How To Become Intelligent - The Best Things You Can Do
How to Become Intelligent - Human intelligence knows no bounds. It is what sets us apart from other animals, and allows us to build wonders, accomplish great heights, and solve life’s most complex problems. It is no overstatement to say that we’re all born smart and, in one way or another, we all can contribute to human society and look to maximise what we can do with our innate smartness.
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But can you learn how to be intelligent, or how to become smarter than you already are? Such questions usually crop up when we come up against a situation or an idea that is beyond our comprehension. Be it in one’s studies, while learning new skills, or tackling life’s complexities, one’s intelligence can appear small and insignificant at times, even when pushed to its extremes. But that shouldn’t prevent us from taking the steps to ensure that we remain sharp and improve ourselves in every way that we can and develop a love for understanding hard things.
Read on to find out how to become intelligent and what to do to ensure that you maximise your potential and start becoming your smarter self.
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Can You Become More Intelligent?
The traditional Intelligence Quotient (IQ) model works, for all practical intents and purposes, to give a fair estimation of one’s intelligence. It allows us to figure out the speed at which one learns, which is often used for placements in educational programs and classes, and to identify mental disabilities or giftedness. However, it often becomes a reason to unfairly judge or compare oneself to others, especially people who make being smart seem effortless.
Traditional wisdom suggests that hard IQ remains generally unchanged throughout one’s life. But, recent studies propose otherwise and propound that intelligence can rise or fall significantly, especially during the teenage years.
Various researchers and psychologists have also suggested alternatives to the traditional IQ model, ones that are less concerned with hard IQ numbers and, instead, focus more on identifying which form of intelligence one possesses so that the same can be nourished with different activities. Let’s consider these different forms of intelligence first.
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Different Forms Of Intelligence
According to Howard Gardner, an eminent developmental psychologist, there isn’t a single intelligence but eight broader intelligences, namely-
Naturalist
Musical
Logical-mathematical
Existential
Interpersonal
Bodily-kinesthetic
Linguistic.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses in the different forms of intelligence, which is why it’s better to learn in multiple ways rather than sticking to a one-size-fits-all approach.
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Another important intelligence theory to consider is Raymond Cattell’s theory of fluid and crystallised intelligence.
Fluid intelligence: This is the intelligence that involves your ability to think abstractly, understand logic, and reasoning ability.
Crystallised intelligence: This intelligence includes the knowledge you’ve acquired over the years, your learned skills, mental heuristics, vocabulary, etc. It increases with age and can help offset any shortcomings in fluid intelligence that one may have.
However, other than improving your worldly knowledge, you can also learn how to become smarter innately by inculcating a few intelligence-boosting habits in your everyday life. So, let’s take a look at a few ways that will teach you how to become intelligent.
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How To Be Intelligent - Question Constantly!
“The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” - The Greek philosopher, Socrates, famously held the belief that our collective knowledge was no more than a tiny fraction compared to what was yet left to discover and know. So, what did he do? He questioned anything and everything around him. This included people’s long-held beliefs, their superstitions and habits, the nature of our institutions, and even the fundamental motivating factors of life itself. Because of his forever-curious mind and active discourse, he not only revealed other people’s ignorance, but also lit up paths to knowledge, and left behind a legacy that survives to this day.
The Socratic questioning method is born out of this relentless pursuit of exploration, uncovering assumptions, analysing ideas, and getting to the truth of things. One is invited to take a leaf out of his book and start looking at things inquisitively. Why does gravity exist, where do viruses come from, or why do we behave the way we do - such questions are only a few examples. Start with something that catches your curiosity and ask a question about its nature. When you have an answer, question any implicit assumption or knowledge gap that you find in the answer.
For example, consider using the ‘5W1H’ approach - What, Where, When, Why, Who, and How. This heuristic will help you come up with relevant questions for your purpose of investigating ideas, topics, and events. Keep questioning until you reach the bottom of things.
One famous example of the Socratic principle in action is that of Rene Descartes, a French philosopher. Descartes doubted the truth of all beliefs and sought only that which was true, regardless of belief and doubt. His process led him to the conclusion - “I doubt therefore I think, I think therefore I am”, the latter part of the phrase being the translation of his timeless statement Cogito Ergo Sum.
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How To Be Intelligent - Read Everyday
One surefire way of turning up your smarts is to read every day. In the age of bite-sized videos and social media, reading is an activity in decline. But its benefits are far-reaching and life-changing.
Be it for pleasure or one’s studies, reading every day engages the imagination, lights up key areas of your brain involved with language comprehension and creativity, and sharpens your wit. It invites us to flex our cognitive thinking muscles, analyse deeply, and be critical in our understanding of whatever it is we’re reading.
Reading enables you to learn how to become smart and confident. Because much of the wisdom of our ancestors, including lessons from history, the development of different fields, and much of our existing knowledge is found in books, there is no limit to how much you can learn through reading them.
Try also to read things that you wouldn’t normally read. Perhaps you could even try writing a small review of the book summarising its salient points in your own words. And don’t limit yourself to books alone. Magazines, newspapers, articles, essays, reports, plays, encyclopedias - whatever you get your hands on, start devouring without discrimination.
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How To Be Intelligent - Understand Things Meaningfully
We all learn differently, but because humans are hard-wired to operate in a space that’s meaningful, we learn best when it means something to us. Meaningful learning helps you forge and find connections between new and old information. Knowledge is cumulative, and the better you internalise an idea, the easier it will be to relate to other ideas and deepen your understanding of them.
Meaningful learning takes place when we are able to comprehend a given piece of information, relate it to other things, and can build upon it for advanced learning. All this engages different forms of intelligence in us and, by doing so, makes us smarter. So, if you’re tired of relying on rote learning, and instead want to know how to become smarter, learn meaningfully.
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How To Be Intelligent- Challenge Yourself
In our comfort zones, things appear all too rosy and well. But the human system isn’t well suited for comforts, not for long anyway. If we only operate from our comfortable spaces, we run the risk of becoming dull and demotivated quickly. We need challenges every now and then to stay inspired, improve our self-esteem, and become confident in our abilities.
Try finishing a lengthy novel, doing a few hard sums from your math textbook, playing chess, doing the crossword, or taking up a leadership position that is challenging as well. Make sure to do one such thing every day, no matter how big or small. Just don’t take up a project that is too taxing, or you will lose the motivation to see it through.
It is in the act of challenging our abilities that we find flow, and also learn how to become intelligent in the process, more so than we already are.
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How To Be Intelligent - Eat A Balanced Diet And Exercise
A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. If you don’t take care of your body, don’t eat nutritious meals or get regular exercise, there won’t be much for your brain to work with, even if you’re a bonafide genius.
Easting a balanced diet and exercise are necessary to keep your hormones in check, provide the energy to engage in daily tasks, strengthen your immune system, and remain in good shape both physically and mentally. You can even include meditation and yoga to reap additional benefits and become smarter.
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How To Be Intelligent - Learn New Skills
Nothing is as nourishing to our intelligence as learning new skills. Be it learning a new language, playing a musical instrument, coding, or solving the Rubik's cube, learning new skills engages the brain in novel ways and works out our innate intelligence.
In the beginning, the learning may be frustrating and time-consuming. But if you keep at it, over time, the neurons that fire in your brain when you engage in the skill will strengthen, your intelligence will grow and learning will accelerate. Remember, the more you do something, the more you will get out of it. So, pick up a new skill today and devote a few hours every day to it. These are the little things that don’t just enrich your life but also help you become more intelligent in the process.
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How To Be Intelligent - Know Current Events (And Engage In Discourse)
There’s a very good reason why reading the daily newspaper is crucial to the development of a student. Besides developing the habit of reading, it keeps you apprised of current events and important trends and brings the world closer to you. Knowing what’s happening in your local community and the world keeps the mind engaged and harken to the signs of the times. It also allows you to take part in debates and forums where, through discourse and dialogue, you can further flex your intelligence, learn from others, and become smarter.
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How To Be Intelligent - Be Productive
People who do things, and see them all the way through, learn much more than those who don’t. Even though it is the end goal that motivates, the process teaches one to manage multiple things at a time, think outside the box, and focus for long periods of time. These are all things that occupy the brain in different ways and unlock one’s latent intelligence.
Studies have shown that those who’re more productive also tend to be more creative, for they come to understand, through various trials and errors, what works and what doesn’t. This bit of knowledge is indispensable as it minimises waste and keeps one calm under pressure, a poise that comes only through practice.
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How To Be Intelligent - Do What You’re Afraid Of
More often than not, what keeps people from understanding how to become intelligent is their inability to conquer their fears. Fear constrains the mind, induces stress, and prevents productive action. It is a bane to our intelligence, and the sooner one learns to overcome one’s fear, the sooner one unlocks one’s potential.
If you’re afraid of public speaking or giving presentations, do exactly that. If the fear of getting hit by a football keeps you from entering the field, play a friendly game with a few friends, and slowly notch up the competitive spirit. If it is your maths book that gives you the jitters, open it up and do just a single sum. If you can do that, do the next one.
Take small steps, and gradually the fear will diminish, and you will be able to push yourself to get to the next level. It is only through such a courageous outlook that you can engage with the world around you and give your intelligence a chance to shine through.
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We hope you now know how to become smart and confident in your daily engagements. As long as you employ the aforementioned tips in your life, you’ll be sure to improve your intelligence a little every day. We hope you all the best in your endeavours.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A student can become intelligent by striving to understand things in a way that means something to them, by eating well and exercising, learning new skills, knowing current events, reading books, and conquering one’s fears.
To increase your intelligence, the best thing to do is to challenge yourself regularly, read things that you normally wouldn’t, and engage in discourse and dialogue.
To become smart and intelligent in studies, ask a lot of questions, and make sure that what you’re learning is understood as meaningfully as possible. You can also include the habit of reading to supercharge your intelligence.
An intelligent student is one who takes in the information, relates it to what s/he already knows, questions constantly, and can display that learning in a way that is comprehensive and meaningful.
To become smarter without having to study, challenge yourself to do things you normally wouldn’t, learn to conquer your fears and be as prolific and productive as you can.
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