Becoming more intelligent

[axlryder]

Hello all. I (somewhat) recently starting dating a girl who is incredibly smart, and, while I don't have any real issue dating someone smarter than me, it has sparked a certain degree of dissatisfaction with my level of cognitive development at this point in my life. Her knowledge of chemistry, biology, physics impresses me, but I'm most impressed by her ability to apply that knowledge in situations where most wouldn't.

I'm curious as to what some of you may have done to increase your own levels of intelligence in the past, and I'd like to hear what you've seen prove effective.

Right now I'm trying to learn more math and science. I plan on eating healthier as well, and exercising more regularly. However my main interested is in developing critical thinking and problem solving skills, from both a logical and creative standpoint. I want to be able to use cause and effect and deductive reasoning and apply it to situations or challenges I face. I want to be able to take what I learn and use it for more than just trivia. I also want to be quicker thinking and more consistent. This also applies to my work, as I may be promoted to manager soon, and I don't feel I'm ready for that. For those wondering, I do plan on learning skillsets that apply specifically to management, but I've found the hardest parts of being a manager where I work is more abstract problem solving than anything (and we have a very "sink or swim" mentality at my workplace).

 

[Esotera]

Learning how to program is probably the best thing I've ever done, it gives you a whole different perspective on how to approach problems & requires a lot of critical analysis before implementing a solution. Anyway, I'd say the key is not to learn scientific facts, but scientific theories. Especially when you get to more recent knowledge in science there are multiple models that explain the same thing, and in different situations one of those models might be better.

Spoiler: Example

There used to be 3 models for how DNA was replicated. It was figured out by labelling the parental strand then allowing it to replicate with a non-labelled strand...then figuring out how much of the label was present.

If you don't fancy that, just constantly ask yourself how things work, and try and apply very basic principles. To use a chemistry example pH decreases with temperature - therefore when I boil the kettle, the water I'm putting in my tea is more acidic. So if I'm paranoid I might add a little bicarbonate of soda to compensate (but probably not because the effect is so little).

 

[Weaver]

To me, it all science starts with mathematics. I got my computer science degree in the mathematics faculty at my school and it was extremely challenging and rewarding. The plus side to learning math is, well, most of science relies heavily on mathematics. It also gives you some confidence when learning a new science. Thus when they tell you to, say, integrate something in physics it's not the first time you'll have seen integral calculus.

Really, there is no way to just "become" smart. There's no real shortcut that I know of. THat said, math is a away to train your deductive reasoning skills. I'd wager your mental capacity is what it is, but at the same time I feel most people are capable of a hell of a lot more than they give themselves credit for. The number of times I saw people just try to learn basic calculus for about 10 minutes, give up and say "I'm too stupid math is hard" makes me a bit sad.

The truth is, math, science, computer programming, engineering, etc. It IS hard. It's damn hard. And most importantly, it's hard to the people who are good at it and to the people who enjoy it. I know it's easy to see someone get a 95 on the last math test and think they just waltzed into the room after lunch and breezed through the test because they posses some innate superiority when they really just studied their ass off. Now, some savant like people DO possess unnatural affinities for certain fields, and some people with learning or mental disabilities are clearly going to be unfit for certain things but those people are the vast minority.

Anyways, long story short: you can do it!

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

There is book wisdom and life wisdom. How you translate one into the other is where you can grow your intelligence. Just never stop thinking and studying the things that interest you. Remember what you think you can use in real life and apply it or bring some experiences you've had into any research you're doing. The great thing about the human mind is that, like a muscle, it gets stronger with constant exercise. Flex that brain!

 

[Pink Gregory]

The word intelligence strikes me as being derived from ability to reason or ability to comprehend, rather than what's being comprehended and committed to memory.

Of course there's a certain aptitude - learned or inherent - for being able to order facts so as to improve one's ability to reason, I guess they're both equally relevant.

What's not intelligent is gaining a needlessly wide vocabulary and implementing it into your everyday life while still being dull as a grinding stone.

Bitter experience.

 

[axlryder]

What's not intelligent is gaining a needlessly wide vocabulary and implementing it into your everyday life while still being dull as a grinding stone.

Bitter experience.

I may have followed a similar path, sadly. Having a good vocab may lend a few advantages, but I've mostly found it useful for is impressing the sort of people I'm not really interested in impressing.

 

[Foolery]

I eat books for breakfast. Helps me think better. Haha, but seriously. Science related documentaries are a good place to start. I also read a lot. And I've always kept a dictionary handy if I come across any word I don't get. But beyond that, the best thing to do, is assess your learning type. Are you visual? Do you need to see something or draw pictures? Hands on? Do you learn better in a social setting? And so on.

 

[DoctorObviously]

I think, if you really feel like you must improve your intelligence, that you should that in your own time. I know that sounds like the most generic advice ever, but you absolutely need to stay yourself. If your hobby is gaming, don't completely throw it away because you must learn 'teh mathematics'. Maybe spend one hour studying, because if you really are dating this person, she already likes you for who you are, especially if she doesn't mention your intelligence.

But this advice only applies in a fair world, and in this world women have a way of 180°-ing after a while so be cautious. Don't overdo the studying, is all I'm saying.

Hope that helps!

 

[Robert Marrs]

Studying math, science or anything else will not make you actually smarter. You might learn more but real smarts come from real life experience. Good common sense is more valuable and will get you further than most formal education. Try to learn more about people and why they do what they do. Spend less time talking and more time listening. Question everything and take nothing at face value. Just practice things like that and you will be smarter than most PHD holders. I would take wisdom over knowledge any day of the week.

 

[Rowan93]

Intelligence is a completely separate thing from knowledge, and scientists aren't even sure if it's possible to increase one's intelligence once you're an adult. The one thing I know of that might actually affect it is the working memory exercise dual-n-back, which might possibly give you a couple of extra IQ points.

 

[Muspelheim]

Remember, intelligence comes in many different flavours. You can be intelligent in different ways, in different areas that interest you.

It's always a good idea to learn, but it's all going to be a boring grind with little pay-off unless you are earnestly interested in it.

 

[MCerberus]

Find something to pique your intellectual curiosity. Reflect on what you learned about this subject and how its principles apply in a broader sense. For example, in high school, reading Dune taught me more about interpreting literature than all the entirety of my English classes. This was because I took the time to reflect on what the book was saying to me and what I thought the book was trying to say.

In other words, its not that you know something new, it's that you learn what to do with it.

If you're having problems with problem solving, try to learn some heuristics for math. They really put a different point of view on some stuff...
Or you can talk to a guild leader on WoW about how they solve roster issues, conflicts, or manage the raids...
Or even a Pokemon veteran about how they maximize, dear lord they apply a lot of concepts you wouldn't even realize.

 

[Heronblade]

We've got some good suggestions in here, but there is another angle that hasn't been mentioned.

There are certain mental exercises out there that take advantage of the brain's neuroplasticity, its ability to create new pathways for thought. The best approach for these varies from person to person, but a company known as Lumosity appears to be doing a good job at addressing that problem through the training games it offers.

This sort of thing cannot by any means increase your raw processing power, sorry, but that is set by this point. What it can do is help you make the most of the resources you do have, faster processing of visual input, better short term memory, more ability to focus on the important details, etc. Frankly, there are genius level intellects out there who in many cases function more poorly than the average idiot, simply because they for whatever reason never learned to use their mind properly.

 

[TehCookie]

To me, it all science starts with mathematics. I got my computer science degree in the mathematics faculty at my school and it was extremely challenging and rewarding. The plus side to learning math is, well, most of science relies heavily on mathematics. It also gives you some confidence when learning a new science. Thus when they tell you to, say, integrate something in physics it's not the first time you'll have seen integral calculus.

Really, there is no way to just "become" smart. There's no real shortcut that I know of. THat said, math is a away to train your deductive reasoning skills. I'd wager your mental capacity is what it is, but at the same time I feel most people are capable of a hell of a lot more than they give themselves credit for. The number of times I saw people just try to learn basic calculus for about 10 minutes, give up and say "I'm too stupid math is hard" makes me a bit sad.

The truth is, math, science, computer programming, engineering, etc. It IS hard. It's damn hard. And most importantly, it's hard to the people who are good at it and to the people who enjoy it. I know it's easy to see someone get a 95 on the last math test and think they just waltzed into the room after lunch and breezed through the test because they posses some innate superiority when they really just studied their ass off. Now, some savant like people DO possess unnatural affinities for certain fields, and some people with learning or mental disabilities are clearly going to be unfit for certain things but those people are the vast minority.

Anyways, long story short: you can do it!

I'm math inept and never had to use any higher level math. Although I will also blame that on bad teachers who can't explain things like what simplify means and what makes one equation more simple than another. Or violating English rules like defining a word with the word itself. It also may be math problems don't get a red squiggly line underneath if you don't write them right and don't have a correct order like words.

OT: The best thing to do is be more observant to relationships and how things work. When you do memorize something look at in a more abstract way to see how it applies in your life. If you don't know how something works and want to, research it. Train yourself to keep thinking like that instead of just passively watching life go by. There is a difference in types of intelligence. I had to explain to a doctor that when doing laundry you have to put the heavier towels on bottom to avoid having the laundry machine get knocked off balance when spinning.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

Well I hope this doesn't fall under the "don't promote other stuff here" type of rule, but I visit Luminosity a few times a week to keep my mind in shape, especially when I am out of classes and starting to feel a bit mentally sluggish. It's a website with games you play that are supposed to help cognition (there's info about them all over the web you can find on any search).

Additionally, as an English/History major, I feel I should point out that Math and Science are not the only routes to critical thinking and good analytical skills. What is really called for in developing those skills is asking questions and seeking answers and thinking actively about all the things you engage with in your daily life rather than only thinking of them passively.

 

[Senare]

If I were you I would ask my girlfriend to explain, in minute detail, how she thinks when she does something you are impressed by. Then I would generalize that method of thinking and copy it. I say "if I were you" because I have an idea of how to interview for such thought patterns myself, but I don't think that I can easily describe it to you.
For example I have read that (and do not quote me on this, I don't know how good the book source was) Einstein got leads to his theories by using thought experiments (imagining a scene in your head, aka. creating a model). Making thought experiments is in itself a tool, or a thought pattern, that you can learn to use.
Making good models and easy ways to explain things greatly simplifies how hard something is to think about. Richard Feynman is notoriously good at explaining things in an easy manner. I recommend looking up some lectures of his to see what I mean.

My second tip would be to browse through a lot of "study technique" material until you stumble upon something especially good. Also search for "mind hacks". I find most such material bad myself but I have run into at least one book that I find very intriguing. Unfortunately it is in Swedish.

My third tip is to get cardiovascular exercise, at least for 20 minutes with a moderate (>60% of maximum heart rate) to high heart rate (>80%) 2-3 days a week. According to <a href=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/721609.Spark>this book it has a great effect on your brain's plasticity.

As always, take with a pinch of salt. Maybe I am just unknowingly repeating <a href=http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Woo>woo.

 

[Flutterguy]

Every aspect of life has a great deal of information which can be learned. There is no quick path to being intelligent, takes considerable devotion, effort and time. I take to it as a near full-time pursuit. I spend half or more of my free-time studying anything which currently interests me. If I am playing a video game I'll crank up a lecture instead of music.

Also everyone is a nervous wreck. Feeling incompetent, incapable or less intelligent is normal. Some people refuse to acknowledge when they are wrong, an intelligent person will consider every possibility given to him, thus if he is wrong he will become much less mad.

The thing that dictates all human behavior and intelligence.. environment and experience. The people you surround yourself with, your hobbies, your experiences. If you want to become smarter devote yourself to it, and surround yourself in others who have devoted themselves to it.

 

[sageoftruth]

One useful thing I learned about intelligence is that there are many ways to be intelligent. Kind of renders obsolete the statement that one person is smarter than another, unless they're talking about a certain field of study. Anyway, the book where I got this was called "Frames of Mind" by Howard Gardner. It not only covers the idea that there are many elements to intelligence, but also explains how to develop each of them. If you have a kindle or and iPad it should be downloadable. Otherwise, you could find it in a book store.

 

[omega 616]

To be honest, I think the only way to get smarter is to have an interest in what you want to be smarter at. What will happen if you don't have an interest is like new years resolutions at the gym... You start off thinking "I'm going to be like batman in a year" then slowly you start with "well, I've been good so far.... I'll have a day off" and before you know it, it's 3 months later and you have been 5 times, then eventually not going at all.

Being an all round new and improved person is like giving up smoking, drinking and chocolate at the same time... Fucking hard work.

If you can do it, great for you.

More on topic, don't try to do everything at once. Go to a library, read a bit of book, then naff off home. Being at home will make it easier to procrastinate, making the library into a routine will help (I'm not a psychologist but it makes sense to me)