Reflections on Gardner's 5 Minds for the Future

While reading 5 Minds for the Future, I was like, "Whoa!". I was astounded by his thoughts. I couldn't agree more with Mr. Howard Gardner.



These are 5 traits we need to have and the future generation has to have in order to make it in the real world.

And let's face it. The world has indeed evolved. As what the Medici article has taught us, there are three forces that are giving rise to more intersections: the movement of people, the convergence of science and the leap of computation. We have to keep up with the life in the fast lane. But this doesn't mean forgetting our principles and ethics.

Right-brained people will rule the future, as what Pink Daniel said. There is now more emphasis on EQ rather than IQ. Why would they need high IQ people when computers are developing fast and some day, computers can do your job better than you. Take for example the Great Kasparov's demise against a computer in various chess tournaments.

Companies nowadays are looking not only for extraordinary intelligence, but also of character. Some employers will even say, we need emotionally flexible people more than the smart bright people. So these days, the concept of "cream of the crop" is now evolving.

Take a look at the state of the Philippines. We've had enough of Harvard-graduate, summa cum laude leaders who use their intelligence to succumb the nation's wealth. And here we are, the poor getting poorer, the rich getting richer. Imagine if we can interview a future mayor, or senator or President for that matter, in a job interview setting. Now, that would be quite a riot!

Quoting a paragraph from hiringopportunities.com,

Finally, the importance of “emotional intelligence” cannot be stressed enough. In the workplace, the ability to get results is inextricably linked to the ability to access other people. If a candidate demonstrates patience, tolerance and coaching skills, employers will assume that she is able to get along with all kinds of people. When asked about specific achievements in their previous job, emotionally intelligent candidates don’t just pile the credit on themselves – they acknowledge how their colleagues, managers and supervisors helped make the achievement possible. That way, the employer can see that they are able to bring out the best in others without letting their ego get in the way.

I think the 5 minds is revolutionary and can change the way people think and live and eventually, the way the world works. It can be incorporated both in Education and Human Resources. That way, our society will breed a new generation of intelligent, ethical and socially responsible citizens.



The world needs a new perspective, a new breed of people who can find solutions to really puzzling problems the world has. Different measures have to be done this time. There has to be fresh approaches to problems we didn't imagine centuries ago. Take, for example, the problem of garbage here in the Philippines. The effects of our apathy boomeranged on us in the form of a great flood that destroyed lives and homes. That's why I support creative and innovative projects like the Invisible Sisters.



But just how do we apply the 5 minds? After all, it still is just a concept.

5 Minds is valuable and new so it is creative. But it hasn't been realized yet. So it is not innovative.

In an earlier entry (see 5-sided box for 5 year olds), I came up with some doodles and brain farts on how to concretize Gardner's 5 minds. Please check it out!