Let’s unlock our hidden geniuses

By Alex P. Vidal

“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.”—Aldous Huxley

I stumbled into another self-help book copyrighted in 2000 that promises to multiply our mental power with “simple and enjoyable” exercises scientifically designed to make us smarter, more creative, more intuitive, and more successful in achieving our goals.

“Super Brain Power” author Jean Marie Stine explains that the readers will find exercises to help us: turn our mind into a mental tape recorder that captures every word we hear and read; jump-start our intelligence at will and leapfrog to logical solutions to the toughest problems.

Also, it will increase our creativity by pre-programming  our unconscious idea processor; win the enthusiasm and cooperation of others and form a personal championship team; learn physical tasks instantly by tapping into our physical intelligence; develop an emotional radar that automatically steers us toward success; and expand our vocabulary–without word-of-the-day lists or dictionaries.

 

MEMORIZE

Have we ever struggled to memorize a list of complicated names, dates, and rules for a forthcoming exam, or felt at a loss when unexpectedly called upon to provide the solution to a difficult problem during a company or group meeting?

Have we ever puzzled over a problem for hours or weeks without a clue and later realized the solution was right before our eyes all the time?

Have we ever been fooled by deceptive advertising, or been misled by a corporate prospectus, or overlooked an important flaw in our own or someone else’s position — and ended up feeling sorry for it later?

Have we ever longed for a creative way to tell someone we love them, needed a world-class inspiration to save a tottering business, or been challenged to come up with a new theme for the parish fundraising campaign?

 

LEARN

Have we ever struggled to learn how to repair a drainpipe, master a tennis stroke, give a permanent wave, or work with an unfamiliar keyboard configuration?

Have we ever had an abrasive relative we just couldn’t find a way to deal with, or been unable to figure out why we failed to “click” at an important job interview, or failed to see what was preventing us from welding a promising group of people into a team that realizes its potential? Of course we have. Everyone has.

Even Albert Einstein, possibly the supreme genius of the 20th century, wished he were smarter when he found the math underlying his Unified Field Theory, intended to explain and unify all physics, was wrong.

Stine explains that the super brain program is designed to take much of the work out of expanding our six intelligences.

 

PROGRAM

There are three ways Stine’s program unlocks our brain power: 1. Only logical intelligence was developed and rewarded. 2. The other five intelligences were devalued and unexploited. 3. Those who did not excel at this kind of thinking saw themselves as less able and intelligent than others.

Here are the power of our six intelligences, according to Stine: 1. The power of our verbal intelligence 2. The power of our visual intelligence 3. The power of our logical intelligence 4. The power of our creative intelligence 5. The power of our physical intelligence 6. The power of our emotional intelligence.

Power professions where verbal IQ counts: Journalist, novelist, poet, playwright, editor, advertising sparkplug, sales rep, marketing director, spin doctor, stand-up comedian, humorist, news commentator.

Restaurateur, hotelier, publican, politician, clergyperson, motivational speaker, attorney, judge, paralegal, translator, diplomat, mediator, psychotherapist, counselor, facilitator, television anchor, disc jockey, talk-show host, publisher, printer, bookstore owner.

 

VISUAL

Power professions where visual IQ counts: Mechanic, inventor, engineer, electrician, sailor, pilot, astronaut, race-car driver, athlete, acrobat, jockey, daredevil, surgeon, paramedic, radiologist, paleontologist, anthropologist, geologist, photographer, sculptor, painter, architect, cartographer, genealogist, television, motion picture or theatrical director or producer; photographer; actor; lighting or scenic designer; cinematographer, photographer or video and film; fashion designer, hairdresser, makeup artist; guide, scout, soldier.

Power professions where logical IQ counts: Scientist: biologist, physicist, chemist, astronomer, zoologist; physician, medical researcher, laboratory technician, computer designer, programmer, repair technician, mathematician, statistician, accountant, CPA, banker, financial analyst, market-fund manager, stock broker, clerk, cashier, bank teller, time-management, performance, productivity or systems analyst, personal assistant, secretary, office manager.

Power professions where creative IQ counts: Enterprenuer, small-business owner, CEO, graphic arts: illustrator, photographer, designer, inventor, creator, idea person, manager and marketer of art and artists, electronic media: radio, television, cable, video; live theater: plays, performance art, improve comedy; music: singer, instrumentalist, composer, landscaper, architect, community planner, advertising, marketing, salesperson, fashion designer, cosmetician, coiffeur, toy and game designer, children’s books and records artist.

 

PHYSICAL

Power professions where physical IQ counts: Singer, actor, “slaptick” comedian, craftperson, jeweler, computer repairperson, plumber, mechanic,  carpenter, butcher, gardener, anyone who works with his or her hands; chauffeur, truck driver, airline pilot; gymnast, ballplayer, swimmer, ice skater; sculptor, muralist; law enforcement officer, anyone serving in the military, firefighter, surgeon, nurse, paramedic; naturalist, veterinarian, animal trainer, anthropologist, archeologist.

Power professions where emotional IQ counts: Teacher, mentor, consultant, politician, attorney, minister, psychologist, peer counselor, social worker, marketing person, salesperson, public relations person, customer service manager, receptionist, greeter, negotiator, mediator, conflict manager, manager, administrator, team leader.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)