Existential Intelligence
Existential intelligence is the ability to pose and ponder questions regarding existence—including life and death. This would be in the domain of philosophers and religious leaders. Students favoring this intelligence tend to be the ones who must put everything into a larger framework, a global perspective, a historical context. They ask the “why?” questions. They have a tendency to be so focused on the big picture that they often lose sight of necessary details. The ninth intelligence has not yet been fully accepted by educators in the classroom (Giles, Pitre, & Womack, 2003). The hypothesis has been further explored by educational researchers (Tupper, 2002). Some examples of people with existential intelligence are Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and Confucius.