How to Become Intelligent

Engage in brain-challenging games like solving a Rubik’s Cube. Such puzzles keep your mind active and enhance cognitive abilities. Think of the brain as a muscle—regular exercise strengthens it!

• Sudoku is an excellent puzzle game that sharpens logical thinking. You can find it in books, newspapers, or for free online.

Engage in artistic activities. Drawing, sculpting, and other artistic activities can ignite your creativity and enhance problem-solving skills. A creative mind is capable of thinking outside the box to find quicker and better solutions in any situation.

Practice math. Learn mental calculation or speed math. Mathematics challenges the brain to actively form connections, helping you think more clearly and faster.

Writing. Writing stories or poetry. Creative writing forces your brain to work by generating scenarios, dialogues, characters, and settings. This enhances your thinking abilities and helps process information better. Using language this way improves your vocabulary and phrasing. Writing is also a great way to express yourself and your thoughts.

Simplify your communication. You won’t be considered intelligent if you speak in ways no one can understand. Skilled individuals are those who can make complex ideas simple. Practice explaining concepts to others and see how clearly and simply you can express them.

Learn how to listen to others' perspectives on controversial issues or subjects they know more about than you. You don't have to agree with them, but remember everyone has something you can learn from. Asking questions helps you reassess your own beliefs or point out their mistakes. Keep an open mind. The sharper your mind, the more questions you’ll ask about the people around you.

Be kind to others. Showing kindness in the face of challenges is a sign of maturity, nobility, and understanding. Don't forget that you can learn a lot from others. Your kindness will open doors to their life experiences, and who knows what you might learn?

Set self-learning goals. Remember that learning is not a burden you have to endure for a degree; it’s about understanding the world around us. For some unknown reason, people lose their natural curiosity after starting school. However, a brilliant mind always questions the world and strives to explain things logically. That’s the secret to being a 'genius.'

• Self-learning: You can even learn from your own life experiences, sometimes called "natural education."

Expand your vocabulary. Every day, find a few definitions in the dictionary, or if you're learning English, sign up for a 'word-of-the-day' program online. You can also take vocabulary quizzes in cultural magazines (if you're aiming to expand your English vocabulary, Readers Digest is a helpful magazine) or purchase books designed to boost your vocabulary. Study the dictionary word by word. It will take at least a year, but you will become wiser.

Read a variety of books. The habit of reading extensively is often described as the key to a sharp mind. The most brilliant people in the world make reading a daily habit. While you might not always enjoy reading, this practice expands your intellect by exposing you to new ideas and experiences. Maintain diversity in your reading by exploring all kinds of genres.

Explore the world around you. Cultivate an interest in topics such as current events, interesting facts, inspiring quotes, great books and movies, scientific research, and exciting inventions. Educational TV programs are excellent resources for learning. Training your critical thinking skills by understanding the causes and effects of things around you will make you significantly smarter.

• If your reading speed exceeds your speaking speed, reading a book or electronic materials like wiki pages is far more effective than watching a generic, non-thought-provoking TV show or image-based educational programs. Commercial TV shows are actually unhelpful since their goal is simply to keep you glued to the screen, showing ads rather than providing the knowledge you need to do other things.

Make connections. Find ways to apply knowledge rather than just collecting trivial, useless information. Knowledge stored in your brain is of little use if you can't apply it to real-life situations. Think about situations where specific information becomes valuable. Share that information, and you'll see how it develops!

Frequently ask questions. Continuously asking questions and exploring the world around you is a great way to become smarter. There’s nothing wrong with not having all the answers to 'why' and 'how.' Everyone has something they don’t know. But by making it a habit to ask questions whenever you're unsure of something, you’ll notice yourself getting smarter every day.

Set weekly goals. As you plan for the upcoming week, ask yourself how many goals you achieved from the previous week, why some goals were left unmet, and what you can do to increase your chances of success.

• Always work diligently towards each goal. Without goals, you have nothing to aim for. Reward yourself whenever you accomplish a goal.
• Live with discipline. You don’t have to be overly strict, but wasting time is not wise. Yes, many geniuses live “disorganized” lives (like absent-minded professors), but if you're striving to become smarter, using your time consciously is a major step in the right direction.

Dedicate time to learning. Self-learning takes time, and it requires effort if you want to become smarter. Don’t expect miracles to happen overnight! You need to spend significant time learning and thinking actively to truly get smarter.

Never stop researching. Today, there are countless sources of information you can access. Books, documentaries, and the internet are just a few examples. School is only one source of knowledge. Getting good grades doesn’t necessarily mean you are smart. Continuous practice and an open mind will make you smarter, and ongoing learning will help you achieve that.

Learn a new language. In addition to the benefits of language skills, learning a new language can also bring you closer to new people and ideas. You’ll feel less out of place when you visit a place where you know a bit of their language. Additionally, you might realize that some idioms and concepts simply cannot be translated into your native tongue! This can be a fun and challenging exercise for your mind. (Note: Be patient and persistent, as learning a language may take time to reach the desired level.)

Visit as many places as you can. You should also try to travel to different countries. Trips to cities, whether domestic or abroad, will broaden your mind and teach you a great deal about the world. You’ll have the opportunity to explore different cultures (the lifestyles and ways people interact with each other in different regions). You’ll realize that there’s so much to see and do anywhere you go. You’ll be captivated by the diversity of people and cultures around the world. These experiences will help make you both smarter and more interesting.

Keep an open mind and be ready to learn new things. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you should always stick to it! Look for ways to step outside your comfort zone. That’s where real learning happens.

• There isn’t just one kind of intelligence. You have academic intelligence, practical skills, social intelligence, emotional intelligence, technological intelligence, and many other forms of intelligence.
• Intelligence can also include looking and acting smart, especially in the UK. Make sure you're clear on the kind of intelligence you want or need. Mistaking this can lead to regrets.
• Know the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence isn’t just about knowing a lot about a subject. It’s about understanding a problem and being able to find a solution. Wisdom, on the other hand, is having deep knowledge in one or more fields. Do you possess both intelligence and wisdom, or just one?
• Don’t just go online to search for something that will impress others. Instead, pick a subject and dive deep into research.
• If someone asks you a question you don’t know how to answer, ask them to explain or rephrase it. They might not know how to phrase their question, or perhaps they’re asking indirectly; maybe they’re not really asking but trying to make a point. For example, “Does this pair of pants make me look fat?” is not actually a question but a way of confirming something. If you understand they genuinely want an answer but don’t know how to ask, ask why they want to know, or refer to the context. Once you understand what they truly want to know but don’t have an answer for, be honest and admit you don’t know.
• Focus when learning in class, listening to lectures, or during meetings or workshops. Focus will help you pick up information and hints others might overlook. It’ll save you time and help maintain your intelligence.
• Don’t assume you’re superior just because you're quicker-witted than others.
• Stay focused during class. If you don’t understand something, ask your teacher. Don’t hesitate to ask!

• Don’t act like you know everything or are good at everything, and avoid being the person who loves to argue. Nobody likes people like that! It’s better to be humble and considerate.
• Know your limits, and sometimes take a step back to reflect on yourself and reassess how to achieve your main goals.
• Don’t put yourself down. When you do that, you start to believe you’re not smart, which can lead to feelings of giving up and self-satisfaction. Remind yourself that you can achieve anything, no matter how much time and effort it takes.