The Elements of Ethos - Intelligence
An audience will judge you on three habits that you show:
1. intelligence ="mental habits"
2. virtue = "moral habits"
3. good will = "emotional habits
However, the understanding of what these habits actually are can differ depending on the audience. How much you can ‘pretend’ to have these habits is difficult to say. Below are the different types of intelligence or “mental habits”.
Linguistic intelligence – ability with language, words, writing, grammar and vocabulary
Logical-Mathematical intelligence – ability with numbers, logic, reasoning, and abstractions
Musical intelligence – ability with sounds, tones, rhythms, pitch, musical keys, and structure of the songs
Spatial intelligence – ability with sense of direction, hand-eye coordination, and visual memory
Bodily-Kinaesthetic intelligence – ability with the body and movement, flexibility, agility, speed, and coordination
Interpersonal intelligence – ability with communication, organizing people, recognizing people’s moods and motivation
Intrapersonal intelligence – ability to be self-aware, exploring emotions, goals, and motivation
Naturalistic intelligence – sensitivity to and understanding of the natural world
Existential intelligence – the ability to explore questions of life, death, and what is beyond death
Your audience will probably trust a certain type of intelligence depending on the subject and context of your piece of writing. Make sure you display the most suitable kind of intelligence to establish ethos with your audience.
