Often, we think a person is intelligent if they have ‘proof’ of it, such as good grades and degrees.
However, even though you can teach a person thinking skills that may result in impressive certificates, these people might not always exhibit intelligent behaviour when it comes to dealing with issues they face in the ‘real world’, away from school and college.
So what is true intelligence?
Professor Arthur Costa, creator of the Habits of Mind, discovered that truly intelligent people from all professions and walks of life, nationalities and genders, possess a set of thinking dispositions that help them to solve life’s complex problems successfully.
Professor Arthur Costa
As highlighted in his thesis and numerous books that have been written on the matter to date, Dr Costa suggests that there are 16 habits that are employed by characteristically intelligent people and that these habits will form the basis for what general society terms as “success”.
Some examples of these habits of mind are:
- Persistence (sticking to the task at hand and seeing it through);
- Managing impulsivity (taking time to consider options and remaining calm); and
- Striving for accuracy (in thought, words and actions).
Too often, we do not encourage such positive behaviours and habits in our children, and they bear the brunt of our negligence later in life as they grapple with their schoolwork and later their careers.
The repercussions of bad habits in thinking
Image source: iStock
Have you seen a typically “unlucky” person who consistently just doesn’t seem to get anything right or a colleague who never seems to be able to get the job done on time?
Such negative behaviour could be due to the habits that he or she formed over the years, starting from childhood.
Sometimes such people give up too easily, or they do not consider all factors before jumping into action and rush headlong into activities that are detrimental to them and even others.
Creating positive habits of mind for holistic intelligence
Image source: iStock
Dr Costa asserts that there are ways to nurture positive habits in thinking that will seed behavioural changes to allow every individual to lead a more fulfilled life.
The good news is that these Habits of Mind can be inculcated in children as young as 3 years old.
*EVENT HAS ALREADY ENDED*
Dr Arthur Costa will be in Singapore on 24 January to share his experience from educating successful individuals for 30 years.
To learn more about the ‘Habits of Mind’, join Global EduHub’s first-ever symposium on “Nurturing Preschoolers’ Habits of S.U.C.C.E.S.S” to get you ready for your child’s future.
DETAILS
Date: Saturday, 24 January 2015
Time: 9.00am to 1.00pm (Registration starts at 8.30am)
Prices: S$10 per person for parents with children enrolled in Global EduHub education centres, and at S$15 per person for the general public. Tickets include an educational bag worth S$200.
Venue: The Nexus Auditorium at #05-07, Cuppage Plaza
Tickets are available for sale through all Global EduHub education centres, and from the Global EduHub symposium website.
You can contact Global EduHub at +65 6449 3695 or email [email protected] for more details.
