Multiple Intelligences: Kinesthetic (3 of 7ish)

Bodily-kinestheitc intelligence, I hope, is fairly self-explanatory. Personally, I can barely hit a baseball (hence tennis being my spring sport of choice...), and examples are everywhere. People strong in this intelligence are the movers - dancers, athletes, even actors. Check out the video below for a collection of incredible athletic feats and physical awareness that at the very least make me regret that last doughnut and maybe even go for a walk...

Multiple Intelligences: Visual (2 of 7ish)

This week let's check out what I believe is a great example of Visual-Spatial Intelligence. People strong in this area have a greater ability regarding visual problems, spatial judgement, and navigating the concrete world. These people (not to used categorizing language - this exercise is intended merely as one of awareness, both personally and socially. Coincidentally enough, both of those being different, distinct intelligences... I guess throughout I seem to be creating my own example in the process!) have strengths in seeing with their mind's-eye, angles, facial recognition, navigation, and fine-details in their physical environment.  The individual in the following video is able to see and recognize the colors and shapes created by cooking pancake batter, and uses this ability to create some pretty cool pictures.  Enjoy!

(By the way, there are a lot of these out there, so if you're interested I'd encourage you to check out others! "Your Week in Pancake Art" is pretty cool, and "Star Wars Pancakes"is one of my favorites.)

Multiple Intelligences: Musical (1 of 7ish)

Cruising around YouTube the other day, I came to a realization. Not only are people capable of really cool things, but their abilities may also serve as a learning experience. Darndest thing, right? We all remember high school, when favorite subjects were more and more apparent, and seeing some of our peers excel in some areas while others excelled elsewhere - whether it was standout athletes, genius mathletes, or that one friend who could sing like angel. Still not free from controversy (don't worry, as per the MO of this blog I'm sure I'll write a post arguing against the theory someday soon), Howard Gardener posed the theory of multiple intelligences back in 1983, which asserts that everyone not only have different skills and abilities, but the way we learn and retain information is different as well. Now, just a heads up, I won't go into much more detail on the theory (I do encourage you to research it though...a lot of great info out there!); this string of posts are simply examples to showcase these innate abilities.

First up: Musical. These people are more sensitive to pitch, tone, timbre, and meter, and can often sing and/or play (an) instrument(s). Sitting, listening, to monotonous lecture simply won't cut it.  Check out the video below for what I think is a fantastic example of musical intelligence, as these guys have found new, creative, and incredible ways to use a single piano...

Wait wait wait...who's responsible?

As mentioned last month, I've been going through a recently-rediscovered stockpile of old drafts and post ideas and uncovered this gem, first drafted back in March of 2013. While the specific inspiration for the post is long lost on me, I thought it was still relevant when thinking about accountability. Enjoy!

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Here's a fun tidbit I've been observing.  And bear in mind that there's a good chance that after reading it, your only response will be an eye-roll, a self-acknowledging shrug, and a rhetorical, open-ended "yeah, and...?".  Anyway, why is it that it seems that when things are going well for you that you're the one who created that situation, but when things aren't going your way or the cards don't fall in your favor, it tends to be someone else's fault?   I mean, when you're doing well enough, it's because you've earned it, right?  "I put myself where I am today.  I worked and toiled and sweated to get where I am.  I earned this."  We're entitled to the fruits of our labor; after all, it's not like anyone helped us out, right?  It's those poor people, those leeches on welfare that keep taking from my hard-earned cash-cow, right?  "I worked hard, and look where I am!  Why can't they do the same?!?!"

But, same coin here folks, why is it that when it comes to things heading downhill, chances are it's someone else's fault?  We like to blame our boss, the jerk in the next cubicle, the Democrats or Republicans, the 1% or the 99%, the economy, our kids' teachers...whatever we may not like, for the conflicts and hurdles thrown in our path.  I know I'm guilty of the same thinking from time to time (and probably more often than that), vilifying people who have "taken what I've worked for", finding it easier to blame someone, anyone, other than myself.  How could it be my fault?  I worked to build it up meaning someone else knocked it down.

But at least it's not my fault, right?