By: Paula Durán
Whether you want to survive a tough college or work environment, or just want to appear smarter, there are many things you can do to become smarter and appear smarter. Here are ten simple tricks to increase your brain power.
Read better and faster
One of the best ways to increase your intelligence is to read more. You can read faster—and therefore gain more knowledge—if you manage to suppress that inner voice as you read, or stop your lips moving as you read. Give your mouth something to do, like eat something or chew gum, and read fast. Then give yourself a moment to reflect on what you read and keep it in your memory.
Speak loud and expressively
The more you contribute to a conversation, meeting, or class, the smarter you’ll appear. Even if it means admitting your ignorance or asking a lot of questions, you’ll make a better impression than keeping quiet, and you may well learn a lot in the process, too. Expressive speech is key – you can boost your credibility simply by making sure you speak with the right tone. Change the volume and timbre of your voice as needed, and minimize the number of pauses you take. A little confidence works wonders.
Don’t be a victim of bullshitWhen someone tries to convince you of something, they can often fall into logical fallacies, appeal to your emotions, and other “traps.” Learn about the most common forms of fallacies so you can spot them instantly. By knowing what they consist of, you will be able to avoid committing them, which will help increase your credibility.focus on what you know When you’re in a heated discussion, you’re prone to falling into many knowledge gaps. It’s okay to admit when you don’t know something, but if you’re feeling especially insecure, the key is to emphasize what you do know.
If you are in a fight, do not emphasize the point of disagreement but the point of agreement, that way you do not take away from the conversation the things that you do know. do exerciseMake sure you are living a healthy life, which means eating healthy and exercising. Many studies have shown important links between regular physical activity and productivity and creativity. Will spending all day at the gym make you smarter? Probably not, but sitting is dangerous for your health and also prevents your brain from reaching its full potential. talk to yourselfAlthough a person who mumbles is often associated with a “crazy” person, a recent study showed that speaking out loud alone gives a temporary cognitive boost when we’re trying to find something. The theory is that when we put verbal labels on a task, we focus better on it.
So if you feel like opening your mouth, don’t stop, you might do things faster. learn another languagePeople who know two or three languages are often perceived as smart by others, but different studies show that they are actually smarter. When you learn a new language, you become able to interleave mental tasks better than those who only know one. Learning another language is a real and useful way to get smarter. In addition, there are methods that allow you to achieve it in a few months. Do things the hard wayTechnology makes our lives easier, but sometimes it pays to do things the hard way. For example, GPS navigation: it’s very useful for not getting lost, but if you rely too much on that technology, you’ll never truly learn a route or path. Doing things the hard way can help sharpen your brain. Learn what won’t make you smarterThere is a lot of research on what makes us smarter, but it’s also important to know what won’t make us smarter.
The less time you spend on silly myths, the more time you have to train your brain. Believe you can get smarterThe last step is simply believing that you can do it. There is no need to be arrogant, just assume that you have not yet reached your full potential, which leaves you asking questions about how to achieve it. That will never happen if you think your intelligence is somehow predetermined, so once you do, you can pursue the intelligence you want. If you can’t do it, maybe it’s time to recalibrate the way you perceive reality: attitude is important. In the comments section share with us:What tips do you think are the most useful?Do you know another way to improve intelligence?Do you agree with the tips mentioned?
