Imagine you’re traveling in a country where you don’t speak the language. You’re lost. You’re tired. And, not to add salt to the wound, but your phone’s completely dead.
What do you do? Resign yourself to fate and start mentally drafting your Lost Abroad memoir? Or channel your inner MacGyver and start problem-solving?
Someone with practical intelligence would do the latter—by observing their surroundings, looking for familiar landmarks, maybe finding a local who seems approachable, and using gestures or drawings to communicate. A real “keep calm and carry on” persona, if you will.
And if you can think on your feet like that, you’ll be able to turn any dead end into a new route forward.
What is practical intelligence?
The “practical intelligence” definition, in a nutshell, is the kind of smarts that help you navigate real-world situations. Think street smarts, social skills, and the ability to read a room.
It helps you out of a sticky situation, helps you negotiate a better deal, or lets you charm your way into an opportunity. Long story short, it’s less about knowing everything and more about knowing what to do with what you know.
“These are individuals that like to learn but they like to implement what they learned,” explains Jim Kwik, a brain performance expert and trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain program. “They take that knowledge and turn it into power through application, through execution, through implementation.”
That’s exactly what one study from rural Kenya found. Researchers discovered that children who had high tacit knowledge—like identifying medicinal herbs—excelled at real-world problem-solving, even though they didn’t always score well in school.
“Those with high practical intelligence tend to develop useful knowledge by doing and learning, not by watching or reading,” says J. Robert Baum, Director of Entrepreneurship Research at the University of Maryland, in Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
In fact, his research found that using this know-how, combined with strong growth goals, predicted entrepreneurial success 27% of the time.
Clearly, having this know-how plays a major role in real-world success. For years, we’ve measured intelligence with test scores. But if you’ve ever met someone who’s all theory and no execution, you know IQ isn’t the whole picture.
That’s where psychologist and psychometrician Robert Sternberg changed the game.
Sternberg’s theory of intelligence
Back in the 1900s, scientists tried to boil down intelligence to a single number: the G Factor. And thanks to that, we got modern IQ tests.
But slapping a number on someone’s intellect is like judging a fish on its tree-climbing skills. Intelligence is way more nuanced than that.
That’s exactly why Sternberg came up with an entirely different approach: the triarchic theory of intelligence. And he breaks it down into three categories:
| Type of intelligence | What it focuses on | How it shows up in real life | Key strengths |
| Analytical intelligence (book smarts) | Logical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving in structured settings | Excelling in academic tests, analyzing data, breaking down complex problems | Logical thinking, reasoning, pattern recognition |
| Creative intelligence (original thinking) | Generating new ideas, seeing possibilities, innovating | Finding creative solutions, thinking in new ways, and doing well in artistic or non-traditional fields | Imagination, innovation, cognitive flexibility |
| Practical intelligence (street smarts) | Applying knowledge to real-world situations | Adapting to new environments, handling unexpected challenges, making things work without clear instructions | Problem-solving, adaptability, social awareness |
Look at it this way: If analytical intelligence is Sheldon Cooper (from The Big Bang Theory), then creative intelligence is Howard Wolowitz, and practical intelligence? That’s Penny.
But in real life, most of us juggle all three. Take a great entrepreneur, for example. They need analytical intelligence (to make smart business decisions), creative intelligence (to innovate), and practical intelligence (to navigate real-world challenges).
However, Sternberg’s practical intelligence view is just as important as analytical and creative—sometimes more—because it determines how well a person functions in everyday life. A meta-analysis of his intelligence training model found, specifically, that students who develop these skills through hands-on learning and problem-solving improve both academically and socially.
So while having the highest IQ possible is an awesome flex, people who are street smart have that magic touch to turn obstacles into opportunities.
Why is practical intelligence important in everyday life?
Knowing things is useful, but knowing how to use what you know is what actually moves the needle.
“To do well in any everyday endeavor, whether the endeavor pertains to school, work, or play, requires practical intelligence,” writes Sternberg in his book, Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life.
And it’s definitely a skill that allows you to adapt, problem-solve, and succeed in ways traditional intelligence doesn’t cover.
- It shapes your relationships. Social awareness is a huge factor. Reading body language, knowing when to speak or stay silent, and handling tough conversations can shape friendships, careers, and marriages.
- It affects financial success. High IQ won’t help if you don’t know how to negotiate a salary, avoid scams, or manage money wisely. Research suggests that financial literacy is more about practical decision-making than raw intelligence.
- It helps in crisis situations. Ever seen someone stay calm in an emergency while everyone else panics? That’s this intelligence in action. Whatever the situation may be, quick thinking beats textbook knowledge every time.
- It impacts long-term success. You’re able to make the right decisions at the right time. As Sternberg highlights in his book, “practical intelligence is a better predictor of success than the academic form of intelligence.”
- It builds independence. People with strong adaptability skills don’t freeze up when faced with a new challenge. Rather, they figure it out without waiting for someone else to step in.
To do well in any everyday endeavor, whether the endeavor pertains to school, work, or play, requires practical intelligence.
— Robert Sternberg, psychologist and psychometrician
Now, with AI coming up faster than you can say, “ChatGPT, write my resume,” it still can’t replicate human adaptability. Algorithms can crunch data and recognize patterns, but they don’t have the intuition to read a room, handle unexpected obstacles, or make judgment calls in complex social situations.
Adaptive thinking still remains irreplaceable because, let’s be real, life doesn’t come with a roadmap.
Signs you have (or lack) practical intelligence
This kind of intellect isn’t something you can measure with a test, but it’s obvious when someone has it… and when they don’t.
So how do you know where you stand? Here’s a side-by-side breakdown.
| If you have practical intelligence, you… | If you lack practical intelligence, you… |
| Adapt quickly to new situations. | Get stuck when things don’t go as planned. |
| Know how to handle social interactions smoothly. | Misread people and struggle in conversations. |
| Find solutions even with limited resources. | Wait for instructions or give up easily. |
| Learn best by doing. | Prefer theory but struggle with real-world application. |
| Stay calm under pressure. | Panic or freeze when faced with unexpected challenges. |
If you see yourself in the right-hand column more than you’d like, don’t panic. Like any other skill, practical intelligence grows with experience and practice.
We all prefer to learn something in a different way, and we think in a certain way. And once you know your brain type, you can optimize for it.
— Jim Kwik, trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain program
Real-life examples of practical intelligence
“We use our brains for the most part; most of us do,” says Jim. “But it’s how we’re using it.”
With street smarts, you can tackle whatever life throws at you. Here are five practical intelligence examples that prove it:
1. The last-minute work crisis
Your boss drops an urgent project—zero instructions, impossible deadline, good luck.
- With practical intelligence: You break it down, ask clarifying questions, draw from experience, and loop in the right people.
- Without it: You freeze, overthink, or do nothing until you’re told what to do.
2. The social cue test
You’re at a party, mid-conversation… but they’re giving one-word answers and eyeing the exit.
- With practical intelligence: You pick up on the vibe, make a graceful exit, or switch topics.
- Without it: You keep talking, blissfully unaware, while they plot their escape.
3. The parenting puzzle
Your toddler is losing it in the middle of a grocery store, and people are staring.
- With practical intelligence: You stay cool, distract (or crack a joke), and pull out a go-to tactic, like offering choices or a fun challenge.
- Without it: You freak out, toss out a chocolate bribe, or accept your fate as an Aisle 7 resident.
4. The everyday negotiation
You’re at a flea market and the vendor throws out a ridiculous price.
- With practical intelligence: You read the situation, counter with a fair offer, and walk away if needed.
- Without it: You fork over full price like a tourist or argue aggressively and offend the seller.
5. The wrong turn problem
You miss your exit on the highway, are officially off course, and are late for work.
- With practical intelligence: You stay calm, check road signs, and find the fastest way back.
- Without it: You get flustered, take three questionable turns, and hope for the best.
How to improve your practical intelligence, according to a brain performance expert
“We all prefer to learn something in a different way, and we think in a certain way,” says Jim. “And once you know your brain type, you can optimize for it.”
If you want to make better decisions, adapt quickly, and navigate life with confidence, his BE FAST method can absolutely help boost your real-world smarts.
1. Belief: Trusting yourself to figure things out
Confidence is the secret sauce of practical intelligence.
“If you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you’re right,” Henry Ford once said. And spoiler: he was right.
Research shows that what you believe about yourself shapes how you tackle challenges, solve problems, and stay motivated. And, according to Jim, your brain listens to what you tell it. Say “I’m terrible at directions” enough times, and—boom—you’ve just programmed yourself to get lost at every turn.
“If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them,” says Jim. (Translation: stop telling yourself you’re bad at things and start acting like someone who figures things out.)
What you can do: Catch negative self-talk in action and change it. Instead of “I’m awful at names,” try “I’m getting better at remembering names.” It’s a small shift, but your brain eats this stuff up.
2. Exercise: Training your brain through movement
Fact: Sitting like a potato for hours isn’t exactly peak brain training.
Jim always says, “As your body moves, your brain grooves.” And there’s science to it—regular exercise literally makes your brain sharper by boosting memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills
Not saying you need to start deadlifting your problems away. But even a quick stretch or a walk as part of your morning habits can get your brain firing on all cylinders.
“Three or four minutes of high-intensity workout to kind of get your heartbeat going,” he explains. “Because here’s the thing: whatever’s good for your heart is usually good for your head, because when I’m getting my heartbeat going, what’s happening is, I’m getting more blood flow to my brain and more oxygen and that’s very, very important.”
What you can do: Next time you’re stuck on a tough problem, go for a brisk walk. You’ll either get a great idea or at least pretend you’re deep in thought, which is a win either way.
3. Forget: Letting go of limiting assumptions
Here’s a wild thought: Maybe, just maybe, you don’t know everything yet.
Jim points out that a big reason people struggle to grow is that their mental “cup” is already full. (Or at least, they think it is.) So what does he suggest? Adopt a beginner’s mindset: approaching challenges without preconceived limitations.
This doesn’t mean to shove it aside or bury it deep. Rather, temporarily put it out of your mind while you’re learning whatever new thing.
Take Steve Jobs, for example. He took a calligraphy class after dropping out of college, never expecting it to be useful. Years later, that knowledge shaped the Macintosh’s revolutionary typography.
The truth is, the most successful people are the ones who stay open to new possibilities, not necessarily the ones with all the answers. And as Jim adds, “Your mind is like a parachute; it only works when it’s what? It’s open.”
What you can do: Approach every situation with curiosity. Instead of thinking, “I know this already,” try “What can I learn from this?” It’s a small tweak that can lead to bigger (possibly unbeknownst) opportunities.
4. Active learning: Engaging instead of just consuming
Jim says, “Learning is not a spectator sport.” And yet, how many of us binge on self-improvement content and never apply a thing?
Studies show that hands-on learning actually makes your brain work better (plus, it’s more fun). When you dive in, experiment, and apply what you learn, your critical thinking sharpens, your memory locks things in, and suddenly, things just stick way better than if you were just passively absorbing information.
Med schools are all in on this, opting for simulation-based training over just textbook reading. And for good reason: reading about emergency procedures is one thing, but saving a high-tech mannequin’s life? Way more effective.
What you can do: If you want to improve decision-making? Start making small, low-risk decisions more often. Want to sharpen problem-solving skills? Teach someone else how to tackle a challenge.
The bottom line is, practical intelligence grows when you engage, experiment, and refine.
5. State: Managing your emotions for clearer thinking
Ever tried to make a big decision while hangry? Yeah, not ideal. When emotions take over, logic goes out the window—because, truth be told, nobody makes their best choices on an empty stomach.
And it’s not just hunger. Stress, overwhelm, or even just a meh mood can tank your thinking faster than you realize. That’s why Jim teaches the importance of getting into the right state before tackling challenges.
“All learning is state-dependent,” Jim says. “I never want to learn in a bored state, right?” Simply put, the way you feel determines how well you absorb and apply information.
It’s the same reason elite athletes have pre-game rituals—they know their performance depends on their mental and emotional state.
Tennis legend Serena Williams bounces the ball a precise number of times before each serve. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps used visualization techniques to mentally rehearse every race.
What you can do: Simple physical actions—like breathwork, movement, or even shifting your posture—can change your emotional state almost instantly.
So before you take on a challenge, check in with yourself: Are you mentally primed for success? If not, reset—because your state controls your strategy.
6. Teach: Reinforcing knowledge by sharing it
Jim’s golden rule: “If you want to master something, teach it.” He believes that explaining concepts forces your brain to simplify and organize knowledge.
Studies in peer teaching show that when students explain what they’ve learned to others, they retain information better and develop a deeper grasp of the subject. The same applies outside of school, whether at work, in relationships, or for personal growth.
Teaching forces you to simplify complex ideas, making them more practical. If you can’t explain something clearly, you probably don’t fully understand it yet.
Want to get better at decision-making? Help a friend pick a restaurant by weighing the options out loud.
Want to sharpen your problem-solving skills? Explain to a coworker how you figured out a tricky tech issue.
Want to think faster on your feet? Talk a friend through the pros and cons of their next big purchase.
“What’s the brain bite that I want you to take away from this?” Jim asks. It’s this: “When I teach something, I get to learn it twice.”
What you can do: Pick one thing you’re learning right now and teach it—today. It doesn’t have to be formal; just explain it to a friend, coworker, or even yourself in the mirror.
Bonus points if you make it fun: pretend you’re giving a TED Talk, record a voice note, or write a short social post about it. The more you share, the sharper you get.
Frequently asked questions
How does practical intelligence differ from IQ?
IQ tests? Great for measuring how well you recognize patterns and solve puzzles in a quiet room.
Practical intelligence, though, is what helps you handle the curveballs. It’s the quick thinking that gets you out of a parking ticket, helps you talk your way into an upgrade, or makes you the one people call when things go south.
Vishen, the founder and CEO of Mindvalley, sums it up: “What you believe to be true about yourself will be reflected back to you by the universe.”
In other words? Mindset matters. You don’t need the highest IQ in the room. Rather, you just need the ability to think on your feet and figure things out as you go.
What are the benefits of developing your practical intelligence?
Practical intelligence makes problem-solving easier and helps you adapt when things don’t go as planned. (And we all know that things never go exactly as planned.)
Not only that, but it’s embracing “every experience life sends your way, whether good or bad,” according to Vishen. “By doing so, no experience will ever be wasted.”
Here’s how it can benefit you:
- Better decision-making. You spot red flags faster and make sharper choices.
- Stronger problem-solving skills. You can find creative solutions with life’s unexpected plot twists.
- Greater adaptability. If Plan A flops, you move to Plan B… or invent Plan C.
- Improved relationships. Reading the room = avoiding awkward conversations.
- Career success. Whether through navigating office politics or landing better deals, you stay ahead.
Does practical intelligence change over time?
Absolutely. Unlike IQ (which tends to stay steady), practical intelligence levels up the more you use it.
It’s essentially having a growth mindset:
- Solving problems makes you stronger.
- Stepping outside your comfort zone builds agility.
- Learning from failures increases your resilience.
Or, as Vishen puts it, “Your models of reality are like your hardware, and your systems for living are like your software.” Simply put, upgrade your mindset, and the rest follows.
So go ahead. Challenge yourself, make mistakes, and embrace the unknown. The sharper you get at adapting, the more unstoppable you become.
Unleash your limitless
Thinking faster, learning better, and adapting quicker—sounds like a superpower, right? Well, spoiler alert: it is.
And the more you train your brain, the easier problem-solving becomes. But why stop at easier when you could go full genius mode?
Jim Kwik’s Becoming a Super Learner free masterclass takes brain performance to the next level. In just 90 minutes, you’ll get the brain-boosting hacks that over three million students have already used to upgrade their mental game.
What’s inside?
- 10 brain hacks to unlock your full cognitive potential,
- Simple techniques to improve memory, focus, and decision-making, and
- A morning routine designed to double your brainpower.
Take Andrew Hoyt, a carpenter from the U.S., for example. He wasn’t expecting much when he joined but after a few simple tweaks? His learning abilities took off. Or, as he put it:
I was not sure what to expect when I joined, but going through the drills and reading every day, it feels good knowing that things are getting better.
Now it’s your turn. Imagine what you could do with a brain that runs faster, sharper, and stronger.
It all starts when you hit the button, take the class, and unlock the limitless version of you.
Welcome in.
