Friday, 21 October 2011

Everyone is a genius


A lot of people assume that they know what the measure of intelligence is. But what if there are multiple intelligences, so that in the end, everyone is a genius? Each one of us has something that we do best, something that makes us unique. 

The key is not to find a better definition for intelligence, but to change our perspective on what qualifies as intelligence. It's all part of that larger theme within the education paradigm of making educational institutions (e.g. schools) suit the students' needs and abilities and not force them to conform to a one-size-fits-all system where only certain types of people qualify as intelligent.

In the United States, a woman diagnosed with Autism is now a successful abbatoir designer - because of her disability, she is able to identify better with the experience of animals in this environment so that abbatoirs can be designed that lessen the stress on the animals. What some would see as a disability (the particular view of the world as influenced by her Autism), in this instance is something more akin to genius. 

It's certainly something to think a little more about, and to realise that intelligence can be found in everyone - you just need to work harder to understand a person, and then you'll see how special they are.

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