Find Your Smartness
Am I the only one who went to college and majored in English only to hear, “Son, you know English doesn’t pay well”? When I chose English/Print Journalism as a major during my Sophomore year of undergraduate study it was because I didn’t think I was good in anything else. English was the closest thing to a subject in which I felt competent so it would have been just as effective to draw straws.
So I wrote for the school newspaper, wrote for small subsidiary newspapers and even wrote for a major newspaper on very rare occasions. I wrote in journals, on church programs, online via email and now of course here. Ubiquitous language man. When I was a kid, I read stop signs, street signs and found the dictionary fascinating. Oddly enough I didn’t like reading books growing up, at least not fiction. But I enjoyed real-life stuff, historical and true-to-life documentation like war stories and recorded accounts of life as a slave in America. One day I finally stopped being ashamed of my meager math acumen and accepted my intelligence – LINGUISTIC!
I didn’t know that “How am I smart?” was a better question than “How smart am I?” I tolerated the sciences and math but I indulged language. Even Spanish was easy to learn because I was somehow enamored by cognates (words that sound similar in more than one language). In seminary I found it ironic that people so divided in the world could be kindred according to a common ancient root language. But of course, all this stuff about multiple intelligences came via basketball or at least NOT playing the sport.
When you ride the pine during games you also watch a lot in practice. That means you have to learn everything by watching others do it. But remember, I was linguistic…been that way all my life. I’m also kinesthetic meaning I need to do it to learn it. When I had spells of inactivity in games or practice, I sometimes did what any struggling student does. I got a tutor. Our alumni coaches in college would take me aside, if I asked, and walk me through offensive attack moves. They explained, demonstrated and then let me DO. Before, during and after practice I found that if I catered to my type of intelligence, I could maximize my basketball skill set. You’ll find you can do the same. Find out “How You are Smart” and help your team by helping yourself. Your turn…go to http://www.accelerated-learning.net/learning_test.html and figure out the way you learn best. Peace…
Posted: by Norman Anthony
I was told the same thing about history. Norm, your brain and mine operate very similarly. I was in accelerated English classes from Junior High and loved history. When it came time to go to college my dad told me unless I wanted to be a teacher it didn’t make sense to major in history. I didn’t really want to be a teacher. Another good book that discusses learning styles and different IQ’s is “Rich Kid, Smart Kid.” by Robert Kiyosaki. Some people have a high IQ in things that are not taught in school. He talks about them. I learned that I have a high spatial IQ. He also discusses learning styles. Good book!
One of your best yet. The simple rearranging of words. “How am I Smart” rather than “how smart am I” we should all take this simple but profound concept to our kids and loved ones. This world has always measured on “How smart am I” therefore we have people growing up thinking they don’t measure up to the world. Norman love your insight and your message, its getting out there, you are using that which HE has put in you. God Bless You
Julie and Brian. Glad you could amen this. It’s not that controversial upon a closer look but it is overlooked in our society, I think, because of how certain intelligences transfer to dollars and cents. But as your children grow up, I’m sure you both think of how and where they will fit in the grand plan God has for society. Most people seem to have more than two dominant intelligences that work in combo for serving humanity which I think is superb. I guess it’s just a matter of accepting How We’re Smart and not selling it out…:-).