Personal Security Strengthened by Knowing Our Smarts

Every Wednesday, I’ll post about multiple intelligences so we can better understand children and why they do what they do.

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Last Wednesday, I wrote about how multiple intelligences are related to security because when children use their people-smart intelligences, they can discern who they can trust. Without knowing who is trustworthy, they may doubt more, be hurt more often because people don’t follow through, and have questionable belonging, too.

How children are smart relates to their security in another way. When someone helps them understand how they are smart, they can develop self-security. They’ll know how to depend upon themselves when they need to. It’s not instead of trusting others they should trust, but it’s about learning proper independence. Self-security allows children to be right and do right when no one is looking.

Children who understand they are logic smart will know to think things through with questions. When they know they’re body smart, they’ll know to use movement and hands-on activities when trying to learn something or figure something out. If they’re self smart, they’ll be empowered to think alone when others around them seem to always process things in groups. When children know how they’re smart they’ll be successful more often. This, in turn, further increases their self-security.

Knowing how we are not smart is even related to our security. For example, I’m not very picture smart. I don’t think often in pictures and don’t do well with design tasks. I don’t beat myself up over it. I understand we each have different intelligences. I’m content relying on the ones I have as strengths.

Knowing where I’m weak makes it easier for me to ask for help rather than trying things on my own. This decreases frustration and failure. And, I’m blessed by people’s help and they’re blessed by helping.

Just a week ago, I rearranged furniture in my living room and wanted to rehang two pictures in slightly different places. I also wondered about adding three pictures in different places. Not trusting myself to make ideal decisions, I invited a friend over who is gifted in this area. She was able to quickly make decisions and I’m very happy with the outcome.

When we know how we are smart, it’s easier to trust ourselves. When we know how we are not as smart, it’s easier to trust others. This knowledge is a big win-win.