Homo narrare. Narrative Intelligence 3.0: Managing Reality and Influencing People. Arsen Avetisov

Daily impressions are remembered, classified, and cataloged in memory. Events are transformed into experiences, integrated into narrative programs, refined, and used to enhance the worldview. Ultimately, this process reshapes the architecture of neural connections.

      While working, the brain can direct blood flow to specific areas where energy demand spikes. This happens when those areas are engaged in solving complex cognitive tasks – problems for which no pre-existing narratives exist in the brain. Examples include learning a new skill, mastering a musical instrument, or studying a language from a completely different linguistic group. Such energy surges also occur when circumstances are constantly changing, such as planning a chess strategy.

      Once a skill is developed and practiced, it no longer requires intense effort or concentration, resulting in significantly lower energy consumption. But just how substantial are these energy surges for the brain? And why is the body willing to pay such a high price for the brain’s operation?

      This story began long ago. Today, we’ve mostly solved the problem of hunger. But for millions of years, our ancestors faced the constant threat of starvation. Yet, even under these conditions, one-fifth of all consumed energy went to support the brain. Every change requires tremendous energy expenditure. The seemingly simple transformations people dream about as children, imagine as teenagers, and encounter as adults often prove overwhelming. To truly change, one must let go of something, sacrifice something, and rebuild something. The brain knows exactly how much energy that costs. Changing yourself is expensive. It’s easier to rely on what already exists or borrow what the environment offers, then rationalize that this is the better option, even if it isn’t.

      Unknowingly, people are cautious and meticulous about embracing new thoughts and ideas. They also handle their imagination and overall mental work sparingly. In a way, we protect our brains by relying more on common sense, habits born of past experience, or the wisdom and lessons passed down by older generations.

      Sometimes people genuinely say they’re lazy, content with their status, or satisfied with the way things are. They back this up with plenty of explanations and arguments, focusing on possible difficulties or unsolvable problems. Imaginary obstacles become the perfect excuse for inaction. People aren’t ready to pay the price for change, but they can’t admit this, even to themselves. It’s not that they don’t want change – it’s that their brains resist it. The visual structures in the brain consume so much energy that it’s hard to comprehend. This is one reason why humans, without a pressing need, are reluctant to think deeply or reflect on complex issues.

      Depending on people’s willingness to think and act – and their readiness to spend energy – they can be roughly divided into three groups: those who actively shape events, those who observe and understand what’s happening, and those who are constantly surprised by everything around them. If someone is always amazed by what’s going on, you can confidently guess they’re not ready to change anything, even the things that surprise them. Observing requires more energy than simply being surprised, while creating and managing is the most energy-intensive activity of all. But this energy expenditure is precisely what drives development.

      A Multitude of Intelligences

      If you are smart, where does your intelligence reside?

      We did the impossible because we didn’t know it was impossible.

      Anonymous

      Humanity has survived mainly by countering the brute strength and agility of its environment with intellect. Today, we ask how and why a light appeared at the end of the evolutionary tunnel – the transformation of neural tissue into gray matter, the source of intelligence. Was it due to labor activity fostering new neural connections, walking on two legs that redirected and increased blood flow to the brain, or perhaps the constant need to replenish energy for movement and cognitive processes?

      Humans avoided becoming just another link in the food chain because the brain gained a universal weapon: intelligence. This weapon enables strategies, adapts to circumstances, plans changes, organizes battle formations, and coordinates orderly retreats.

      The term «intellect» comes from the Latin word meaning «understanding» or «cognition.» It encompasses not just the general ability to understand and learn but also the capacity to solve problems, achieve goals, and accomplish what we associate with personal success and happiness today.

      Among the various types of intelligence, IQ (intelligence quotient) is the most recognized. Its prominence comes from the long history of IQ testing, the simplicity of representing results as a single, comparable number, and the standardization of tests, which aids in predicting professional qualities. IQ measures abilities such as setting goals, planning, strategizing, learning, and applying abstract concepts. However, it is now evident that IQ alone does not fully capture a person’s potential or guarantee life success. External factors, like iodine supplementation in developing countries, have even been shown to raise IQ scores. Ultimately, IQ tests demonstrate how well someone can take IQ tests.

      To better understand the full range of brain capabilities, scientists and theorists concluded that one type of intelligence is insufficient. The theory of multiple intelligences emerged, proposing nearly ten distinct types. Each type reflects a dominant functional quality, making it easier for individuals to succeed professionally by leveraging their strongest type.

      Joel Davitz and Michael Beldoch first highlighted this issue in 1964, and Howard Gardner laid the groundwork for the theory in 1983. Gardner, regarded as its founder, initially identified six types of intelligence, which later expanded. These include:

      – Linguistic intelligence: Proficiency in written and spoken language.

      – Logical-mathematical intelligence: The ability to handle numbers and logical operations.

      – Musical intelligence: Sensitivity to rhythm, tone, and sound.

      – Visual-spatial intelligence: Orientation and understanding of spatial relationships.

      – Naturalistic intelligence: Awareness and understanding of nature.

      – Kinesthetic intelligence: Physical coordination and body movement.

      – Social and intrapersonal intelligence: Skills in social interactions and self-awareness.

      As new professional fields and activities emerge, the list of intelligences may grow further.

      Regardless of profession, there are core abilities that impact daily life and significantly shape one’s destiny. These are:

      – IQ (intelligence quotient): The ability to learn, reason, remember, and solve problems.

      – EQ (emotional quotient): Emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage one’s own and others’ emotions effectively.

      – NQ (narrative quotient): Narrative intelligence, the least studied yet most critical ability to interpret and influence behaviors – both one’s own and others’ – to achieve goals.

      NQ, in particular, governs how we manage people, moods, and entire lives. As the saying goes: «The one who knows remains silent, the one who speaks does not know.» Perhaps this is because narrative intelligence plays the leading role in shaping systems of human behavior and overall existence.

      What Can Consciousness Really Do?

      Why Is a Person Never to Blame?

      People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls.

      Carl Jung

      The most critical function of human consciousness and intellect is adaptation – adjusting abilities to fit a current behavioral model that promotes survival. It is worth noting that consciousness performs this task exceptionally well. However,