Amy Heath 9/25/2010 In the informationization of life the capability needed includes whether one knows how to access

appropriate data and to think and judge on them. An individuals competence in information retrieval and construction becomes important for them to succeed in the current times when the capability of knowing how to learn is needed. Ya Hui Su pg 199 In the movie Erin Brockovich it was clear that Erin possessed many of the qualities Friedman deems as the right stuff . What she lacked in formalized training she made up for in life long learning and unstructured learning contexts ; thus effectively flattening her learning curve. In today s world where ideas, data, and theories evolved in discourses of various kinds have shorter and shorter shelf lives (Ya-Hui Su, pg 198 ) Erin s ability to pour over pages of information, her Passion and Curiosity Quotient , made her perhaps more valuable than real lawyers lackadaisically relying on their past law degrees. I would posit that the most valuable of her talents was what Friedman calls navigation and what others refer to as a judgment or even wisdom. This skill becomes even more valuable when seen in combination with other talents or intelligences. Erin possesses the ability for dialectical thinking, but is also able to sort through conflicting ideas, data, client statements and multiple logical (and illogical) choices, to navigate what is relevant. She acknowledges that she is dealing with a deep moral issue with serious consequences, yet allows herself to rely on the sort of hunches Mathew Crawford mentioned in his article. This quote is from another class, but I believe it applies In a world of a multitude of logical possibilities a course of action must be adopted. This conscious commitment to one pathway and the deliberate disregard of other logical choices may mark the onset of adult maturity (Learning in adulthood, Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner). Again, Erin spent hours shifting through documents and interviews (all with valuable information) yet was able to demonstrate foresight in knowing what was the most important. Although we don t often associate the right brain with logic, I think Erin is effective because she utilizes navigation with right brain skills of high concept and high touch . Howard Gardner would call this ability Interpersonal intelligence" Daniel Goleman would call it Emotional Intelligence . Erin was able to select the right opportunities (high concept) by using her skills of empathy (high touch) to sort through the subtleties of human interactions . Erin knew when to approach sensitive issues and when to forgo discussion of the problem to focus on the people themselves. She demonstrates navigation plus Interpersonal or Emotional intelligence when she asked the young teenage girl with a terminal illness I bet the boys just love you don t they? or when she understood the value of staying for coffee and bunt cake after a stressful meeting. She knew how step away to step closer and to step closer when others step away, recognizing a person s need for normalcy amidst struggle. Erin was also able to appropriately process both feelings and facts simultaneously, unlike Teresa (the stodgy lawyer) who asked the families to avoid unneeded sentiments as it would just distract from the case . She was able to work in

multiple modes, therefore horizontally creating meaning and synthesis without sacrificing relationships with her clients. Erin seemed more at ease in environments where conflicts were present, perhaps because she had so many conflicts in her own life. She was a clear, honest and simple speaker of the heart. She had linguistic intelligence coupled with navigation , by a gifted selection of what to say and when. Though she may seem to blurt out whatever she thinks, I believe she says exactly what she intended. Erin may not possess the traditional g factor of intelligence (I would argue she would if the test was given orally) it is clear she is exceedingly intelligent by other standards, such as practical, interpersonal, adaptive and emotional. Life experiences, which could be seen as failures, may have actually culminated in a very effective education for Erin Brockovich in the much neglected and underappreciated School of life .