Intentional learning for me has always been a pillar for a better life in all regards and I prescribe it for you. Reading The Genius of Birds, passed to me by my mom, I was intrigued by the list of multiple modalities of intelligence mentioned early on in the book. Wanting to put these in a list to share, I gave up searching the book and went to google and easily found them listed again. These were proposed by Howard Gardner identified in this further explanation.
Modalities of Intelligence
- musical-rhythmic
- visual-spatial
- verbal-linguistic
- logical-mathematical
- bodily-kinesthetic
- interpersonal
- intrapersonal
- naturalistic
Expressions of each of these in friends and family and on our journey can be better appreciated, prized, as we learn about intelligence to notice it! Our predisposed inclinations can be elevated and developed. Years ago my mom told me I had a visual ability to see with depth. Wow, it is on this list! Nature, Logic and Math? Yes! Empathy brought progress everyday at work, it was a highly intelligent approach. And how about you? Where are you strong and where might more learning be necessary?
The book is a bestseller, covering in depth the stories of birds and their extraordinary skills and abilities to solve problems, much like human beings. It is a challenging read so far, ahem, after just one chapter! The similarities between birds and humans along with opportunities for insightful awareness about intelligence, nature, and our existence compel me to keep reading. Not that it will be easy. It’s going to take a lot of persistence, concentration, and lingering in that logical modality of intelligence.
Another possibility has ignited during this read, to be able to recognize birds by their song, that may happen for me. As I was reading a description of a sound, zeeee, I simultaneously heard it not far from my swinging bench and I wondered, for the first time, if it was a chickadee that was close by. Wak wak wak, on another day, as I read I heard and identified the special crow sound Ackerman described as not the typical caw caw caw, but in reverse, wak wak wak.
Sad Day with “Scarcity of Intelligence”
Today is a sad day. When a man is filmed while choked to death by an officer kneeing this man’s neck to the ground, and outraged people along with people having unrelated causes take to the streets with destructive chaos, there is no gain, no progress, no benefit, and no learning. There is a complete absence of intelligence it seems. Hatred and violence do not repudiate hatred and violence.
Taken aback to read how a bird steals food from another, well they may share human intelligence but not our morals! They are hungry and maybe food is scarce. I wonder what circumstance could cause a bird to be filled with hate. Maybe The Genius of Birds will give insights pertaining to what I am calling a scarcity of intelligence as physical manifestation of strong emotions, riots, fires, attacks, and damage are happening. I would love to hear Ackerman’s thoughts here and now.