I offer 5 simple ways to increase your intelligence. Developing your intellectual abilities is much easier than you think!
There are many smart people, but you don’t meet intellectuals very often in modern life.
But when you meet them, you recognize them unmistakably.
Surely among your friends there is at least one person who can answer virtually any question, whose mental abilities are truly amazing.
Did you sigh while communicating with him: “ How to increase intelligence to become the same”?
If yes, then this article will surely help you achieve what you want.
Smart, wise, intellectual - are these concepts identical?
Actually, no. Despite the fact that all three meanings imply the functioning of the brain, they have significant differences.
In my opinion, a person is born smart.
Each of us has his own number of brain convolutions and cells (you understand that I’m speaking figuratively now, right?), which is why for some, studying is incredibly easy, while others spend many hours studying every day in order to keep up with the progress. peers.
But even if you were born smart, this does not mean that you are guaranteed success.
It is very easy to make the mind a useless organ without feeding it with healthy information, killing it with alcohol and nicotine, dulling it with TV series and pulp fiction.
Wisdom is seeing the very essence of things, finding a way out of difficult situations, making compromises when necessary, etc.
In order to be wise, it is not at all necessary to graduate from universities and receive an academic degree.
Many grandmothers have worldly wisdom, although their education often leaves much to be desired.
Wisdom is more typical for older people, but sometimes nature rewards it from childhood.
I once met an amazing six-year-old girl - any adult would envy her conclusions and attitude towards life.
But intelligence is a broader concept, which refers to both a person’s ability to use the knowledge that he receives, and the totality of all a person’s abilities that he can use to learn something new.
For a long time it was believed that the techniques how to develop intelligence, do not make sense, since a person is either born endowed with remarkable intelligence, or not.
However, intellectuals (people who expanded the capabilities of their minds with their own work) proved the opposite.
How to increase intelligence? Get rid of his main enemies!
It often happens that a person seems to be ready to work, and reads some good books, and studies a dictionary of scientific terms in order to be able to trump with a tricky word on occasion, and bought respectable glasses - but the result is far from expected.
Already with all the smart advice from the articles “ How to increase intelligence“The failed intellectual took advantage, but still, something was wrong.
People often don't understand that before starting work, they need to eliminate everything that gets in the way.
It’s like, for example, going to the gym regularly in the hope of losing weight, but at the same time continuing to overeat on pies and sweets at night.
It’s the same with mental training.
“Intellectuals are divided into two categories: some worship intelligence, others use it.”
Gilbert Chesterton
The main enemies of intelligence are:
This is generally a serious enemy of everything good: several normal channels and a small part of useful transmissions are lost in tons of garbage.
In general, exclude it from your life - you can watch the film or program on the Internet.
Our brain needs 8 hours of sleep - no doctor has yet refuted this truth.
Moreover, sleep is considered healthy when a person goes to bed early and gets up early.
Don’t entertain the illusion that I can easily sleep a couple of hours a day in the middle of the week, and then catch up on the weekend.
You are slowly but surely destroying your gray matter, and you are definitely not in danger of becoming an intellectual.
Bad food.
Excess animal fats and sugar, flour, desserts, smoked foods, I’m not talking about nasty things like chips and poisonous lemonade in plastic bottles, are absolutely useless for your brain.
They need fatty fish, cereals, a lot of vegetables and fruits, nuts, dried fruits, and herbs.
Physical passivity.
Firstly, exercise increases brain productivity (this is a scientifically proven fact), and secondly, I’m already tired of these swollen, soft-bodied intellectuals and faded, shapeless intellectuals.
It's time to change the tradition!
Well, with this enemy, in my opinion, everything is clear.
Those who want to develop intelligence should forget the phrases: “Oh, I don’t want to today, I’ll do it tomorrow,” “I’m so reluctant to read, I’d rather watch TV,” “I’m too lazy to take a foreign language course, I’d rather lie around at home,” etc.
How to develop intelligence: 5 easy ways
Improving your intellectual abilities is much easier than you think.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money, you don’t need to take any medications, you don’t have to torment yourself with long workouts.
You can increase your intelligence by:
Read as much as possible: specialized literature, scientific literature, memoirs, biographies, and fiction.
This way you will accumulate enough knowledge to be able to carry on a conversation in any society.
But today, hand over the romance novels and primitive detective stories from modern series to the waste paper.
Firstly, such knowledge will always be useful, for example, when traveling abroad.
Secondly, learning foreign words perfectly trains the brain and improves its abilities.
In addition, knowledge of several foreign languages will help you find a good job.
Puzzles, chess, solitaire and other educational games.
They perfectly train logical thinking, make the gray matter move, and focus.
The earlier a child gets acquainted with educational games, the better for him, however, this technique is also effective for adults.
Exact science classes.
Alas and ah, humanists, but it is mathematics, physics and other exact sciences that can increase intelligence.
If it’s too late for you to get a higher education or you are quite happy with your profession and don’t want to change it, then take up mathematics as an amateur: solve problems, go to a specialized club.
Do you know how to measure your intelligence level?
Have you taken an IQ test at school/university/when applying for a job?
Or do you think that all this is complete nonsense? Let's find out!
Watch the video:
Lots of useful information every day.
Your brain must constantly work and be active.
Don't let it atrophy and become overgrown with weeds.
Then these thickets will be difficult to uproot.
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What intelligence is and how its presence affects the successful realization of personality is an interesting topic for psychologists and people seeking to develop personal knowledge. How to become an intellectual and whether the human brain has a framework that gives clear signals about a sufficient level of knowledge and acquired experience, a question with a philosophical or logical conclusion - each person decides for himself.
What is human intelligence?
The word intellect comes from the Latin term Intellectus, which translated means knowledge, understanding. Intelligence is the ability of a person to mentally perceive easily and in large quantities, the tendency to quickly solve complex problems and life situations, with the help of active brain activity - through inferences, logical conclusions. An assessment of a person’s level of knowledge is called intelligence quotient; it is calculated using special methods and tests.
The mental quotient can be much higher than a person’s real age; the average knowledge of peers serves as the basis for conclusions about the level of intelligence - mental age. The average IQ is 100 points, indicators with values of 90 or 110 are acceptable norms. People whose IQ is above 110 are highly intelligent individuals, and IQ scores at 70 are intellectual disabilities, in the negative direction. At the age of up to 5 years, the level of intelligence does not differ; it is generally accepted that the main factor that forms intellectual inclinations is transmitted hereditarily.
Intelligence in psychology
In psychology, thinking and intelligence are similar processes of mental activity. Thinking is the tendency to analyze, build logical conclusions on acquired knowledge. Intelligence is the ability to implement acquired knowledge, the result of thinking leading to rational actions. A person can read several encyclopedias and possess a large amount of information, but not apply them in practice; the presence of intelligence is evidence of the realized actions of an individual, based on knowledge, characterizing success in society.
What is artificial intelligence?
Many people are interested in the question of what synthetic intelligence is. Artificial intelligence is a human-created system that analyzes information and reproduces thinking processes that are similar in their effect on impulses occurring in the human brain. The branch of science that creates and studies such intelligence is called computer science. Conventional modern automatic control systems (computer, robot, car navigator) are perceived by the average person as the concept of intelligence with artificial thinking, aimed at performing certain functions.
What is the difference between an intellectual and an intellectual?
Often, the concepts of intelligentsia and intellectuals are mixed into one type of psychological behavior. A characteristic personality trait that distinguishes an intelligent person is a high level of education and cultural behavior, not only in society but also in any situation that does not attract attention. Intellectuals have a high level of education and earn money through mental work, are responsive to others, the intelligentsia is a part of society professionally engaged in educational and scientific work.
Intellectuals are characterized by a high level of encyclopedic knowledge in various fields. The behavior of an intellectual in society can differ significantly from that of an intelligent person, and cause negative emotions, but the most valuable contributions to the development of various scientific fields were made by people with high IQ, important public discoveries were also made by intellectuals.
What are intellectual disabilities?
A person’s intelligence may decline; its level depends on congenital or acquired defects in the structure of the brain. Congenital mental retardation is called dementia, acquired mental retardation is called senile dementia, oligophrenia. A decrease in intelligence can be a consequence of complex depression; it can develop after functional loss of organs (loss of hearing, vision) when a person does not receive information from external sources.
Types of intelligence
The innate abilities of an individual can become the basis on which a person can successfully develop abilities - choose a favorite profession, successfully realize one’s life plans. What is intelligence - in the average individual several talents develop harmoniously, but there is only one leader, the natural inclinations of a person are conventionally divided into the main types of intelligence:
- natural;
- musical;
- mathematical;
- linguistic;
- spatial;
- personal;
- kinesthetic;
- existential;
- interpersonal.
Signs of High Intelligence
High intelligence is often hidden behind modest behavior, which has been proven in scientific experiments. It has not yet been possible to develop a method that accurately characterizes a highly intelligent person. A list of characteristics characteristic of individuals whose IQ level is above the statistical average has been compiled. The method for determining intelligent people based on these indicators is conditional:
- having a pet – a cat;
- love of disorder;
- playing musical instruments;
- alcohol or drug addiction;
- philosophical views and liberal attitude to life;
- the eldest child of the family, as a rule, has an IQ level higher than the younger children;
- breastfeeding in infancy;
- high level of anxiety;
- left-handedness;
- high growth;
- slim physique;
- early reading ability in childhood;
- having a sense of humor.
How to increase intelligence?
The development of intelligence is a systematic habit, one might say a lifestyle. By increasing intelligence, a person trains his memory every day, comprehends new knowledge and applies it in practice. How to give up the habit of watching TV, it entails invisible clogging of memory with useless information. Eat low-calorie food - food that is heavy on the stomach takes energy away from the brain, requiring expenditure in the digestive tract. Great for increasing IQ levels:
- logic puzzles;
- intellectual and board games with a strong opponent - chess, poker, backgammon;
- computer games that require concentration;
- healthy 8-hour sleep;
- physical activity;
- learning foreign languages;
- classes in exact sciences.
Games that develop intelligence
Regular brain training to gain new knowledge can be done in a passive way - reading books, studying scientific facts, or memorizing. Experts in the field of intellectual studies have developed games that develop thinking and intelligence. In the modern world, most of these techniques have been transformed into computer games, and debates are ongoing about the benefits or uselessness of such memory training. It has been proven that systematically counting money expenses in your mind trains your memory even in adulthood. Habitual activities that increase intelligence:
- solve crosswords;
- remember phone numbers;
- train an unusual hand (for a right-handed person - the left) for everyday activities;
- read books upside down;
- quickly list out loud similar objects and words with the same root.
Books that develop intelligence
Reading works of fiction increases the level of intellectual knowledge, and studying scientific literature promotes an increased level of concentration - the ability to remember and analyze unknown details develops. Modern books for the development of intelligence contain visual training and puzzles that significantly develop intellectual abilities. Books to increase intelligence:
The concept of human intelligence includes an individual’s ability to process cognition, learning, comprehension, solving various problems, acquiring experience and the ability to apply acquired knowledge in practice.
Today, Piaget's theory is recognized as the leading theory explaining the formation of intelligence. He identified several stages in this process depending on age.
Stage 1 sensorimotor– when the child develops his first reflexes and skills. At the age of over 12 months, children begin to understand the reality of the world around them, and they develop their first concepts of their own. Characteristic is setting a goal and striving to achieve it. This behavior indicates that the first signs of intelligence are appearing.
Stage 2 is called “pre-operation”. A child under 7 years old already demonstrates symbolic intuitive thinking and can construct a solution to a certain problem without putting it into practice. Obvious concepts have been formed about the world around us.
3 is the stage of specific operations. Reaching the age of 7-12 years, the child begins to use his own knowledge about the world around him, and the ability to perform clear operations with certain objects develops.
Stage 4 – stage of formal operations. After the age of 12, children develop the ability to think abstractly and then formally, which is characteristic of mature intelligence. We develop our own image of the world around us and accumulate information.
Society undoubtedly has a significant influence on a person's intelligence through language, interpersonal relationships, etc.
In addition to Piaget's theory, the concept of information processing was proposed. Any information after entering the human brain is processed, stored, and transformed. As you grow older, your ability to switch attention and solve abstract problems improves.
At the beginning of the 20th century, various versions of tests were developed to assess intelligence. For children under 13 years of age, the Simon-Binet test was used, later improved into the Stanford-Binet scale.
The German psychologist Stern proposed a method for determining the level of intelligence using the ratio of the child’s intellectual age to his real age (IQ). One of the popular methods remains the method using progressive Raven matrices.
These techniques have not lost their relevance today. It must be said that, according to research, it is quite rare for people with high intelligence, as determined by tests, to be fully realized in life.
Structure of intelligence
Modern psychologists put forward different theories regarding the fact that mental abilities can have different structures: some consider intelligence to be a complex of individual brain abilities, others hold the view that intelligence is based on a single general ability of the brain for mental activity.
An intermediate position is occupied by the theory of “fluid” and “crystallized intelligence”, based on the fact that when solving various problems one must either adapt to new conditions (fluid intelligence) or use skills and past experience (crystallized intelligence).
The first type of intelligence is genetically determined and declines after 40 years, the second is formed under the influence of the environment and does not depend on age.
Research proves that an individual's intelligence is not only genetically programmed, but also depends on many factors - the intellectual climate in the family, the profession of parents, race, gender, the extent of social interactions in childhood, health and nutrition, methods of raising a child. Since intelligence is closely related to memory, the development of the latter forms intelligence.
Eysenck defined the following structure of intelligence: how intense are the intellectual operations performed by an individual, how much does he strive to find a mistake and his persistence in this process. These elements form the basis of an IQ test.
Spearman believed that intelligence consists of a general factor (G), other group qualities - mechanical, verbal, computational and special abilities (S), which are determined by profession. And Gardner put forward a theory of the multiplicity of intelligence, according to which it can have various manifestations (verbal, musical, logical, spatial, mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal).
Types of intelligence
Human intelligence has many types, each of which can be trained and developed throughout life.
Types of intelligence are logical, physical, verbal, creative spatial, emotional, musical, social, spiritual. Each of them is responsible for different processes and is developed through appropriate activities. The higher the intelligence, the longer the ability to work and love for life lasts.
Intelligence levels
As you know, the level of intellectual development of an individual is assessed using special IQ tests on a scale that has a maximum score of 160 points.
Approximately half of the world's population has average intelligence, that is, the IQ is between 90 and 110 points.
But with constant exercise it can be raised by about 10 points. About a quarter of earthlings have a high intellectual level, that is, an IQ greater than 110 points, and the remaining 25% have a low intellectual level with an IQ less than 90.
Of people with a high level of intelligence, about 14.5% score 110-120 points, 10% score 140 points, and only 0.5% of people have an intelligence above 140 points.
Because assessment tests are designed for different ages, a college-educated adult and a child may show the same IQ. The level of intelligence and its activity, according to the findings of psychologists, remains unchanged throughout life.
The intellectual development of children up to the age of 5 years is identical, then spatial intelligence begins to predominate in boys, and verbal abilities in girls.
For example, there are many more famous male mathematicians than female mathematicians. Intelligence levels also vary across races. For representatives of the African-American race it averages 85, for Europeans 103, for Jews 113.
Thinking and intelligence
The concepts of thinking and intelligence are very close. To put it simply, the concept of intelligence means “mind,” that is, the property and abilities of a person, but the process of thinking is “comprehension.”
So, these determinants correspond to different aspects of a single phenomenon. Having intelligence, you have thinking potential, and intelligence is realized in the process of thinking. It is not for nothing that the human species is called “Homo sapiens” - reasonable man. And the loss of reason leads to the loss of the essence of man.
Development of intelligence
Since ancient times, people have come up with ways to develop intelligence. These are various games: puzzles, chess, puzzles, backgammon. In the 20th century, they became computer intellectual games that train memory and increase concentration.
Mathematics and exact sciences significantly contribute to the development of intelligence, helping to improve logical and abstract thinking, deductive and analytical abilities. Exact science classes accustom the brain to order and have a positive effect on the structuring of thinking. Enrichment with new knowledge and increased erudition also stimulate the development of human intelligence.
How can you develop intelligence? There are several options. For example, according to the Japanese system, it is necessary to solve simple mathematical problems for a while and read aloud. It is also very useful to participate in trainings, education, and various group games.
In the modern world, it is very important to develop emotional intelligence - a person’s ability to understand and comprehend his emotions and the ability to generate them in such a way as to increase the intensity of thinking and intellectual growth.
These data are developed to improve the regulation of one’s own emotional state, as well as the ability to influence the environment, which regulates the emotions of other people. This, in turn, serves as the key to success in human activity.
Intelligence develops as we grow older. This means that there are ways to stimulate an increase in its level. Why not use them?!
Before answering the main question of the article, how to increase intelligence, let us turn to the facts we have studied.
Psychologists have established a difference in the development of intelligence in women and men. If in the former it develops sharply until a certain point, then in the latter it develops slowly throughout their entire life. Unfair but true! Therefore, if a woman undertakes to develop her intellect, then she should know: after the period of her formation as an adult, the chance of increasing her IQ drops sharply. Many psychologists express this idea more sharply: after 23-25 years, a woman can increase her knowledge base and only develop mental abilities is no longer possible.
There are also opposing opinions (mostly the indignation of female psychologists, more like a denial of the fact). In any case, your intelligence, on which success in business, your life choices and destiny in general depends, is worth making every effort...
So, let's return to the problem of how to increase intelligence. What methods are known and accessible to everyone?
First, remember the main rule and make it your motto, otherwise nothing will work out: intelligence develops while it is used! If you don't grow, you degrade. Self-development should be your goal, no matter what it is expressed in.
Limit your intellect from harmful influences: stupid TV shows, empty conversations. It’s better to make him work: on a serious project, an interesting riddle, a puzzle (at least, a crossword puzzle). Do more things that require mental input. For example, you can write a scientific or philosophical book. Which is closer to you?
Train to think globally and act in relation to a real and current situation. The more information you can cover, the more broadly you look at the problem, the more effective you will be in business.
These are the important principles by which you should achieve your goal, how to increase your intelligence. By the way, they can also serve as examples of global thinking (for the future, in a long-term project).
What can you do privately? How to increase your intelligence now?
The brain must be constantly saturated with oxygen. Do not deprive him of this: regular walks in the fresh air, ventilation of the premises and a mandatory minimum of physical activity - 2 times for 30 minutes every week!!! Even if you are not a supporter of physical education, aerobics, or fitness, select the simplest exercises possible and do them. Or start running. You can choose an active sport. What do you like best?..
If you want to be as productive as possible, study your mental performance: what time is your peak activity (for most people - at 11 o'clock in the afternoon, for some at one in the morning).
Be sure to also improve your own speech. It is these two that are closely related to thinking and intellectual capabilities. Find the right techniques for you (not pills! otherwise the effect will not last long), and start reading more. Give preference to books and magazines that are written in a language that requires additional effort to understand. In a word, always reach for more (this is an example of local action on a global plan).
External stimuli will also help increase intelligence, with the help of which (smell, music, color) you can regulate any mental process and performance. And then train to work in any conditions: nothing can stop a good dancer!..
Now you have in your hands the basic techniques on how to increase your intelligence, start small and don’t be distracted from your intended goal, then the result will please you, and life will take on a different meaning...
Intelligence is a person’s ability to act purposefully, think rationally and achieve certain results. This ability is necessary when various difficulties and problems arise in a person’s life. This could be a math problem, the ability to make quick decisions and act in a dangerous situation.
The development of intellectual abilities predetermines both heredity and the development of mental functions. The concept of intelligence includes such types of mental activity as memory, perception, thinking, speech, attention, which are prerequisites for cognitive activity, the ability to make maximum use of previously acquired experience, perform analysis and synthesis, improve skills and increase knowledge. The better the memory and thinking, the higher the intelligence. Creative abilities, social adaptation, and the ability to solve psychological problems are important for the level of intelligence.
Psychologists use the concept of fluid and crystallized intelligence to determine age-related changes in intellectual abilities. Crystallized, or concrete, intelligence is speech skills, knowledge and the ability to apply one's knowledge in practice or in scientific activities. Fluid, or abstract, intelligence is the ability to think abstractly, draw conclusions and the ability to use them. With age, a person’s fluid intelligence decreases, while crystallized intelligence, on the contrary, increases.
Is it possible to influence the development of intelligence?
In the first ten years of a person's life, intelligence gradually increases. This can be easily verified by taking an age-appropriate test. The intelligence of a person aged 18-20 reaches its peak, although, of course, a person improves his mental skills throughout his life, learns, gains experience, etc. The level of intellectual development can be predicted relatively early - even in early childhood. Many researchers in the field of physiology and psychology believe that the intellectual abilities of a 5-year-old child are half the abilities of an adult, and the intellectual development of an 8-year-old child reaches 80% of the mental development of an adult. During the first 18 months of a child’s life, nothing can be said about his future intelligence, but already at this time it is necessary to develop the child’s mental abilities.
The development of a child’s intelligence is influenced not only by heredity, but also by external factors. Therefore, the development of a child’s mental abilities can be purposefully stimulated. Its formation is positively influenced by attention, care and human warmth, as well as stimulation of the child’s activity, creativity and social contacts. It is noted that the mental abilities of children and young people growing up in a negative social environment are definitely lower than those growing up in a favorable social environment. Serious mental development disorders are possible with damage to the cerebral cortex and various mental illnesses.
Human mental development is determined by inherited genetic information and external environmental factors (upbringing, education, etc.). Some scientists believe that about 50-60% of a person’s mental thinking depends on the environment. However, this is contradicted by the results of studies of homozygous (identical) twins. Today, many scientists claim that intelligence is almost 90% heritable.
Human mental abilities can be developed. To do this, you need to engage in mental activity and read more. It is important that the training method is appropriate to the person’s age. If a 4-year-old child is not a child prodigy, then he should not be taught to solve complex problems.
IQ
Intelligence quotient (IQ) is the established ratio of a person’s intellectual age (IA) and age (HA) during special testing. The test results are assessed according to the average value characteristic of this age group of people, using the formula IQ = IV: HF x 100.
Which IQ is high and which is low? There are many tests and tables with different values, below is the generally accepted IQ level table:
- IQ IQ = 70-79 - very low.
- IQ = 80-89 - low.
- IQ = 90-109 - average.
- IQ = 110-119 - high.
- IQ = 120-129 - very high.
- IQ>130 is the highest.