Blog Post #10

In chapter nine, I learned that animals, such as chimpanzees or monkeys, use gestured languages like humans do. In fact, our language probably evolved from gestured communication like this. I find this interesting because I am guilty of constantly “talking” with my hands. (I even use my hands when I’m talking on the phone). According to the book, using gestures makes it easier to talk about things with spatial content and it makes speaking and hearing easier for both people involved in the conversation because being able to visually represent something allows us to form mental pictures more easily than if we relied on words alone. I also thought it was interesting that blind people will also use gestures – even when they believe the person they are talking to is also blind. It makes sense for deaf people to use gestures too – how else would sign language have evolved? I think it is very true that it’s harder to talk with your hands in your pockets.
The textbook defines emotional intelligence as “the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions.” I feel that I am more emotionally intelligent than I am creative because I can often recognize the emotions of my friends and family just by looking at them. A lot of times I can have entire “conversations” with them without ever having to say a word but I will still know exactly what they are trying to say. I can read their faces and their eyes to understand if they are happy, sad, confused, upset, angry, or hurt. Keeping one’s own emotions in check is another characteristic of emotional intelligence, Most of the time I can keep my emotions under control too. Even when something really angers me or upsets me I can keep my cool. In stressful situations I can remain calm and solve the problems without letting my emotions get in the way. I think being emotionally intelligent helps me form relationships with others quickly and it makes my relationships stronger because I can usually relate to others easily. I see how beneficial this is – especially because I frequently meet new people and have to work with complete strangers on projects for FBLA. Being able to quickly become friends helps make the work easier.
I think the most interesting thing about chapter ten was just learning about all of the different intelligences and the different ways psychologists have discovered to measure intelligences. The methods vary a lot, and I think all of them are accurate to a certain degree but I feel like they also have their faults. Some intelligences could really be considered talents and other intelligences are too broad and include many sub-categories. Personally I think Gardner’s theory is one of my favorites because it includes a variety of different aspects of intelligence and it also allows people to have more than one strong point or a “general intelligence.”