|
|
| REAL GENIUSES
Howard Gardner probes "Extraordinary Minds." |
 |
|---|
Questions asked
in this forum:
Are your theories related to Jung's personality archetypes? What's the best way to evaluate giftedness in children? Does happiness affect genius? Is there a way to help children focus on one or two areas to master? How could Mozart master music at such a young age? How about the great minds of different cultures?
NewsHour Backgrounders
August 27, 1997
David Gergen speaks with Howard Gardner about his book "Extraordinary Minds."
April 3, 1997
David Gergen speaks with Warren Bennis about creative collaboration and his book "Organizing Genius."
May 14, 1996:
Nature or nurture? David Gergen speaks with Winifred Gallagher about heredity and experience.
Outside Links
Howard Gardner's Web site
American Mensa Ltd.'s Web site
Everyone in this group is smart. So smart you'll never hear them say so. "You never discuss your IQ" said Russell Kennedy, a nautical cartographer who is a member of American Mensa Ltd, the national wing of Mensa, an international society for people with high IQs. "It's a faux pas."
It seems surprising that Mensans would make a point of not discussing their IQs. After all, getting into the group, whose official purpose is to "to identify and foster human intelligence," depends on only one thing: that a person score in the top two percent on a standardized intelligence test.
But somehow Mensans like Judy Tuchman, the Business Manager for the Metropolitan Washington chapter, seem a bit flustered by the idea that membership automatically comes with the privilege of the label "genius."
"I don't think of myself or anyone in the group as having extraordinary minds," Tuchman said. "We're all very bright people with good access to memory."
Kennedy and Tuchmann are perhaps reluctant to accept the label of "genius" because statistically speaking, there's a lot of them out there: According to the organization, about one in 50 people have an IQ high enough for membership. In American Mensa alone, there are 45,000 members. As Tuchman said, "it's not that exclusive."
In fact, Tuchman and Kennedy said that their own chapter has many members who would not be considered geniuses by society, from five year olds to taxi drivers and high school dropouts.
But if a high IQ doesn't not make a genius, what does? This is the topic Howard Gardner explores in his book "Extraordinary Minds: Portraits of Four Exceptional Individuals and an Examination of Our Own Extraordinariness."
Gardner, a professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, examines four renowned individuals—Sigmund Freud, Mozart, Virginia Woolf and Gandhi and places their cerebral achievements under the microscope. But rather than treating them as precious aberrations, Gardner views these individuals as representatives of extraordinary types, calling Freud a Maker; Mozart, a Master; Woolf, an Introspector, and Gandhi, an Influencer.
More importantly, Gardner's book argues, these four representatives can be viewed as models for anyone to follow.
In this forum, Gardner answers your questions on what makes an extraordinary mind. Are some people destined for greatness or can greatness be achieved by anyone? Where are today's extraordinary minds? Has the age of extraordinary minds passed?
A question from Terie Robinson of San Jose, CA:
The categories described briefly in the Web site sound a lot like classic four-part personality models and the Myers-Briggs four archetypes. Is there a relationship?
Howard Gardner responds:
The Myer-Briggs inventory grows out of Carl Jung's theory of personality, whereas my own work draws on developmental and cognitive psychology. So the intellectual pedigrees of the respective "typologies" are different.
However, you may well be right that there is some kinship between the two schemes, nonetheless. Jung distinguished between introversion and extroversion; my introspectors are certainly likely to be introverts. Those whom I call influencers might be introverts as well, but they are probably more on the extrovert side.
The distinction that I make between masters (who simply master a given domain) and makers (who have a desire to overthrow the existing orthodoxy) does not seem to have a direct analogue in Jung's scheme. However, it clearly reflects individual personality types. One could claim that makers are more creative, and this would have resonance in Jung's scheme of things as well.
Back to the top....
A question from Carol Anton of Kailua-Kona, HI:
I am a teacher of gifted and talented students and, as such, have the task of performing testing to screen for giftedness. Currently, our middle school is using the Otis-Lennon Student Ability Test (OLSAT). While it does well at screening for students who are talented in mathematical and verbal intelligences, it doesn't appear to identify other areas of giftedness.
We do also look at other instruments (such as SATs writing samples and teacher recommendations). Are there other devices available that I could investigate that might do a better job or complement our current methods?
Howard Gardner responds:
Nearly all intelligence tests are best at selecting individuals who are strong in linguistic intelligence and/or logical-mathematical intelligence. That's not surprising; that's how they were set up. A number of individuals have developed checklists that survey other intelligences.
However, my own belief is that we are more likely to learn about an individual's intelligences if we observe him/her an extended period of time in an unfamiliar environment (like a children's or science museum) or if we actually look at domains where the person excels, and attempt to infer the intelligences being used.
Back to the top....
A question from the Online NewsHour:
Does happiness affect genius? In other words, do emotionally well people stand a greater chance of producing outstanding work in their lives?
Howard Gardner responds:
No one would recommend that we encourage disease or "wounds" (as David Gergen called them) in order to foster great achievements. Nonetheless, it is a fact that many extraordinary individuals led difficult lives, and many had breakdowns or near breakdowns. I think it comes with the territory. Extraordinary individuals often have moments of happiness and flow, but they are in all too driven, ambitious, and self-involved, to be "happy" most of the time. And more than a few of them have strong dosages of sadism, masochism, or both.
As a generalization, I would say that individuals who are somewhat more able than the rest are more likely to have conventionally happy and satisfied lives than individuals who are "off the scale."
Back to the top....
A question from Beth Bruno of Meriden, CT:
My father and daughter are geniuses-- both have brilliant minds and many talents. My question: my daughter excels at so many things, it's hard for her to decide what to exclude, so she can focus her choices for the future. (she's a senior at Princeton majoring in Anthropology-- a top student in high school physics-- music director and past President of Katzenjammers choral group at Princeton-- you get the picture).
For me and other parents of gifted children, how do we help them zero in on one or two pursuits? Even though they can do everything (it seems), they can't do everything!!!!
Howard Gardner responds:
If your daughter is lucky enough to have many talents, and is thriving, you should all count your blessings. There is no reason whatsoever to intrude. As she moves through adolescence, it is likely that she will want to specialize some, because it will no longer be possible to be the best at everything. Helping her to think about the options available to her in the future can be helpful at that point.
My goal is to help every child/adult to connect to at least one area where they feel fulfilled and productive. Those who are lucky enough to make more than one connection are likely to have smooth sailing in later years.
Back to the top....
A question from an Online NewsHour user:
If everybody is born, practically, with the same kind of brain cells and people are considered to be more or less intelligent depending on the knowledge they have acquired during their development,then how was Mozart able to play such pieces of music at such a young age?
Howard Gardner responds:
I certainly don't believe that everyone is born with essentially the same neurological equipment. Mozart's brain was different from mine, and that was due to his parental biological heritage, in part. However, Mozart also had parents who were musicians, he lived in an era where prodigies were sought after, he made music practically every waking hour, so he had lots going for him.
The Suzuki method of teaching violin shows that you can take ordinary children and make them skilled musicians; but no informed scientist would claim that you could make anyone into a Mozart or an Einstein.
Back to the top....
A question from the Online NewsHour:
Has your research only examined the greats of Western civilization, or have you also looked at other cultures as well? Are there different things to consider when looking for greatness in other cultures?
Howard Gardner responds:
I certainly think that the kind of research that I do can and should be extended to other cultures. In "Extraordinary Minds," I studied Gandhi; and I have also studied Eastern leaders in my book "Leading Minds." In doing cross-cultural studies, it is important not only to understand the individuals as well as possible but also to realize that cultures may not hold the same views about greatness or extraordinariness. In a culture where the goal is to "prune the tallest poppy", you have a very different situation than, say, in Florence during the Renaissance, where geniuses of the Leonardo-Michelangelo-Raphael type were sought.
As a generalization, I would say that individuals who are somewhat more able than the rest are more likely to have conventionally happy and satisfied lives than individuals who are "off the scale."
 |
        |
|
| Support the kind of journalism done by the NewsHour...Become a member of your local PBS station. | ||
| ||
| PBS Online Privacy Policy Copyright ©1996- MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. All Rights Reserved. | ||
| ||
