Tag: intelligence
SoCS 4-16-22- Dogs Know Us
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “nose/noes/knows.” Use one, use ’em all, bonus points if you use all three. Have fun!
Anyone who has a dog discovers that it knows a lot.
Dogs comprehend many of our words and learn more about each of us than we realize. It’s clear that they study us. They know our ‘tells’ and can anticipate our moves with uncanny accuracy. Much has been written about this, but attentive dog owners learn this quickly. Just grab your car keys or put on your shoes and “Fido” is waiting at the door. Those examples are just small potatoes on the wider scale of what your pooch knows about you.
The study of chimpanzees not understanding the meaning of humans pointing at an object is one that fascinates me. Our closest genetic link in nature is oblivious to that, while dogs who don’t even have hands, seem hardwired to understand those gestures!
Dogs worry, can be jealous, can mourn, suffer from depression and love us deeply. People who love and treat them as family members always pass my first character screening with flying colors.
I’ve known and loved many dogs. Some of them weren’t even my own. Just like people, no two are alike. My life was deeply enriched by them, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
Happy Saturday everyone. ❤
https://lindaghill.com/2022/04/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-16-2022/
SoCS- 2/12/22- Fortune- Common Sense is Gold
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “fortune.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
As I listen to the news, the Freedom Convoy is taking center stage. The whole dynamic boils down to “working class” people in conflict with “elitist leadership”. Covid-19 offered an opportunity for people, who are ignorant of how things actually work, to impose themselves in a tyrannical manner on people they perceive as stupid and too ‘uneducated’ to consider. The Justin Trudeau and Gavin Newsome types appear to believe a specific thought …”What could those ordinary people possibly say that we don’t already know?”. But surprise! Those elites are finding themselves in a desperate hysterical minority.
This leads me to the ‘fortune’ offered to humans in an invaluable education offered by everyday life. The kind you can’t underline in a textbook or learn in a conference room. A ‘git ‘er done’ attitude gained in rugged individualism. Those fortunate enough to have real life ‘smarts’ are not usually confrontational or belligerent because their interests are quite clearly privately personal. They want to earn a living, raise a family, and do their jobs. Once the administrative state interferes with that, there’s a problem. Our early colonists had crossed the ocean to live just as simply. We all know what happened when the king decided to repeatedly impose himself on the colonists’ ‘right’ to pursue happiness.
This morning’s ‘common man’ topic inspired me also to reflect on the ‘thinkers’ I admire most. It didn’t take me long to realize a common thread. Almost all were raised from humble beginnings and, more poignantly, most have an agrarian background or dabble with farming. There’s an everyday human being inside these folks who has spent a large part of his life independently engaged directly with Nature.
So, I next consider why the ‘ruling class’ has come to be so disconnected from the “common sense” world. I suspect that we might find that their ‘educations’ lacked enough quality time in Nature leaving them imbalanced and arrogant. One need only to spend a fair amount of time outdoors to realize we are not ‘in charge’ of any natural occurrence. Most humility comes directly from that knowledge.
In conclusion, it seems to me, the ‘study of’ things without the ‘experience of’ things leaves a gaping hole, aka blind spot, in any person’s intelligence.
“Educated idiots” actually DO exist.
To further my point, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite movie characters… Carl, the janitor, in The Breakfast Club. 😉
https://lindaghill.com/2022/02/11/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-12-2022/
“Experts” are Overrated.
There are certain titles either given, or self-appointed, that assault my sensibilities.
For the record, no human being knows everything. Even the ones who have access to expansive amounts of information, have varying degrees of ‘good character’ and intelligence. We know for a fact that doctors can know their science, but many have lousy bedside manners. You want a skilled surgeon on your case but you can still think they don’t ‘measure up’ as doctors because great doctors have great medical skills and excellent “people skills”. Teachers are the same. They can have a large resume’ of all the child psychology courses, the teacher conferences, many degrees, and the newest technology tools, but if they can’t relate to kids, their credentials don’t mean much.
‘The proof is in the pudding’ is an appropriate axiom. Those receiving the products, or services, are the actual judges, so why is so much emphasis put on listening [ in a religious manner] to so called “experts”? There are a number of irritating (ignorant) people these days who won’t allow you to question any ‘expert’ unless your credentials are greater.
Really?
Do I need to own a restaurant to recognize one I wouldn’t eat at, Karen?
Do I have to be an elephant in Africa before I voice an intelligent opinion on poaching?
As a woman, do I absolutely have to embrace anything Hillary Clinton says is ‘womanly’ because she ‘speaks for me’? Heck NO.
The term “expert” has no universal meaning. It’s just a title arbitrarily assigned to people, primarily those who have degrees. Yep… impressed I’m not, by credentials, and there are many topics that no one can legitimately claim expertise on.
CNN throws the ‘expert’ label around a lot. I guess they believe most people snap to attention when they hear it. Their panels are always called political ‘experts’. Most have never held office, run a successful campaign, or even guessed correct former political outcomes. What is their expertise? Must be that they like to talk about politics.
Heck… I talk about politics often. I must be an EXPERT. 😀
I think many women of my grandmothers’ generation were experts at throwing together hearty meals on sparse groceries. Their expertise was gained by doing. In fact, most people who are ‘experts’ are older than 40 because, it’s not the ‘study of’ but the ‘doing of’ that creates expertise. So show me what you can do and convince me that you know what you’re talking about, not your paperwork, please. Your title isn’t enough.
Cancel Culture deprives us of Satire
Satire – the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
I don’t think we’d be hard pressed to find feminist groups who think kids should never be exposed to Ralph Kramden. The Honeymooners were a collection of one male chauvinistic scenario after another. Ralph shouted, threatened, and belittled his wife Alice. Yet, Ralph had tender moments with Alice, and most importantly, Alice almost always got the better of him. She ignored his faux aggressions and never played the victim either. Alice was the hero of every episode.
This is what’s known as ‘satire’. Satire is, IMO, one of the most powerful ways to expose unpleasant norms and enlighten people. It addresses those issues directly, and humorously, trusting in the viewers’ intelligence to draw conclusions.
‘Cancel culture’ is enormously satirically impaired to the point of idiocy. [I believe it comes from the ‘cancel decision makers’, who promote silencing, thinking they have an elite level of intelligence unavailable to the rest of us.]
But they, themselves, have become satirical caricatures who are hopelessly un-self-aware. Try not to outwardly laugh at them. They may cancel YOU!
Watch this clip kids. Have fun! You’re smart enough, and tough enough, to take it.
Boys to Men
So few people pay attention to trees because, well, they are the strong silent types. If you never have cut them down or even have sat and marveled about them, they don’t become part of a person’s consciousness until they fall. Our storm has made a few folks take notice for sure.
Although cutting down trees looks easy, it is one of the most dangerous of activities. The seasoned (pun intended) lumberjack takes a long look at the tree… how it is leaning, its weight and height, and flaws that might cause it to crack prematurely. These are very important variables to study. Lumberjacks deal with gravity, as often as, skydivers!
I don’t think I’ll ever relax when I watch a tree being cut down but it is an exciting event, none the less. It is an endeavor that can claim or maim a novice in the same way catching rattlesnakes can. If you live long enough , maybe, what you know can keep you from harm.
In general, men are a foolhardy bunch. Just watch the TV shows devoted to fatal accidents and see how many women are involved for that statistic. There’s nothing like the cutting down of a tree to bring all the “boys” out for fun. You can almost smell the testosterone.
I must admit the element of danger arouses my interest too but I’m around several men who KNOW what they are doing and it is inspiring to watch. Being a “country mouse” gives me great pride. Real men can watch their kids AND cut down trees, in my opinion. There’s a pervasive attitude about “education” and “degrees” in our country that overlooks the intelligence of life experience. No wonder manhood has become so blurred when the “city boys” have so few survival skills beyond gang activity. I’d like them all to have a stint in the country to see what “real” men do. In fact, I buy flowers every Spring from a school for troubled kids. It is a working farm and greenhouse that introduces city kids to hard work and getting their hands dirty. They seem to prosper under those conditions.
So, when I see an “educated” blowhard looking down his nose at a common man, it makes me want to ask him to build a house, run a backhoe or cut down a tree. HA!
Click my link for a short home video…
Reading, listening or participating…
I enjoyed listening to story books being read to me so very much that I had a hard time relating to kids who wouldn’t sit still and “get with the program”. Then, I realized, that the spoken word is not easy for some people to digest. My daughter needs to see and hear the words and refuses the act of being read to. Some people need something in their hands while they listen. Others are extra dependent upon visual aids. Until we realize how differently people process information, how could we effectively educate our kids?
Lecture halls may teach some folks but I can imagine others feel as though they are drowning in that environment. Holy cow! The way we learn can be very diverse and by no means has anything to do with intelligence.
I know modern day teachers are schooled in the learning diversity but I cannot comprehend how they are able to implement solutions that will address every child’s learning style. How could they with 28 kids in one room?
I recommend that we start very early with our observations of little ones. I really dislike labels but noting their style could be akin to an award of talents rather than a stigma of a disability.
Right, at this very time, I have a group of kids who fall into each learning style. One sings, all the time. Another shouts out to be heard. Another needs quiet and hands-on concentration.
Here is an article that all parents might enjoy:
A Fairy Princess. A Race-car Driver. A Mommy. A Firefighter. A Ballerina. An Astronaut. These are just some of the answers you may get when you ask your child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” You may think they are sweet to share with your family and friends, but your child’s response could be telling you something important about the way he or she learns and what type of ‘Multiple Intelligences’ he or she has.
So what are Multiple Intelligences anyway? Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences in 1983 to help educators, psychologists and parenting experts better understand how children process and learn information.
Not only has the theory become a respected way of looking at learning, it has helped validate other experts’ work. Dr. Joseph Renzulli, professor and director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented at the University of Connecticut, says he started his work with intelligence years before Gardner’s theory. But it was Gardner who brought widespread acceptance to the idea. That helped bring attention to The Renzulli Learning System, which utilizes the Intelligences. A great admirer of Gardner, Dr. Renzulli says, “The most important thing The Multiple Intelligences theory has done is called attention to the ways children express themselves.”
What Intelligences does your child possess? The following are descriptions of Gardner’s nine Multiple Intelligences, along with tips on how you can help your child stretch his or her areas of strength:
• Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart). This child focuses in school, enjoys reading, has an extensive vocabulary, prefers English or Social Studies over math and science, learns a foreign language with ease, is a good speller and writer, likes rhymes and puns, and communicates his thoughts well.
Tip: Encourage him to discuss books he has read with you, play word or board games, prepare speeches or enroll in drama classes. Possible career paths: poet, journalist, teacher, or lawyer
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart). This child is curious about how things work, loves numbers and math (especially if he can do it in his head), enjoys strategy games like chess, checkers, brain teasers or logic puzzles, likes experiments, is interested in natural history museums, and likes computers.
Tip: Encourage her to solve various kinds of puzzles, provide her with games like checkers, chess or backgammon, let her figure things out and encourage her to ask questions. Possible career paths: scientist, engineer, researcher, or accountant.
• Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart). This child easily leans to read and understands charts and maps, daydreams often, is skilled at drawing, doodling and creating 3-D sculptures, enjoys movies, and likes taking things apart and putting them back together.
Tip: Provide opportunities to paint, color, design. Give him puzzles and 3-D activities like solving mazes, challenge his creativity, and encourage him to design buildings or clothing. Possible career paths: sculptor, mechanic, architect, or interior designer.
• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart). This child excels in more than one sport, taps or moves when required to sit still, can mimic other’s body movements/gestures, likes to touch objects, enjoys physical activities and has excellent fine-motor coordination.
Tip: Encourage participation in school and extracurricular sports/teams. Provide blocks. Encourage fine-motor ability (teach her to build paper airplanes, create origami, or try knitting). Enroll her in dance class. Possible career paths: dancer, firefighter, surgeon, actor, or athlete.
• Musical Intelligence (Music Smart). This child can tell you when music is off-key and easily remember melodies. He has a pleasant singing voice, shows aptitude with musical instruments, speaks or moves in a rhythmical way, hums or whistles to himself, and may show sensitivity to surrounding noises.
Tip: Encourage him to play an instrument, write songs, join school bands or choirs, or study folk dancing from other countries. Possible career paths: musician, singer, or composer.
• Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart). This child enjoys socializing with friends, is a natural leader, is caring, helps friends solve problems, is street-smart and understands feelings from facial expressions, gestures and voice.
Tip: Encourage collaborative activities with friends inside and outside of school, expose her to multi-cultural books and experiences, encourage dramatic activities and role playing, help her learn to negotiate and share. Possible career paths: counselor, therapist, politician, salesman, or teacher.
• Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self-Smart). This child shows a sense of independence, knows his abilities and weaknesses, and does well when left alone to play or study. He has a hobby or interest he doesn’t talk about much, is self-directed, has high self-esteem, and learns from failures and successes.
Tip: Help him set goals and realize the steps to get there, encourage independent projects and journal writing, help him find quiet places for reflection and appreciate his differences. Possible career paths: philosopher, professor, teacher, or researcher.
• Naturalist Intelligence (Nature Smart). This child talks about favorite pets or outdoor spots, enjoys nature preserves and the zoo, and has a strong connection to the outside world. She likes to play outdoors, collects bugs, flowers and leaves, and is interested in biology, astronomy, meteorology or zoology.
Tip: Take her to science museums, exhibits and zoos. Encourage her to create observation notebooks, ant farms, bug homes, and leaf collections. Involve her in the care of pets, wildlife, and gardens. Make binoculars and telescopes available to her. Possible career paths: animal activist, biologist, astronomer, or veterinarian.
• Existential Intelligence (Philosophically Smart). This child enjoys thinking and questions the way things are. He shows curiosity about life and death and shows a philosophical awareness and interest that seems beyond his years. He asks questions like, ‘Are we alone in the universe?’
Tip: Be patient with his questioning, as he may ask over and over again. Read books together that explore these topics and talk about them at an age-appropriate level. Possible career paths: philosopher, clergy, scientist, or writer.
Don’t worry if it looks like your child is only strong in 3-4 areas. That’s the way it should be. While children have the potential to be intelligent in all areas, they will most likely show dominance in some and weakness in others. Dr. Renzulli advises, “When we find our child’s preferred learning style, we should capitalize on it and give them many opportunities to express that in their work. But it is equally important to give them exposure to various kinds of styles.” In other words, your child may not realize what his preferred learning style is until he is exposed to it.
Perhaps your child will never attain Princess status, but she may write a novel about the royal life. And maybe your son won’t set foot on Mars, but rather, design the next generation of rockets. Whatever Intelligences your children have, be sure to watch for the cues along the way and encourage them to be whatever they want to be. In the meantime, let your kid have fun dreaming about the Indy 500, even if it gives you a few gray hairs in the process.
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