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Although intelligence means something different to everyone, psychologists and scientists have tried to pin it down to just our IQ, as if a number can be representative of our entire mind. They used to believe that intelligence is entirely inherited. This means you’re either born with it or aren’t, and it can’t be changed or improved upon.
Today, we understand that intelligence is a much more abstract concept. It is not set in stone. Our environment, mindsets, and commitment to constantly improve ourselves can be influenced.
There are two critical factors over which we have control if we want to get smarter.
1. The environment we choose.
This is the classic Nature vs. Nurture debate.
Nature: our genetic makeup.
Nurture the environmental factors which influence our development.
It turns out it is not so much Nature vs. Nurture as it is Nature and Nurture, specifically how they interact. Intelligence is only partially inherited. The environment determines the full potential of our intelligence we set it in. This means the people we surround ourselves with, the new challenges we give ourselves, and the shows we choose to watch are just a few examples of factors that influence our intelligence. Nature and nurture interact together to create intelligence. Even though we can’t (yet) change our genes, we are in control of many factors in our environment.
2. The mindset we choose.
What about when things happen in our environment we have no control over? It comes down to our mindset.
Current research indicates that the only limit to one’s intelligence is what the individual believes is possible and how their behaviors either foster or limit their intelligence.
What does this mean?
If you have always been told you are unintelligent by your teachers or your family members, you are likely to have set a mental limit for yourself and what you can achieve, thus preventing you from reaching your full potential.
Michael Strasner, the personal and professional coach for over thirty years, says our beliefs come from our past experiences and the interpretations we make from those events.
When we try to identify the negative beliefs we have about ourselves and remove them from our thoughts. We are indeed free to become anything we want, including more intelligent.
Choose the growth mindset.
The growth mindset, a concept founded by psychologist Carol Dweck, perfectly describes the qualities which are essential to developing our intelligence.
- Embracing challenges
- Persisting in the face of setbacks
- Viewing effort as the path to mastery
- Learning from criticism
- Finding lessons and inspiration in the success of others
Ironically, we sometimes need to make mistakes and immerse ourselves in situations where we are in disequilibrium to improve our intelligence. Although this may initially feel uncomfortable, it ultimately brings us much further in life than the person whose main goal is to appear intelligent in the eyes of others
4 Simple Ways to Get Smarter
1. Challenge Yourself
Lev Vygotsky developed the theory of the Zone of Proximal Development during the last ten years of his life. He believed the optimal tasks for developing our cognitive abilities are too challenging to master on our own. Still, we can complete them with some assistance from more capable peers.
As soon as a task becomes effortless for us to complete on our own, it is a sign that we are not challenging ourselves enough and not encouraging any potential growth in that area.
Are there any areas in your life where the tasks have stopped requiring your conscious effort? Unless you don’t wish to improve, don’t get too comfortable.
Intelligence is like a muscle. It can’t become stronger if heavier weights and exercises do not challenge it.
2. Read Smarter
Reading about anything will improve your awareness and open your mind to new thoughts and ideas.
According to an article by Glen Stansberry, “Those that read have higher GPA’s, higher intelligence, and general knowledge than those that don’t.”
While the concept of reading books to get smarter is not precisely novel (pardon the pun), few of us do it.
The reason is: that we’re not reading smart. We can read even more books by increasing our reading speed, using technology like Spritz, and even dropping the books we don’t love.
If you haven’t read our article on how to read over 60+ books a year, I highly recommend checking it out.
3. Hangout With People Who Are Smarter Than You
Perhaps we aren’t exactly, as Jim Rohn said, “the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” but he was heading in the right direction.
No matter how strong we are, those closest to us can (and will) impact our behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.
Having friends who aren’t overachievers may feel more comfortable because it takes the pressure off us. Still, one of the best ways to become more intelligent and grow as a person is to surround ourselves with brilliant and ambitious people.
The same goes for when we surround ourselves with people who genuinely believe we are intelligent and capable. They will subconsciously show more respect and enthusiasm towards our abilities and ourselves.
We register these slight behavioral differences and mirror their high expectations with our excellent results.
4. Become an Idea Machine
In James Altucher’s new book, The Choose Yourself Guide to Wealth, he shares his daily habit with fellow readers. Every day, no matter what, he writes down ten new ideas.
It is easier said than done. Altucher says, the more we practice it, the easier it will become for us to think of ideas and solutions during times of conflict, where it is essential to be able to react quickly.
You might write all these ideas in one sitting, or you could carry around a small notepad and write down any ideas you have sporadically throughout the day.
Conclusion
I genuinely believe everyone is intelligent and capable of enhancing their intelligence.
The tips in this article are meant to help you see measurable changes in how you think, your ideas, and the challenges you can face in real life. By measurable, I don’t mean an IQ test or your grades in school, but the progress you make towards your goals and the future you desire.
