Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristicsTheories and ModelsDeveloping Intrapersonal IntelligenceExamples and ActivitiesResources and Further Reading

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Table of Contents

Characteristics

Theories and Models

Developing Intrapersonal Intelligence

Examples and Activities

Resources and Further Reading

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Intrapersonal intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand your thoughts, feelings, and motivation. It involves gaining self-awareness through introspection, self-reflection, and insight. This form of intelligence allows people to plan, make decisions, and pursue goals effectively.

“Intrapersonal intelligence describes how well we understand ourselves and how we use our self-awareness to guide our lives. This includes understanding our emotions, core values, belief systems, and motivation behind our behaviors, and living in alignment with this understanding,” explains Courtney Morgan, LPCC, a licensed therapist and founder ofCounseling Unconditionally.

If you have a high level of intrapersonal intelligence, you might feel like you have a deep connection to your own mind and the things that make you tick. Understanding your inner world allows you to relate and interact with your external environment more effectively. Because you know yourself so well, you are adept at setting meaningful goals that guide your life in the right direction.

At a GlancePeople with intrapersonal intelligence often seem to have an uncanny understanding of their own thoughts, emotions, and experiences. They are great at spotting patterns in their life, connecting current feelings to past events, and understanding why they are the way they are today.Keep reading to learn more about what you can do to develop your intrapersonal intelligence abilities and why these skills can be so important for mental well-being.

At a Glance

People with intrapersonal intelligence often seem to have an uncanny understanding of their own thoughts, emotions, and experiences. They are great at spotting patterns in their life, connecting current feelings to past events, and understanding why they are the way they are today.Keep reading to learn more about what you can do to develop your intrapersonal intelligence abilities and why these skills can be so important for mental well-being.

People with intrapersonal intelligence often seem to have an uncanny understanding of their own thoughts, emotions, and experiences. They are great at spotting patterns in their life, connecting current feelings to past events, and understanding why they are the way they are today.

Keep reading to learn more about what you can do to develop your intrapersonal intelligence abilities and why these skills can be so important for mental well-being.

Characteristics of Intrapersonal Intelligence

People who have strong intrapersonal intelligence tend to be:

Intrapersonal Traits and Behaviors

Theories and Models of Intrapersonal Intelligence

Howard Gardner introduced the concept of intrapersonal intelligence as part of his theory of multiple intelligences. Where traditional theories of intelligence suggested that intelligence was a single, broad capacity, Gardner believes that it is made up of many different types of cognitive abilities.

According to Gardner, there are nine distinct types of intelligence:

While intrapersonal intelligence is primarily associated with Gardner’s theory, it also plays a role in a number of other theories and models.

Intrapersonal intelligence is also an important aspect ofemotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to a person’s ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions. Intrapersonal knowledge helps strengthen emotional intelligence.

Research suggests that perceived intrapersonal emotional intelligence can play a beneficial role in academic success.

Intrapersonal vs. Interpersonal Intelligence

Where intrapersonal intelligence focuses on understanding the self, interpersonal intelligence is centered on understanding other people.

Intrapersonal IntelligenceSelf-compassionSelf-awarenessEnjoy self-expressionFeedback comes from the selfExecutive functionsInterpersonal IntelligenceEmpathySocial perceptionEnjoys communicationFeedback comes from othersSocial effectiveness

Intrapersonal IntelligenceSelf-compassionSelf-awarenessEnjoy self-expressionFeedback comes from the selfExecutive functions

Self-compassion

Self-awareness

Enjoy self-expression

Feedback comes from the self

Executive functions

Interpersonal IntelligenceEmpathySocial perceptionEnjoys communicationFeedback comes from othersSocial effectiveness

Empathy

Social perception

Enjoys communication

Feedback comes from others

Social effectiveness

Intrapersonal intelligence tends to come naturally to some people–it’s just part of how their minds work. However, Morgan explains that anyone can learn and strengthen their intrapersonal abilities.

A few ways to do this include journaling, getting curious about themselves and their reactions to others (asking themselves the tough questions!), reading self-help books or working through guided self-help books, listening to podcasts, and tuning into theirinternal dialogue.—COURTNEY MORGAN, LPCC

A few ways to do this include journaling, getting curious about themselves and their reactions to others (asking themselves the tough questions!), reading self-help books or working through guided self-help books, listening to podcasts, and tuning into theirinternal dialogue.

—COURTNEY MORGAN, LPCC

Intrapersonal means within the individual self or mind. So these skills center on things like self-awareness,resilience, emotional understanding, and adaptability.

Some strategies that can help you develop your intrapersonal skills include:

Identify Your Values

Morgan’s number one recommendation for strengthening intrapersonal abilities is to complete a value card sort. “This is an activity in which a person is presented with numerous values, such as family, power,autonomy, peace, travel, and connection, and they are instructed to identify the values that are most important to them,” she says.

The leadership and personal development companyThink2Performhas a great online value sorter that you can try for free.

She suggests working through the card sort until you’ve selected a maximum of five values. Next, think about how well you are living in alignment with thosecore values. How can you integrate these values into your life more? Which areas of your life are these values not present?

This can be a great way to guide your decisions and identify areas of incongruence in your life. “I find that people experience sadness, frustration, and anxiety when they have high levels of incongruence between their lives and their values,” Morgan explains.

Make Time for Yourself

Self-discovery is essential for intrapersonal intelligence. Give yourself thetime and spaceto get to know who you are a little better. Exploring who you are and building an identity often take center stage during adolescence and other important points of life, but building a sense ofself-conceptis an ongoing process throughout life.

Strategies that can help you build stronger self-knowledge include:

Writing in a Journal

Journalingyour thoughts, feelings, and experiences is a powerful way to learn more about yourself. Think of your journal as a guidebook to yourself. It can hold your memories as well as your emotions, aspirations, and fears.

Looking back on your journal entries can be a great way to pinpoint problems, notice patterns, and remind you of your progress.

Treat Yourself Kindly

Showing yourselfcompassionis an important intrapersonal skill. Being kind to yourself can help you build a deeper, more positive connection with how you are feeling. Pay attention to how you are feeling and look for ways to improve how you are feeling and address your needs.

Give yourself encouragement when you’re feeling stressed. Think about what you might say to a good friend when they are feeling down or struggling with a tough situation. Treat yourself like you would a friend.

And don’t forget that everyone makes mistakes. Instead of beating yourself up overregrets, focus onforgiving yourself, learning from mistakes, and seeing it as an opportunity to understand yourself a little better.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulnessbuilds a greater appreciation of the present moment, including your feelings and perceptions. By becoming more mindful, you’ll develop a greater awareness of what you’re feeling and why you might be feeling that way.

Mindfulness practices can help you reconnect with your inner self and learn more about how you respond to the world around you. As you build your mindfulness skills, you may start to notice situations that contribute to stress, negative thinking, andpoor self-esteem.

As you develop a greater emotional awareness, you can also start to notice the things that give you strength and help you cope with life’s challenges. That way, instead of responding with poor coping strategies or bad habits, you can rely on these strengths to build your resilience and recover from setbacks.

Talk to a Therapist

Some people may have a more difficult time cultivating intrapersonal intelligence. Barriers may hold them back, or they may encounter challenges when trying to do this on their own. Morgan recommends that people facing such struggles reach out to a licensed mental health therapist for guidance.

Therapy challenges us to voice our inner thoughts and emotions, which essentially helps us to better understand ourselves. People may feel vulnerable as they dig deep into themselves, which is why it is so incredibly important that people find a therapist they feel comfortable with. A really great therapist helps people understand themselves and work to accept parts of themselves that they often keep hidden.—COURTNEY MORGAN LPCC

Therapy challenges us to voice our inner thoughts and emotions, which essentially helps us to better understand ourselves. People may feel vulnerable as they dig deep into themselves, which is why it is so incredibly important that people find a therapist they feel comfortable with. A really great therapist helps people understand themselves and work to accept parts of themselves that they often keep hidden.

—COURTNEY MORGAN LPCC

Therapy can be a powerful tool for self-exploration. By working with a therapist, you can learn more about your experiences, thoughts, moods, and behaviors. Reflecting on yourself with the help of a mental health professional can provide insights and help you make important connections that you might not have otherwise noticed on your own.

Examples and Activities of Intrapersonal Intelligence

It’s helpful to understand why intrapersonal intelligence is important and the role it can play in everyday life. Here are a few real-life scenarios where intrapersonal intelligence comes into play:

Setting Goals

When you set personal goals, it requires knowing what you want and the type of resources you have available to make those things happen. That takes self-knowledge. You also need to have a solid understanding of the things you want to achieve and how you can do it in a way that upholds your values, plays to your strengths, and sidesteps your weaknesses.

Start a Vision BoardHere’s a great idea to help you build greater intrapersonal intelligence and reach your goals: start avision board! A personal vision board is a visual representation of your goals and aspirations. It incorporates things that are important to you, such as images and quotes. This can be a great way to learn more about yourself and give yourself something to work towards.

Start a Vision Board

Here’s a great idea to help you build greater intrapersonal intelligence and reach your goals: start avision board! A personal vision board is a visual representation of your goals and aspirations. It incorporates things that are important to you, such as images and quotes. This can be a great way to learn more about yourself and give yourself something to work towards.

Regulating Emotions

The ability to manage your emotions is a key component of intrapersonal intelligence. If you are struggling with this skill, it might mean that you find it hard to control or understand what you are feeling when you are under stress. This can lead to angry outbursts that can negatively affect your mood, relationships, and even your job.

Label Your Emotions

Expressing Yourself Creatively

If you want to create art, music, writing, or any type of expressive work, it requires tapping into your innermost self to find inspiration. When you have a strong sense of intrapersonal intelligence, it means you are able to draw on your inner world and channel it into authentic, meaningful creations.

Express YourselfJournaling is a great way to get started if you want to strengthen the connection between your intrapersonal skills and creativity. Consider starting a creative journal where you record your thoughts, experiences, and reflections. Don’t be afraid to get creative, and consider using writing prompts as a springboard for self-exploration.

Express Yourself

Journaling is a great way to get started if you want to strengthen the connection between your intrapersonal skills and creativity. Consider starting a creative journal where you record your thoughts, experiences, and reflections. Don’t be afraid to get creative, and consider using writing prompts as a springboard for self-exploration.

If you want to learn more about intrapersonal intelligence, you may find the following resources helpful:

Books

Online Workshops or Courses

You might also consider taking a course or workshop through an online provider like Coursera or Udemy. You might find classes devoted to specific aspects of intrapersonal intelligence, such as emotional intelligence, self-awareness, personal development, and mindfulness.

Therapy

You might find it helpful to talk to a counselor or therapist to help develop and strengthen your intrapersonal skills.

Some types of therapy that may be particularly helpful for building a stronger understanding of your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors includecognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT),acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT), andmindfulness-based cognitive therapy(MBCT).

Keep in Mind

According to Howard Gardner, intrapersonal intelligence is one type of intelligence that you might possess. This ability involves being particularly skilled at understanding your own thoughts, feelings, strengths, and motivations. Such skills can be important when it comes to setting goals and achieving personal growth, which is why taking steps to strengthen these abilities can be so helpful.

Understanding your unique strengths can also help you make important choices in your life that will maximize happiness and success. For example, people with a strong sense of intrapersonal intelligence may enjoy careers focused on introspection and self-reflection. If you have this type of intelligence, you might thrive as an author, poet, philosopher, historian, inventor, psychologist, or researcher.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have? Take the Quiz

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lei DY, Cheng JH, Chen CM, Huang KP, James Chou C.Discussion of teaching with multiple intelligences to corporate employees' learning achievement and learning motivation.Front Psychol. 2021;12:770473. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.770473Okwuduba EN, Nwosu KC, Okigbo EC, Samuel NN, Achugbu C.Impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional intelligence and self-directed learning on academic performance among pre-university science students.Heliyon. 2021;7(3):e06611. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06611Ashton MC.Mental ability. In:Individual Differences and Personality. Elsevier; 2023:237-291. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-85950-9.00012-1Shearer B.Multiple intelligences in teaching and education: Lessons learned from neuroscience.J Intell. 2018;6(3):38. doi:10.3390/jintelligence6030038Levy-Gigi E, Shamay-Tsoory S.Affect labeling: The role of timing and intensity.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0279303.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0279303

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lei DY, Cheng JH, Chen CM, Huang KP, James Chou C.Discussion of teaching with multiple intelligences to corporate employees' learning achievement and learning motivation.Front Psychol. 2021;12:770473. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.770473Okwuduba EN, Nwosu KC, Okigbo EC, Samuel NN, Achugbu C.Impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional intelligence and self-directed learning on academic performance among pre-university science students.Heliyon. 2021;7(3):e06611. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06611Ashton MC.Mental ability. In:Individual Differences and Personality. Elsevier; 2023:237-291. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-85950-9.00012-1Shearer B.Multiple intelligences in teaching and education: Lessons learned from neuroscience.J Intell. 2018;6(3):38. doi:10.3390/jintelligence6030038Levy-Gigi E, Shamay-Tsoory S.Affect labeling: The role of timing and intensity.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0279303.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0279303

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Lei DY, Cheng JH, Chen CM, Huang KP, James Chou C.Discussion of teaching with multiple intelligences to corporate employees' learning achievement and learning motivation.Front Psychol. 2021;12:770473. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.770473Okwuduba EN, Nwosu KC, Okigbo EC, Samuel NN, Achugbu C.Impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional intelligence and self-directed learning on academic performance among pre-university science students.Heliyon. 2021;7(3):e06611. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06611Ashton MC.Mental ability. In:Individual Differences and Personality. Elsevier; 2023:237-291. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-85950-9.00012-1Shearer B.Multiple intelligences in teaching and education: Lessons learned from neuroscience.J Intell. 2018;6(3):38. doi:10.3390/jintelligence6030038Levy-Gigi E, Shamay-Tsoory S.Affect labeling: The role of timing and intensity.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0279303.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0279303

Lei DY, Cheng JH, Chen CM, Huang KP, James Chou C.Discussion of teaching with multiple intelligences to corporate employees' learning achievement and learning motivation.Front Psychol. 2021;12:770473. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.770473

Okwuduba EN, Nwosu KC, Okigbo EC, Samuel NN, Achugbu C.Impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional intelligence and self-directed learning on academic performance among pre-university science students.Heliyon. 2021;7(3):e06611. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06611

Ashton MC.Mental ability. In:Individual Differences and Personality. Elsevier; 2023:237-291. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-85950-9.00012-1

Shearer B.Multiple intelligences in teaching and education: Lessons learned from neuroscience.J Intell. 2018;6(3):38. doi:10.3390/jintelligence6030038

Levy-Gigi E, Shamay-Tsoory S.Affect labeling: The role of timing and intensity.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0279303.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0279303

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