What Is Existential Intelligence? (Plus, How to Cultivate It)

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See what sets existential intelligence apart from traditional smarts

Co-authored by Dan Hickey Reviewed by Allison Broennimann, PhD

Last Updated: October 10, 2024 Fact Checked

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• What is existential intelligence?
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• Characteristics
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• Cultivating Existential Intelligence
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• Best Careers

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Intelligence is multifaceted, and you’ve likely heard of terms like IQ (intelligence quotient), emotional intelligence, or street smarts before. But what is existential intelligence? Existential intelligence (EI) is one of the nine types of intelligence in the Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory and describes the ability to think about deep questions about human existence. In this article, we’ll break down existential intelligence and the characteristics of people who have it, plus share how you can cultivate your EI and what careers suit those with it.

Things You Should Know

• Existential intelligence (EI) is the capacity to ponder deep questions about human existence, like the origin of life or what happens after death.
• People with high EI see the world from a philosophical perspective and enjoy helping others, self-care, and promoting positive values like love and truth.
• Existentially intelligent people gravitate to careers that require sensitivity and deep thought, like psychology and therapy, teaching, or church leadership.

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Section 1 of 4:

What is existential intelligence?

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1. 1
   Existential intelligence is the capacity to ponder deep questions about human existence. This type of intelligence is difficult to quantify and involves introspective concepts like reflective or deep thinking and the ability to design or dissect abstract theories. If you frequently think about ideas and concepts like the meaning of life, why we die, or how the universe or humanity came into existence, you may have high existential intelligence (EI).

   • Existential intelligence is sometimes called spiritual intelligence since it relates to questions about existence, life, death, and the beyond.
2. 2
   EI is one type of intelligence in the Multiple Intelligences theory. The Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory describes 9 types of intelligence that sum up humans' natural inclinations for learning and engaging with the world. The theory was proposed by Harvard professor Howard Gardner, Ph.D. in 1983 to understand how children learn and explore different ways of presenting educational materials. The exact number of intelligences has changed over the years (the initial theory only had 6 types and did not include EI), and it’s possible new types will be added in the future. Currently, the other 8 intelligences are:

   • Verbal-linguistic intelligence: well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words.
   • Logical-mathematical intelligence: the ability to think conceptually and abstractly with the capacity to discern logical and numerical patterns.
   • Spatial-visual intelligence: the capacity to think in images and pictures and to visualize accurately and abstractly.
   • Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: the ability to control one’s body movements and to handle objects skillfully.
   • Musical intelligence: the ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch, and timbre.
   • Interpersonal intelligence: the capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations, and desires of others.
   • Intrapersonal intelligence: the capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs, and thinking processes.
   • Naturalist intelligence: the ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals, and other objects in nature.
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Section 2 of 4:

Characteristics of Existential Intelligence

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1. 1
   Interest in worldly issues Existentially intelligent people enjoy contemplating deep issues or ideas like origin of life, the meaning of death, or the purpose of humans on Earth. They use their high level development in abstract and deep reasoning to ponder these questions and find answers to the question, “why?”

   • On the other hand, people with EI are often disinterested in normalized social practices, leisure activities, and consumerism or material possessions.
   • For example, both adults and children with high existential intelligence may enjoy journaling about their deep thoughts or communicating with others about intangible ideas like love, good and evil, or human nature.
   • Children with high existential intelligence may ask questions like, “where do you go when you die,” “where do babies come from,” “why are there numbers,” or even “why do i have to go to school?”
2. 2
   Ability to observe the self and the world from a deep perspective People with EI look for meaning beyond the visible or physical universe. They want to unite all the elements of the world in their outlook on life, including spiritual and energetic forces that are ignored by purely logic-driven perspectives.

   • Existentially intelligent people also have an ongoing interest in spiritual knowledge and practice to help them deepen their understanding of others and their own place and purpose in life. In other words, they’re “big picture” thinkers who go beyond their physical senses to explain the world around them.
   • For example, people with EI may be pacifists or animal rights activists because they value all living things as part of an interconnected whole.
3. 3
   Defense of positive, universal values Existentially intelligent people support values like peace, love, wisdom, goodness, truth, and harmony in their own lives and in their communities. They generally hold themselves to these ideas and discourage values that deteriorate the human condition, such as egotism, envy, usurpation, and aggression.

   • For example, when a person with high EI is faced with a personal attack or confrontation, they urge all parties to pause and consider all the facts and perspectives on the issue before coming up with a solution. They stay away from violence, aggression, or blaming and respond with assertiveness, integrity, and respect.
4. 4
   Need to serve others Folks with EI generally shun self-centeredness and want to help marginalized people or those less fortunate than themselves. They may volunteer frequently, make donations to charities, or gravitate to career fields that help people, like psychology and therapy, teaching, church leadership, meditation and yoga instruction.

   • For example, children demonstrating existential intelligence often want to help and share with their friends, take care of pets or animals, or participate in charity events.
   • People with high EI also typically act in solidarity with larger groups to ensure the best outcome for everyone rather than prioritizing their own personal needs and desires.
5. 5
   Need for self-care People with EI may consider their body as a vessel for the soul. They enjoy practicing self-care and engaging in healthy habits, regular exercise, and a nutritious diet. They also typically set aside quality time for leisure or creative pursuits and may struggle with burnout at work if they can't maintain a healthy work-life balance.
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Section 3 of 4:

Cultivating Existential Intelligence

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1. 1
   Practice deep contemplation or meditation. Deep thinking or meditating helps you access a deeper knowledge of yourself, your feelings, and your relationships with others. Try journaling about your innermost thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or perfection to get your observations on paper and analyze them. Or, get comfortable in a quiet space, close your eyes and meditate—let your thoughts drift in and out without forcing them and see what deep realizations you come to.

   • Make a habit of performing contemplative practices daily (or at least a few times a week) to attune yourself to your deepest thoughts and feelings.
   • To exercise EI in children, ask them “big picture questions” in simple words like “why are we here” or “what does life mean?” Have them write about their ideas to share or have them answer the questions out loud.
2. 2
   Engage in healthy self-care habits. An increase in your mind-body connection helps conceptualize the “oneness” of the seen and unseen world. Make a point to get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet, and save time for leisure activities that fulfill you or bring you joy. The healthier your body becomes, the healthier your mind and spirit become.

   • Spend time in nature to interact with natural environments, gain appreciation for other living things, and increase your mental health. A short hike or walk through a forest preserve is also a way to help children engage in healthy self-care and strengthen their EI.
3. 3
   Have deep discussions with your friends and family. Share your thoughts and have debates about different existential topics like what happens after death, the purpose of religion or spirituality in life, or the significance of the human race in the universe as a whole. If you like, try reading the viewpoints of different philosophers and referencing them in your conversations.

   • These deep chats help you look at the world from other peoples’ perspectives and be more open-minded to opinions and experiences other than your own.
4. 4
   Do something of service for your community. Helping others and being less self-centered helps you recognize the interconnectedness of the world. Try volunteering at a community center or for a local charity, fostering pets from a nearby shelter, or canvassing for causes and policies that will positively affect your community or assist people in need.
5. 5
   Hone your creative skills. Creative practices like writing or making music allow you to see the world from different angles and access different truths about yourself and others. To increase your creativity, allow yourself to be curious and absorb a wide variety of influences, art, and media (even if they’re not related to your specific field of work or interest). Make time each day to work on an artistic project, like learning an instrument or painting.

   • Cultivating creativity can be helpful in your everyday life and at work as well as for your existential intelligence.
   • To help children get existentially creative, try activities like puzzles, playing history games that help them see cause-and-effect patterns, or reading stories in other languages (if they understand more than one).
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Section 4 of 4:

Best Careers for Existentially Intelligent People

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1. Those with EI are suited for jobs that require sensitivity or deep thought. “Profound contemplation” might not show up in a lot of job descriptions, but there are a number of careers that require people to show empathy and sensitivity while exploring questions about human existence, the meaning of life, why people die, or how humanity got here. These jobs include things like the following and more:

   • Pastor
   • Meditation or yoga instructor
   • Psychic
   • Pastoral counselor
   • Chaplain
   • Public or motivational speaker
   • Philosopher or theologian
   • Psychologist
   • Teacher
   • Scientist

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