lawyers and multiple intelligence
You’ve likely heard of the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) first articulated by Harvard educator Howard Gardner. He proposes that there are multiple dimensions to human intelligence, including logical-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, spatial-visual, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, naturalist, intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects. According to Gardner and other proponents of MI, almost all of us can access and develop these different, but closely related, intelligences.
I’ve been interested in human intelligence and affiliated topics for some time, as evidenced by my various posts on the interplay of lawyering and emotional intelligence, moral intelligence, positive psychology and appreciative inquiry.
Always keen on continuing my education in this arena, I was very happy to come across a post from idealawg containing blogger Stephanie West Allen’s interview with Carol Metzker, the co-author of a new book called Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn.
I’d received an introduction to this newly-minted type of intelligence through an article Metzker and Tojo Thatchenkery (the book’s other author) wrote for Ode Magazine on The secret to highly successful people. The deft blog interview adds much to this piece because it highlights how Appreciative Intelligence – the abilty “to see what is positive, generative and possible” in situations and people – can be harnessed and honed by professionals (aka lawyers) who are trained, employed and otherwise inclined to "search for past, present, and future problems.”
