Am I the only one... (Hermione and Multiple Intelligences)

[Milz]

No: HPFGUIDX 135030

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Schumar1999" 
<schumar1999 at y...> wrote:
> As far as Hermione's "stagnating intelligence", Del says <snip>:
> So, I'm still not convinced.
> 
> Schumar's response: Neither am I. 
> 
> First of all, every single one of Del's reasons for showing 
Hermione IS a clever and 
> extraordinary witch who can think outside of the box are true. I 
want to add about how 
> Hermione got the idea to have Harry teach the DA group (something 
that Hermione 
> planned and organized all on her own) ... she valued what Harry 
taught them so much that 
> she was even able to show Harry how what Snape was saying related 
to what Harry taught. 
> 
> And let's look at Hermione's giftedness and the some of multiple 
intelligences, as outlined 
> by Howard Gardner. 
> 
> Linguistic Intelligence -- Hermione does indeed show a sensitivity 
to written and spoken 
> language and she uses books and language to accomplish her goals. 
It is clear that she is 
> the best writer of the trio, as she has always been editing their 
written homework. She 
> even thought outside the box in HBP to look up students with the 
name Prince in the 
> library. She must have extraordinary intelligence in this and the 
next area to be able to 
> come up with a jinx that no one can counter.
> 
> Logical-Mathematical Intelligence - Hermione is the only one of the 
three that has 
> continued with the mathematical magic classes, particularly 
Arithmency. Of course, we 
> have seen her use and value logic back since PS/SS... how she was 
impressed with Snape's 
> potions protection of the stone (logic being something many wizards 
lack), and she used 
> logic in working out how the basilisk was able to get to its 
victims (the pipes). Although 
> she hasn't gotten nearly the results Harry has with the help of the 
HBP, Hermione is smart 
> enough to get farther on everything than anyone else in the class.
> 
> Interpersonal Intelligence - I don't necessarily think this her 
greatest strength but she 
> does some things well. She gets the Harry/Cho and even the 
Ginny/Harry relationships 
> spot on... but she doesn't understand that Hogwarts' house elves 
really don't want to be 
> free or that Harry really has a reason to worry about Malfoy.  I 
think that Hermione does 
> show Intrapersonal intelligence and understands herself and her 
feelings, but she 
> recognizes that Ron is not there yet. And yes, bright girls like 
Hermione do act foolishly at 
> times. 
> 
> Speaking of House Elves, another aspect of giftedness is having 
Social Intelligence, and 
> working to understand what's going on in the world (as she clearly 
did with being the only 
> one who read Hogwarts, A History) and improve the conditions of 
others. She even stated 
> how she would like to do something more with S.P.E.W. after 
Hogwarts. 
> 
> So, yes, there are other intelligences that Hermione doesn't 
necessarily have great 
> strengths in, namely Bodily-Kinesthetic, and though she is clearly 
good at the Naturalistic 
> areas, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology (both of which she 
received "O" O.W.L.s) 
> -- she doesn't seem to have as much interest in them as she does in 
the more Logic/
> Mathematical areas. 
> 
> Now it gets personal for me. I am an educator of Gifted/Talented 
youth, and my job is 
> looking for and developing these talents in others. It is clear to 
me that Hermione 
> posesses the above average ability and -- perhaps most importantly -
- the creativity and 
> the commitment to task -- that prove she is truly a Gifted Witch. 
Even if she's not as good 
> at Potions as Snape was, there is nothing tangible that I can see 
to really suggest her 
> inteligence is waning. 

Again, if the polyjuice potion did not exist in the HP universe,  
would she have been able to conceive of that idea and would she be 
able to execute it?  My guess is no, because she hasn't demonstrated 
the qualities needed to do that, including but not limited to: 

1. She doesn't think outside of the box. She limits herself to the 
safe confines of convention and does very well within those confines. 
2. She lacks the critical temerity to apply her knowledge outside of 
the box, unlike the Weasley twins.

When limitations are imposed, creativity and innovation stagnates. 
All the innovations and discoveries are because someone somewhere 
thought one day "what would happen if" and actually set out to do it. 
They didn't cower in a corner and think "Because page 354 of The 
Textbook of Everything says it's not possible to do, I'd better not 
waste my time." That attitude and that lack of critical thinking only 
leads to intellectual stagnation. 

Milz