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Kostian Xhillari
Prof: Theodora Dimitrakopulos
Date: March 25, 2012
Motivation Leads to Intelligence
Intelligence can come naturally to some people or it is something that can be
learned through motivation and practice. There are many different kinds of intelligence
and each type can be learned in a different way. Howard Gardner has recognized seven
different types of intelligence, which include, “linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial,
musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.” If a person wants to
improve in any area of intelligence the best thing to do is motivate and practice.
The classic way to measure intelligence is through some sort of testing. Many of
these tests are biased and unfair because they value logical-mathematical intelligence.
Two examples of tests that are commonly used are the IQ test and SATs. IQ and SAT
tests do not cover all areas of intelligence. The IQ test mostly measures academic
intelligence in areas such as mathematics and critical thinking and it also measures
testing abilities. The SAT test only covers reading, writing, and mathematics. Many
colleges and universities, especially the more prestigious ones, look very closely at SAT
scores of the students applying to the school. Many schools even have minimum scores
that an applicant can receive on the test in order to even be considered for acceptance to
the school. Other schools grant financial aids based on SAT scores, meaning that they
give more aid money to applicants who received higher scores on the SATs. The students
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who are more motivated to do well seem to end up doing better. Not everyone has a high
logical-mathematical intelligence, however, there are SAT preparation courses, tutors and
books that can all help a student to prepare for the test. If the student takes the time to sit
down and study or prepare, they will most likely receive a higher score. Isaac Asimov
states in his writing What is Intelligence, Anyway?, “Well, then, suppose my auto-repair
man devised questions for an intelligence test. Or suppose a carpenter did, or a farmer, or,
indeed, almost anyone but an academician. By every one of those tests, I'd prove myself a
moron. And, I'd be a moron, too.” Asimov is saying that if these tests were geared
towards skills other than logical mathematical and academic skills, then many of the
people who score highly on the regular IQ test would now score poorly. The people with
a high academic intelligence do not have an understanding of many of the other
intelligences such as bodily kinesthetic or spatial intelligence.
Certain types of intelligences may run in DNA, but other types can be learned.
For example, Gardner explains how child prodigies seem to born with musical abilities.
There are many young musicians and singers who begin their musical careers at a very
young age. They seem to teach themselves everything they know about music. It is
almost as if they are pre-programmed to have these abilities at birth. However, people
who do not have these abilities from birth can learn them in the course of their lifetime.
There is always a possibility to take singing lessons, or lessons to learn how to play a
musical instrument. Another example is bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Some people
generally have a more athletic and flexible body from birth, but playing sports or going to
the gym can help a person to become more athletic. Motivation is a key element in
becoming more intelligent because people who are motivated to learn new skills will
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succeed. A person who wishes to become more intelligent in a specific area might
practice often to become an expert at a skill.
Perhaps the most important types of skills that a person can possess are people
and social skills. These are so important because they have to do with relationships with
others around you as well as your relationship with yourself. These types of intelligence
are the most difficult to learn. No matter how motivated a person may be, there is not
much that can be done to acquire these skills besides talking with others and trying to
understand their emotions; as well as trying to understand one’s own mind. For example,
most of the other types of intelligence can be learned through schooling or taking a class
or course in a particular area; however, social skills can really only be learned through
interacting with other people such as family and friends, and interacting with one’s own
mind. There is not a course or class or any type of lessons that a person can take to
become more outgoing and gain more social skills.
Job applicants who have more motivation are more likely to be chosen for that
particular position because the employer knows that they are ready to put in the effort.
Every career has a specific job requirement and specific skills are needed to complete the
job. Motivated people will try as hard as possible to learn the necessary skills to complete
the job; whereas, a person who is not motivated would really be no help in that position
or to the company in general. If an applicant submits an impressive resume, it shows that
they are motivated and intelligent. It will also show the employer that the person is
serious about this position and is willing to learn new skills and has experience. For
example, if a company is trying to decide between two different applicants, they can look
at their resumes to make the decision. One person might have a PhD along with a long
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list of experience, details and skills on their resume. The other person may also have a
PhD, but not as much experience or as many details. The company is more likely to
choose the person with more experience because it is assumed that they are more
intelligent and motivated.
One job that requires a lot of intelligence in different areas and motivation is the
President of the United States. In order to obtain these intelligences and skills, he must be
very motivated. The President must have linguistic intelligence so he can communicate
with people of other nationalities and speak properly in public. He must also have a high
interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. He needs intrapersonal intelligence in order
to make executive decisions that benefit most of society and have the ability to think
them through clearly and rationally. He would need a high interpersonal intelligence so
he could communicate clearly and effectively with others and have no problem speaking
in public. The president would also need a high logical-mathematical intelligence so he
could understand all of the financial and budgeting aspects of the job. He has probably
taken all kinds of courses in different areas in order to improve his intelligence as well as
interacted with many different people during his lifetime. Some of his intelligence he
could have been born with, but he would still have to be very motivated to be as
intelligent as he is. The President needs to make sure that he keeps order within the
country at all times and make sure that we do not go into an economic crisis. In order to
complete all of these tasks, he must be very motivated because he is always busy.
Every person has different skills that they are experts at and skills that they
struggle with. The best way for a person to strive is for that person to find the area of
intelligence that they score highest in, and then to motivate in that particular area. For
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example, if a person notices that they seem to be somewhat athletic, but have no artistic
ability whatsoever, then they should motivate to higher their bodily-kinesthetic
intelligence and not worry about their spatial intelligence. That person can focus their
energy on trying to play new sports and take part in different athletic activities and
competitions instead of worrying about their art skills because it is not necessary for that
person to have a high intelligence in all of the areas. It is better for a person to focus on
one particular area that they excel in, rather than focus on the areas that they are not
skilled in. Asimov gives an example in his writing What is Intelligence, Anyway? He
states, “For instance, I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests,
could not possibly have scored more than 80, by my estimate. I always took it for granted
that I was far more intelligent than he was. Yet, when anything went wrong with my car I
hastened to him with it, watched him anxiously as he explored its vitals, and listened to
his pronouncements as though they were divine oracles--and he always fixed my car.”
Asimov is trying to prove that his auto-repair man did not seem like he had a lot of
intelligence and never scored high on IQ tests; however, he spent his time focusing on
one particular skill of fixing cars and it worked out for him. He was a successful
repairman and made a living off of his one particular skill without worrying about his
score on an IQ test.
People usually use “practice makes perfect” as an example of motivation. If a
person is motivated enough to practice a particular skill, they will keep getting better at it.
The more a person practices, the more experienced they become. With enough practice,
eventually the person will become an expert at that particular skill. For instance, if a
person wants to become a skilled trumpet player, the best thing for them to do is practice
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playing the instrument. The more they practice playing the trumpet, the easier it will
become. The player will become a better trumpet player and will be able to play faster
beats and more challenging songs.
The area of intelligence that requires the most motivation would be bodilykinesthetic. Obtaining a high intelligence in the bodily-kinesthetic area takes the most
physical effort. It can be very difficult for people to obtain the amount of motivation
necessary to have a high bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. For example, many people have
a difficult time losing weight because they just cannot seem to motivate themselves to go
to go to the gym or take part in physical activity. Training to have a high bodilykinesthetic can be very tiresome and exhausting. There are other types of people who
may be forced to motivate and do the work to get their bodies back in shape. For
example, a person who was in an accident and was injured would have to go to physical
therapy in order to strengthen and heal the affected body part. Other people who are
severely overweight could also be forced to higher their bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
These people may be at risk for heart disease, diabetes, or other deadly disease caused by
obesity. The only way for a severely overweight person to turn their life around is to selfmotivate and begin exercising or taking part in physical activities.
Motivation is the key to having a high intelligence in any of the different areas.
People who are motivated are more likely to succeed and achieve their goals because they
are willing to put the time and effort into that area. “Practice makes perfect” so the best
way to become an expert at a skill is to motivate and practice.
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Works Cited
Assimov, Isaac. "What Is Intelligence ,Anyway?"
Gardner, Howard. A Rounded Version: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York:
Basic Books, 2004. Print.