interpersonal, logical, linguistic, visual, kinesthetic, and musical). He has recently discussed three candidates (naturalist, existential, and spiritual intelligences), and decide to only add the naturalist to his list. Other investigators add to Gardner's list the ninth intelligence, i.e., the existential. We here shed some light on the eighth and ninth intelligences, along with 20 questions that existentially-intelligent people may ask. Asking those questions can never be mentally structured without an instrumental help from their logical intelligence. This shows how those spheres of intelligence work.

A Special Note on Naturalist/Existential Intelligences

By: Dr. Yehia A. Ibrahim, Professor & Rational Emotive Behavior Thinker (REBT)

Human-Intelligence spheres are not isolated islands in a mental ocean. They are certainly recognizable, but structurally and functionally connected.
The author, 2004

Summary: Howard Gardner has opened a new era of human intelligence. The most important characteristic of this era is the multiplicity and uniqueness of individual intelligence. It is not clear and may never be, as to where those multiple intelligences are located in the human brain. However, the outcome of those intelligences is observable and applicable either solely or synergistically. Gardner's list of multiple intelligences originally contained seven members (intrapersonal, interpersonal, logical, linguistic, visual, kinesthetic, and musical). He has recently discussed three candidates (naturalist, existential, and spiritual intelligences), and decide to only add the naturalist to his list. Other investigators add to Gardner's list the ninth intelligence, i.e., the existential. We here shed some light on the eighth and ninth intelligences, along with 20 questions that existentially-intelligent people may ask. Asking those questions can never be mentally structured without an instrumental help from their logical intelligence. This shows how those spheres of intelligence work.

(1) Naturalist - the ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configurations). It is also the ability to identify and classify patterns in nature. During our prehistory, hunter-gatherers would rely on naturalist intelligence to identify what flora and fauna were edible, as well as which were not. Naturalist intelligence was clearly of value in our farming evolution from the hunting-gathering era. People who are sensitive to changes in weather patterns or are adept at distinguishing nuances between large numbers of similar objects may be expressing naturalist intelligence abilities. It is also speculated that much of our consumer society exploits the natural intelligences, which can be mobilized in the discrimination among cars, sneakers, kinds of makeup, and the like. The kind of pattern recognition valued in certain sciences, i.e., biology, botany, zoology, geology, astronomy, etc. may also draw upon the naturalist intelligence. People who love the outdoors, camping, fishing, hiking and exploring and learning about the earth and space exhibit naturalist intelligence.
(2) Existential - The ability to think about the big picture of life, to understand life's mission and purpose as why we are here, and who else lives in the galaxy. People with this sphere of intelligence enjoy thinking, and questioning, and are curios about life, death, and the ultimate realities. They are good at, enjoy or feel comfortable with philosophical issues, and focus on fundamental ideas and questions about their existence and how meaningful their life is. Existentially intelligent people may show curiosity about:
� What is consciousness?
� How did life start?
� Why in particular are we here on earth?
� Is there human life on another planet?
� Do similar or other forms of life exist on other planets?
� What was the Earth like many years ago, or before mankind?
� Can animals understand us?
� Are there ghosts or spirits?
� Is there another dimension of life?
� Is there life after death?
� Where do living things go after they die?
� Are there a heaven and hell?
� Where are heaven and hell?
� Is there God?
� How does God look like?
� Why and where does God live?
� Were prophets a messenger of God's word?
� If prophets were sent by God, what was the means?
� Who were the famous philosophers, and what are
their thoughts about life and human being?

I wonder if naturalist or naturalistic intelligence is extended to or overlapped with existential intelligence. Even though how we relate to our surroundings can be considered a reflection of naturalist intelligence, the role each part of overall surroundings integrally plays can be a reflection of both naturalist and existential intelligences.

Dr. Yehia Abdel-Hamid Ibrahim is currently a full professor and department head at Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. In addition to postgraduate degrees in self and organization management, and a widespread research in Arab organizations, Dr. Ibrahim is internationally accredited in several scientific and psychological approaches. Following obtaining his Ph.D. degree, he was certified Harvard IEM Diploma in Organizational Management. Professor Ibrahim worked with many U.S. universities (Cornell University, UC-Davis, Ohio Wesleyn University, North Carolina State University, Harvard University and Louisiana State University) as a Visiting, Adjunct or Distinguished Professor. Dr. Ibrahim is a two-time winner of the National Academy of Science and Technology Prize, a receiver of many medals and a subject of national and international records. He is a biographee of Who's Who in California Historical Society.

Dr. Ibrahim is now considered one of the most famous Arab experts in many interdisciplinary fields including Human Resources Development, Leadership, Management, Personality Types, Emotional Intelligence, NLP, Team Dynamics, Self and Organizational Development, School Counseling and Corporate Culture. Dr. Ibrahim has provided a number of professional guides in these fields, and regularly contributes prestigious articles to leading training journals and websites. He has published many books and more than 200 articles in scientific journals, reputable newspapers and newsletters. Dr. Ibrahim owns the largest library of Arabic questionnaires and tools for personal and organizational assessment. Through his work as a Director of Assiut University Center for Futuristic Studies, as a Director of Assiut Governorate Center for Managing Development, as an Advisor to Assiut University President and to Assiut Governor, and as a Department Head in one of the largest and most reputable universities in Egypt, he has strengthened his managerial and leadership knowledge, skills, and attitude.

In addition to being a professional trainer, counselor and mentor, Dr. Ibrahim is a regular speaker at conferences and leadership seminars throughout the Arab world. In so doing, he shares some of his own theories in personality types, corporate psychology, and team dynamics. During his long-term activity, Dr. Ibrahim has designed, developed, structured and animated many training programs in a multitude of individual and organizational disciplines.