is called on to sort out difficult situations and resolve differences of
opinion. You have a number of close friends with whom you share
a great deal. You show high levels of empathy with others. You like
talking over people’s problems and people turn to you to be their
coach, buddy, mentor, and critical friend.
(This is based on Gardner’s interpersonal intelligence.)Environmental
You like the natural world. You see meaning and patterns in nature that
pass others by. You have a good knowledge of plants, animals, and land-
scape, knowing not just names but the characteristics of the elements
of the world around you. You probably have or have had pets. At
school, you may well have enjoyed botany, zoology, and biology. You
like being outside and when walking are a fountain of knowledge about
what is going on in nature. You take a keen interest in your own home
environment, inside and outside. You notice the weather and the sea-
sons and may be deeply affected by them. You know a fair amount
about the workings of your own body. You enjoy classifying species.
(This is based on Gardner’s naturalist intelligence, which he
added later to his original seven intelligences.)Spiritual
You like to deal with the fundamental questions of existence. You
are the kind of person of who, when faced with difficult issues, will
want to act according to your principles, possibly questioning the
normal ways of behaving in the situation in which you find your-
self. You seek constantly to explore your whole self and to heal
those parts that seem not to be well. You are interested in values.
You will probably hold particularly well-developed beliefs but may
not practice any particular religious faith. You think about issues of
duty. You tend to see some value in different sides of an argument.
You may well be involved in some kind of community service. You
would be ready to stand up and be counted for what you believe in.
(This intelligence has been suggested by Danah Zohar and
Ian Marshall.)156 Power Up Your Mind