Let me start by saying I am not a Strengthsfinder 2.0 expert. I am a person who loves tools for introspection. When I did the first version of the Strengthsfinder from Now, Discover Your Strengths, and read my results, it was like a heavy weight had been lifted from me. These traits of mine that I thought were flaws or weaknesses were presented to me in a whole new light as strengths! Being a curious soul, when the second version came out, I bought the book and did the test just to see the degree of consistency. Strengthsfinder 2.0 said my Top Five Themes are Intellection, Empathy, Input, Learner and Connectedness. The difference between version 1 and 2.0? Empathy came in and Ideation went out. Anyway, I've recently become re-interested in this information. So, I'm going to explore each of the themes a little more.
Intellection
My Strengthsfinder 2.0 report says "People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions."
How Intellection shows up in my life: I have the ability to get lost in a sort of mental reverie. I hear ideas within things that other people say and then I spin those around in my head, looking at them from all angles to follow a thought trail. Often, in conversations, people will think that I've "checked out" or am disinterested or even disagree. They'll say, "you have nothing to say about this do you?" The reality is that I'm thinking through those possibilities. I'm rarely good at giving thoughts on the spot. I tell people I need to let things absorb and then I'll get back to them. I carry a journal with me every where I go so that I can record thoughts and ideas. When not spinning in my own head with Intellection, the theme has me seeking out deeper conversations. I'm uncomfortable with small talk, but could sit for hours having discussions about behavior, politics, religion, science, etc.
Here's what I'm wondering: If you intellection show up in your list of top themes, how does it show up in your life? How do people use this theme in their lives? Who else shares my themes - or a majority of them?
Related posts
Connectedness - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Learner - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Input - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Empathy - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Strengthsfinder 2.0
Intellection
My Strengthsfinder 2.0 report says "People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions."
How Intellection shows up in my life: I have the ability to get lost in a sort of mental reverie. I hear ideas within things that other people say and then I spin those around in my head, looking at them from all angles to follow a thought trail. Often, in conversations, people will think that I've "checked out" or am disinterested or even disagree. They'll say, "you have nothing to say about this do you?" The reality is that I'm thinking through those possibilities. I'm rarely good at giving thoughts on the spot. I tell people I need to let things absorb and then I'll get back to them. I carry a journal with me every where I go so that I can record thoughts and ideas. When not spinning in my own head with Intellection, the theme has me seeking out deeper conversations. I'm uncomfortable with small talk, but could sit for hours having discussions about behavior, politics, religion, science, etc.
Here's what I'm wondering: If you intellection show up in your list of top themes, how does it show up in your life? How do people use this theme in their lives? Who else shares my themes - or a majority of them?
Related posts
Connectedness - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Learner - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Input - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Empathy - Strengthsfinder 2.0
Strengthsfinder 2.0
4 comments:
I too was tagged with Intellection, also Command, Significance, Ideation and Relator. Intellection for me is as you've described -- always spinning thoughts in my mind while others are talking, or a movie is on. I feed my Intellection through reading, really high quality reading (Man Booker/Pulitzer books) and I like the clips on www.TED.com too.
I'd definitely say I've got that "constant mental hum" that Rath mentions. I can often block out external noise (people, TV, etc.) if I'm mulling over ideas. When I was asked the question in the SF test about "spending five or more hours just thinking," I thought, how could someone not spend at least five hours thinking, processing, and reflecting? I'm also a voracious reader and TED addict.
Intellection was 4th on my list of Strengths with Learner as my top strength so this may be mixing of strengths somewhat for my answer. I enjoy playing with puzzles and figuring out stuff. This can be how to solve some technical problem like how to create a web form that connects a couple of systems where I work or it could trying to see how a couple of characters in some TV show relate to each other. While I work as a Web Developer, I tend to think of my job as more of a general problem solver. I get to hear someone wants to do X and I make it happen. This can require thinking or tapping into the massive database that is in my head already.
In group settings I can tend to be that person to ask some odd question or share an insight that can make people think I'm really smart or deep. In reality, I just enjoy thinking that it is a near natural thing for me to play in my mind with stuff in an abstract way.
Just to state all 5 of my themes for anyone wondering: Learner, Achiever, Responsibility, Intellection and Strategic.
I now allow myself to enjoy Intellection. It's more productive for me when I have problems to solve, with output that can be valued by others. Here's the challenge: staying in the conversation to stay connected. I also value friends with qualities who complement all this thinking. My 5 themes are Responsibility, Connectedness, Context, Learner and Intellection. I introduced an acquaintance to Strengthfinders and we became better friends when we found we shared Intellection. The strength I covet: Strategic. It would save me so much time. Thanks for recommendations on reading.
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