Just as there are different types of people, there are different types of minds. There are individuals who are more reflective, others more practical. There are also more open people and others less flexible and uncompromising. Some authors, such as Howard Gardner or Walter Riso, have proposed classifications of different types of minds.
In this article we will review them and explain what their characteristics are.
Our brain is another organ of our body that contains different structures and millions of neurons coexist. However, our mind has neither weight nor size, it is our perception, consciousness, our ideas, our thoughts…
Thanks to our mind we give meaning to our lives, and The different types of mind determine how we interpret and relate to the environment
types of minds
But what are these types of minds? In the following lines we explain it to you.
Classification of the mind according to Walter Riso
The psychologist and writer, Walter Riso, in his work “The Power of Flexible Thinking”, states that there are three types of minds: flexible, liquid and rigid.
1. Rigid mind
The rigid and inflexible mind is characterized by the intransigence of the individual, who think they are always right, are impenetrable people. Their mental rigidity turns them into subjects of immobile thought. In their perception of life, they think that they are always on the right path and are oblivious to the reality that surrounds them. They are stubborn and have great resistance to new beliefs and the opinions of others.
They are easily carried away by prejudices or wrong and anachronistic reasoning. Their lack of reflection leads to thought processes that are distorted because their concepts, deep beliefs, and values are biased. They tend to be authoritarian and irascible people. They have a low tolerance for frustration, are susceptible to poor interpersonal relationships, fear uncertainty, and can easily become stressed and depressed.
2. Flexible mind
The flexible mind is the opposite of the rigid mind, since they are open-thinking people They do not see life dichotomously, that is, in extremes, but rather they understand it for its different nuances. It has basic beliefs from which they obtain different forms.
They are the typical people who tend to reinvent themselves, grow, update themselves, doubt, reflect and relate to the environment in the present moment. They understand that everyone makes mistakes and they understand their limits, as well as the problems that can arise throughout life, so they try to solve them. They are people who adapt to change easily and learn from daily life experiences.
3. Liquid mind
The liquid mind is a type of insubstantial mind, which does not have a solid foundation These subjects adapt to their environment but they do not do so of their own volition, but rather they let themselves go, as they do not have a critical spirit or inner strength. They are not consistent individuals, nor do they have reference points by which to guide themselves.
The types of minds according to Howard Gardner
Howard Gardner, known for his theory of Multiple Intelligences, not only proposed a multifaceted model of intelligence, but this, in his work “Five Minds for the Future”, offers a pluralistic view of the mind
The author thinks that each person has different problem-solving styles and different minds that have an order of acquisition that depends on the stage of development in which the individual is. The challenge of education is to train people who have the following types of minds.
4. Disciplined minds
This type of mind is understood to be disciplined in the sense of not memorizing but rather understanding and solving problems previously not studied, and in the sense of acquiring habits that allow constant progress in learning and mastering a technique.
The name disciplined can lead to error if it is understood as “methodical.” Now, Gardner thinks that in schools and institutes subjects are studied and not disciplines (hence the name). The subjects are simply memorized, but the disciplines have to do with a future professional focus.
5. Synthetic mind
This type of mind becomes especially important today, as new technologies can lead to an excess of information. Faced with this excess of information, People with a synthetic mind are able to summarize it accurately and use only relevant information and productive.
6. The creative mind
As the name suggests, The creative mind is related to creativity and the ability to be original and ask new questions about different topics in each discipline. They are people who develop new visions, different from those that already exist.
7. Respectful mind
This type of mind is key in interpersonal relationships and to create a favorable coexistence environment, as it allows us to tolerate differences, be empathetic and show interest and affection for others. Fostering this type of mind is an important part of people’s education and their social development.
It is oriented towards good and towards the values of integrity, collective interest and responsibility that leads to achieving this objective. In education it is necessary to create emotionally balanced individuals who are involved in social needs.
Other types of minds
Other authors have proposed other types of minds. For example…
9. Reflective mind
There are individuals who have a great capacity for reflection and tend to analyze both the environment and their behavior or feelings of oneself. These types of people tend to be more creative and emotional, and do not usually fit into monotonous jobs. On the other hand, they stand out in other professions such as writers, painters or musicians.
10. Practical minds
Practical minds are more influenced by the environment and lack critical thinking They are individuals who adapt to jobs that need less mental stimulation or that require obedience, such as factory workers or police officers.
