To explain the general ability of a person, psychology relies on different types of intelligence theories. One such theory type is the naturalistic intelligence, found by Howard Gardner in his 1983 Theory of Multiple Intelligences He states that people with naturalistic intelligence would have the ability to understand and identify their natural surroundings. However, the definition of naturalistic intelligence describes a lot more than this. To learn about naturalistic intelligence, read this blog.
Here, we shared everything about naturalistic intelligence- definition, examples, and characteristics. Also, we have explained how to develop naturalistic intelligence.
Definition of Naturalistic Intelligence
Naturalistic intelligence is the ability to comprehend, categorize, explain, and draw connections between everyday objects and natural phenomena. It is the capacity to distinguish between various living organisms such as plants and animals. Mostly, people with naturalist intelligence excel in areas related to the natural world, such as meteorology, horticulture, culinary, engineering, and landscape design. Mainly, due to the focus on nature, the naturalist intelligence type people differs from the other types such as linguistic, logical, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.
In general, persons who are identified with naturalistic intelligence will have sincere affection and care for the natural environment including both living and non-living things. Particularly, they will have a very close relationship with nature. But this doesn’t mean that they have to be outside all the time to accomplish them.
Origin of Naturalistic Intelligence
It is believed that naturalist intelligence originated in humans during the prehistoric period when survival relied on understanding the kinds of plants and animals that were present together with the climate and topography. Additionally, this gives a history of development and evolution—two traits that characterize intelligence in humans.
Characteristics of Individuals with Naturalistic Intelligence
High naturalist intelligence people will usually be more interested in natural subjects. Moreover, a person of this caliber of intelligence is likely to be interested in any chance to investigate, educate them about, or develop their empathy for the natural environment. For instance, they will have a keen interest in tracking climate changes, identifying hazardous objects in nature, etc. These days, those who possess this type of intelligence are referred to as “nature smart” because of their extensive knowledge and understanding of nature. Categorization, hierarchical reasoning, natural orientation, and natural connection are a few common traits of naturalistic intelligent people.
Here, let us look at some characteristics that people with naturalist intelligence most frequently exhibit:
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Love Nature
They will adore the natural environment very much. So, they will use all the chance they have to admire, learn, and gain knowledge about nature. In specific, they will love reading books about nature and enjoy watching movies and TV shows that have natural scenes in them. Moreover, they will often discuss the works of well-known naturalists.
Enjoy Outdoor Activities
People who possess naturalistic intelligence are also called “outdoorsy” because of their admiration for outside activities. In specific, these people will be more passionate about nature and the great outdoors. They will also enjoy taking walks, runs, treks, hikes, etc, and explore the wild enthusiastically. They may participate in activities that promote human-nature harmony such as camping. Furthermore, they like coming up with innovative ideas and discovering strange objects in the forest.
Dislike Pollution
Naturalistic Intelligence people will hate anything that harms the environment. Particularly, they will dislike everyone who causes pollution, plucks a flower, and cuts down trees. Moreover, such people will constantly devise strategic management strategies to protect nature from pollution.
Care for Environment
Naturalist intelligent people will be concerned about protecting and preserving the natural environment. Also, they may try to achieve this by taking personal sustainable actions such as using fewer fossil fuels or by working in a profession that enables them to take care of the environment.
Good Understanding of Natural Elements
These people are capable of noticing minute alterations in the natural world. All these changes may go unnoticed by others. Generally, people with naturalistic intelligence will instantly recognize when and what their pet requires. Also, they are good observers of natural differences.
Compose Content about Nature
For naturalistic intelligent people, writing about nature will be a hobby. They will do everything they can to spread their interest to as many people as possible. They will also be very interested in the environment in which learning and studying take place.
Take Good Care of Animals and Pets
People who possess naturalist intelligence are more likely to adopt pets or work in professions that involve caring for animals such as zookeepers or veterinarians. One method this intelligence type can grow empathy for the natural world is through making a connection with animals.
Collect Items from Nature
Individuals possessing this kind of intelligence will create and maintain scrapbooks, journals, or logs about nature. Specifically, it will contain pictures, sketches, photos, and observations about the natural environment. Even such people will also have a keen interest in collecting things that are available in nature. For example, different types of stones, soil, flowers, etc.
Proficient in Information Classification
People with naturalistic intelligence will be good at recognizing patterns present in nature. They can easily make connections with elements of nature. They also enjoy categorizing things like leaves, rocks, plants, mountains, etc. It is observed that they categorize anything that has a connection with nature.
Explore the Natural Environment
Naturalistic Intelligence people will normally have an interest in learning biology concepts. So, they will enroll in classes like botany, biology, and animal science and get to know more about nature. Other subjects they may be interested in are geography and physical geology. With the help of their naturalist intelligence, such people will also explore and find out new species, biomes, or things about nature.
Learn how to Become a Naturalistic Intelligent Person
Gardner argues that everyone including children can develop multiple intelligences throughout their lives, including naturalistic intelligence. Below we have listed some of the top naturalist intelligence development strategies. If you wish to develop naturalistic intelligence, then follow them.
Perform Engaging Activities
Being physically connected to nature through your activities is one of the finest methods to enhance your naturalist intelligence. Gardening, nature photography, painting, collecting minerals and plants, and trekking are all excellent ways to engage with components of the natural world. Community education classes are another option for skill development and engagement. So, engage in a wide range of activities to develop your abilities in various domains and gain a deeper understanding of the interdependence of the natural world.
Improve your Observation Skills
Typically, by observing you can get a deeper understanding of nature. Particularly, to improve your observation skills, you can examine your surroundings by going for a walk in a forest area or a mountain trail. Mainly, explorations will allow you to recognize new natural occurrences and value the wonders of the natural world. Moreover, to improve these kinds of talents, you can also use binoculars, take pictures, and prepare a journal based on your observations.
Develop Empathy
If you wish to improve your ability to prioritize environmental conservation, try to understand the interrelated aspects of nature that enable humans, animals, and plants to survive. Moreover, you can develop empathy for the natural world by reading books about nature or watching documentaries about the significance of the environment. To stay connected with the natural world, even you can take up gardening or adopt a pet.
Be Curious
To engage your curiosity and expand your understanding of the natural world, ask questions, look for new information, and explore undiscovered aspects of nature. Generally, many interesting and essential natural occurrences will be difficult to perceive. Hence, undivided attention is necessary to understand and appreciate nature. Be genuinely interested in the underlying workings of the natural world when you interact with it or learn about it.
Pursue a Formal Education
There are numerous undergraduate and graduate degrees available to educate people on certain aspects of the natural world. Biology, environmental science, chemistry, animal science, geology, botany, and animal husbandry degrees will give specialized information relating to nature. So, pursuing a degree in such courses might help you in developing your naturalist intelligence. Moreover, when you educate yourself on one environmental topic, you will more likely develop an appreciation for other natural elements as well.
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Activities to Develop Naturalistic Intelligence
The following are some activities you can do to build your naturalistic intelligence
- Look for details in nature
- Take walks or spend time in the outdoors
- Sort or classify objects in nature
- Explore the environment
- Make inferences about how natural processes work
- Visit an aquarium or zoo.
- Climb or trek in the mountains.
- Make use of a microscope or binoculars.
- Sow seeds or look for fossils.
Famous People with Naturalistic Intelligence
In his book Multiple Intelligence, Gardner quoted several famous people as examples of naturalistic intelligence. Some renowned people with naturalistic intelligence include the following:
- Charles Darwin, an English Naturalist known for his evolution theory. He proposed that all life comes from a common ancestor. Also, he introduced the scientific theory of evolution through the natural selection method. Darwin’s HMS Beagle allowed him the opportunity to research and gather natural specimens from all around the world.
- William Wordsworth, a poet and naturalistic. He showed his naturalistic intelligence in his poem “The Tables Turned.” In this poem, he motivates the readers to go outdoors and explore. He believed that a lot of new things could be learned from nature, rather than books.
- Gerald Durrell was an English naturalist, conservationist, zookeeper, and author. He was well-known for creating the Jersey Zoo on Jersey Island and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Also, he was an animal lover and collector who had written numerous books on the same. His notable work is “My Family and Other Animals.”
- Viktor Schauberger was an Austrian naturalist who keenly observed nature from various dimensions and developed theories based on that. Moreover, he demonstrated to the world how to use naturalistic intelligence in engineering.
- Alexander von Humboldt, 19th Century naturalist and adventurer. He was the first to propose that climate change is a result of human activity and has an effect on the natural world. His fascination with nature made him work on botanical geography. This eventually served as the basis for the field of biogeography.
Careers for Individuals with Naturalistic Intelligence
There are plenty of jobs to develop your naturalistic intelligence and strengthen your bond with the natural world. Here, let us look at a few job positions suitable for those who possess a high level of naturalistic intelligence.
- Horticulturist
- Conservationist
- Animal Trainer
- Ecologist
- Veterinarian
- Biologist
- Park Ranger
- Animal Trainer
- Zookeeper
- Environmental Researcher
Conclusion
Hopefully, by now you will have gained a better comprehension of naturalistic intelligence. Especially, with naturalistic intelligence, one can easily identify and classify their surroundings, species, and creatures. In case, you experience any difficulties in understanding the naturalistic intelligence theory or if you find it troublesome to write environmental assignments on it, feel free to approach us.
