Exercises for the development of intellectual abilities.

Each person strives to be successful, and for this it is necessary to have a broad outlook: how to develop intelligence if you are dissatisfied with the level of your knowledge and skills? How to be an active and wise person in old age?

What knowledge is needed for parents who want to raise an intelligent child with a wide range of knowledge, an inquisitive mind, able to put their skills into practice? You can develop intellectual abilities all your life, this process never ends.

10 habits for developing intelligence in an adult

We all admire the connoisseurs of the club “What? Where? When?". We are amazed at the volume of their knowledge, their breadth of outlook, their ability to find answers to a variety of difficult questions. Do not be upset and upset that you will never reach such a level. Intelligence is possible at any age.

Previously, it was believed that such development is possible only during the period of growing up - in childhood and adolescence, after which all these processes are inhibited, and progress is no longer possible.

But now scientists have already proven that new cells in the brain are constantly being formed and its plasticity, that is, the ability to develop under the influence of experience, changes - the richer your experience, the more flexible and developed your mind.

RULE	INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACTION
	Play logic and mind games- chess, backgammon, puzzles train the mind, memory and attention, logical and spatial thinking
	Read every day and everything that interests you- artistic, educational books will make the brain work constantly, besides, being well-read has never bothered anyone
	Write down, sketch everything you want to remember, your ideas, ideas- when writing, several parts of the brain are activated, which helps to better absorb information
	Do math - it trains several mental abilities at once: abstract, analytical, critical and logical thinking, their speed, as well as memory and attention
	Do the math - this trains several mental abilities at once: abstract, analytical, critical and logical thinking, their speed, as well as memory and attention
	Change your habits, what you do "on the machine" every day- walk the other way to work, brush your teeth with the other hand, etc.
	go in for sports- physical exercise disperse blood, the brain is enriched with oxygen, a protein is produced that helps form neurons
	Eat properly and nutritiously getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals, your brain will work at full capacity.
	Don't get depressed perceive all failures and obstacles as a chance for improvement and development
	Be sure to give yourself a good rest, preferably in silence and without TV

What is intelligence

If the brain is loaded with a solution, then new synapses will be formed - connections between neurons, otherwise these connections will die out as unnecessary.

What is intelligence? This is the quality of the human psyche. It combines thinking, imagination, perception. This is knowledge, understanding, the ability to analyze information, reason, draw conclusions, the ability to highlight the main thing, see patterns, generalize experience, and think critically.

The intellectual always seeks to know and understand what he did not know before. A person must control the work of his mind, and not vice versa.

Moreover, we can direct the development of the brain in the right direction, persistently, acquiring new skills or improving those that we already have.

Tip: read the book by Svetlana Pristalova "How to develop super-memory, intelligence and attention." In it you will find many exercises to help pump the mind.

Formation of intelligence

According to scientists, the intellect begins to form even in the womb, therefore, on the question of how to develop the intellect in a child during pregnancy, you can hear various recommendations.

Do not be nervous, visit nature more and admire it. It is also important to properly and fully eat so that the child can develop normally.

Much, of course, depends on genetics, but if a child was born without pathologies, then problems with intellectual abilities could arise during fetal development.

If the baby does not start talking or walking when his peers have already mastered these skills, you need to find out if one of the parents was also a little late with this, in which case you should not panic.

No one can do absolutely everything better than others. Each person has some kind of innate inclinations and talents, what he likes to do. The task of parents is to notice and develop these features in time. But here it is important not to overdo it.

There is no need to try to teach the child something for which he has not yet matured physiologically - this can provoke big problems in the future.

For normal development need to combine the training of the intellect with physical activity, normal nutrition, walks and avoid overwork.

Toddlers develop by interacting with adults. Psychologists have long noticed that in families that are socially prosperous, with a high level of education from their parents, children have a higher level of intelligence.

Every person is born with some ability.

Still quite a baby, the child enthusiastically looks at bright objects, tries to reach them and taste them. This is how the intellect begins to develop.

In this, kids resemble scientists who are passionate about their work - they try to learn everything about what interests them, explore from all sides and in all the same ways, while improving their skills, rejoicing in their successes.

How to develop intelligence in a child?

First of all, you need to communicate with the child, even when he is very small. Talk to your baby and you will notice how carefully he listens to you.

Do not stop his curiosity, but also watch out for safety. Play together, show and explain everything - children will learn from their parents how to act correctly.

Just do not rush to get ahead of the norms of development, even if the baby is very talented. Many of us try to fulfill our ambitions by "sculpting" a child prodigy.

Our task is to provide children with normal. Don't limit it to narrow limits.

The curiosity inherent in nature will certainly bear fruit, and the child will master all intellectual skills - to distinguish objects by signs, to generalize and highlight, to see logical connections, to retell fairy tales, to build analogies.

Fundamentals of intelligence according to Doman

Many modern parents are familiar with Glenn Doman's early development methodology. He developed it for many years, researching and observing healthy and sick children.

Here are the basic principles of the methodology:

1. The brain grows and develops under constant load
2. By intensively developing the intelligence of a child from birth to the age of three, you can achieve the best results.
3. The formation of the brain and motor intelligence helps physical development
4. The active growth phase lasts up to five years. At this time, training does not require additional motivation.

You need to start from the age of three months, showing the child cards with images of various objects and naming them. It develops speech, attention, logic, memory.

Start training with your baby at the age of three months

Will you adhere this method or not, in any case, engage with the child, develop his creative and intellectual abilities, teach him to draw, write, invent and tell fairy tales.

A child at any age is interested in exploring something new, fantasizing and learning. And when everything works out, parents praise, then I want to know even more.

How to develop intellectual abilities?

Constantly training the brain with special exercises, you can develop both intelligence and memory and attention at any age.

For example, you can use any object to train attention and memory - take it in your hands, carefully study all the smallest details - color, shape, weight, roughness, wear, remember your tactile sensations.

After that, you need to close your eyes and imagine the subject as accurately as possible.

You may not be able to do this right away, but regular exercise will help improve your memory. You can memorize and compare sounds - how they are similar, is it possible to replace one sound with another, as they do when dubbing movies.

Develop manual dexterity, because it is known that fine motor skills have a positive effect on the brain. Always strive to learn and learn something new - this is how new synapses are formed, and your intellectual abilities will improve.

Develop the abilities of the child, but do not try to make a child prodigy by force

All these methods are suitable not only for adults, but also for children. It is necessary to develop intelligence in a complex way, not limited to one way.

There are many activities that help the development of intelligence, they are especially important for people in adulthood - this helps to relax and learn concentration.

Dancing, where different areas of the brain are involved in order to remember the movements; martial arts that develop concentration, a sense of balance; gardening, which significantly reduces the risk of dementia.

Knitting that soothes and develops fine motor skills, just like playing on musical instruments; keeping a diary, which relieves stress and helps in decision making.

You can choose any of them or even several, and be sure to give them an hour or two a day.

Emotional intelligence

How many of us understand ourselves and our feelings? With age, we drive inside ourselves, do not let them splash out.

What can we say about accepting and understanding the feelings of other people, the patterns of communication! We often lack emotional and social intelligence.

For harmonious development at any age, physical activity is necessary.

Emotional intelligence is the awareness of emotions, understanding and managing them, the ability to effectively communicate with people, understand and empathize.

If you are prone to impulsive decisions that you later regret, then you need to develop emotional intelligence.

How to do it?

1. Track your emotions reactions to the events happening with you and around you, try to understand your attitude to this.
2. Learn to feel the connection of body reactions with feelings. By learning to understand body language, you will better understand the experiences and feelings of other people.
3. Record your emotions and subsequent actions in a diary. Don't ignore any feelings. Face the truth, no matter how unpleasant it may be. After calming down and re-reading the notes, you can look at yourself from the outside. This helps you understand if you did the right thing. If you broke down because of nonsense, then next time try to be more restrained.
4. Understanding the causes of unconscious reactions, you learn to manage them.
5. Learn to see and hear- small nuances, such as movements during a conversation, the tone in which it is said, can tell a lot about a person, the feelings that he experiences. So you can learn to recognize a person is cunning or he is honest with you.
6. Be open, friendly and honest in every way

Developed emotional intelligence helps a person to be less prone to stress, calmly and effectively communicate with any people.

Understand their feelings and be truthful in your emotions and reactions without hiding them behind a mask of equanimity. Use any of the above methods - all together or in some separate way.

Take care of the health of your mind. Choose how to develop your intelligence, and remember that it is important to learn, and laughter is called active meditation to help you avoid stress and relax.

To achieve the desired result, you need to make a lot of effort, because modern man lazy. Overcome laziness and make your life brighter and happier.

The development of intellect in man influenced his formation of Homo sapiens, which separated the human race from the animal world. This is how civilization began to form. An individual living in modern society, has the ability to independently develop intellectual potential, and support the brain in good shape throughout life.

Intelligence: what is it

Intelligence is the mental ability of an individual, which is characterized by relative stability. Translated from Latin - comprehension, awareness. Reason allows not only to imagine, think, feel, perceive. The brain has a number of properties:

• brain teaser;
• prognostic;
• analytical;
• critical;
• deductive;
• ability to concentrate.

The capabilities of the brain are opposed to instincts, patterns of behavior. This means that the intellectual potential is dynamic, it progresses according to the desire of a person.

Regardless of the initial amount of knowledge and thinking skills, any individual is able to increase and expand cognitive abilities to the desired level. Performing non-standard tasks that "strain" the brain convolutions and break the stereotyped judgment contributes to the achievement high level intellectual possibilities.

A high level of brain development makes it possible to adapt and understand how to act in a new situation. A person with intelligence clearly defines the problem and optimally solves it.

Types of intelligence

The division of mental abilities into certain types contradicts the famous test that determines the level of IQ. While the theory of differentiated intelligence states that each individual to some extent develops all intellectual variations.

By the way! Doctor of Psychology, D. Flynn, based on the results of large-scale world studies of IQ values, found that the coefficient has increased over 50 years.

The American psychologist Gardner identifies the following types of intelligence:

• Spatial. A person easily navigates in space, creating routes and moves in an unknown area, situation. Often architects, drivers, designers, chess players own this type.
• Musical. Predisposition to a clear differentiation of sounds, melodies, tones, rhythm, which is characteristic of musicians, singers.
• bodily-kinesthetic. The ability to control the body, clearly balancing. Dancers, gymnasts, acrobats are endowed with this variety.
• Linguistic. The ability to intuitively realize the correct spelling, pronunciation, meaning and compatibility of lexical units. Propensity to study foreign languages.
• Logico-mathematical. A predisposition to finding the relationship between numbers, dates, facts, which is characteristic of scientists.
• Naturalistic. The ability to distinguish between natural phenomena, distinguish the gifts of flora.
• interpersonal. A person socializes in society, interacts well with people, capturing their mood.
• Intrapersonal. The ability to recognize and feel inner experiences and emotions, to understand how to manage them.

According to this classification, each individual has an innate predisposition to certain actions. This tendency indicates the types of intelligence to which a person belongs. That is why one person cannot always contain several abilities.

How to develop intellectual abilities in adults

subconscious as essential element intellectual activity enters into the processes of mental activity only if there is a motive. A well-known Russian business coach, Maxim Potashev, claims that any motive or reward affects brain activity, activating it.

Psychologists say that the level of intelligence is directly dependent on the hereditary factor and life experience person. Cognitive abilities in adults are improved by finding new solutions in an unfamiliar situation.

Interesting! One of the criteria for high intelligence is the ability to intuitively find a way out of a difficult situation.

To understand how to develop intelligence, you first need to stop watching stupid TV shows, serials that do not carry useful information. Constantly make your brain work: solve puzzles, crossword puzzles, create projects.

Oxygen is essential: brain cells are saturated with it, which contributes to mental development. Physical activity is also helpful.

From this it follows that for the development of reason, it is not necessary to memorize corny book rules and facts. It is necessary to solve problems creatively, finding the best way. Intellectual "baggage" increases as you grow older.

The famous Swiss philosopher Jean Piaget believed that the central link in mental development is the intellect. Children easily form desired scheme behavior for a particular situation, adapting to it. In the course of such interaction, the child becomes aware of the laws and rules of life.

Based on these conclusions, Piaget identified four stages:

1. Sensorimotor (0-2 years). The newborn opens the surrounding space with the help of movements and sensory organs, establishes the dependence of personal manipulations and their consequences.
2. Preoperative (2-7 years). An initial idea of ​​​​objects and their purposes appears. However, many types of experience are not yet available to the child.
3. Specific operations (7-11 years old). The guys are able to logically manipulate objects, combine them into groups. There is no ability to generalize.
4. Formal operations (12 years and beyond). A teenager is able to think abstractly, to imagine unrealistic objects. All mind operations are available.

There is a version that intelligence differs in men and women. According to psychologists, the female mind develops intensively up to a certain time, while the male mind gradually develops throughout life.

If a woman wonders how to increase intelligence, then she must answer it before the age of 35. The scientific community believes that the development of the mind and intelligence of older women does not progress. However, some theories refute this version.

Development of memory and intelligence

An integral part of increasing intelligence is the development of memory and speech. Since these mental processes interact with the thinking and mental abilities.

Memory is a mental function and one of the types of brain activity. The task of memory is to store and reproduce the impressions stored in the mind.

Neuroscientist, Nobel Prize winner - Rita Levi-Montalcini - at the age of 100 participated in scientific conferences, medical congresses. She claims that the human brain is neuroplastic: if some neurons die, then others begin to perform their functions. However, they require constant stimulation.

Make your brain function by keeping it engaged:

• go in for sports;
• keep things in the same place;
• be observant;
• learn poetry;
• tell stories;
• relate abstract ideas to concrete images.

Read more books written in complex language: you will have to make an effort to understand the text. These simple tips will help keep the mind “in good shape”.

Methods for the development of intelligence

The methods are complex in nature. In order to remember all the moments that happened in life in old age, it is necessary in youth. It requires a high degree of self-control, perseverance, willpower.

In addition, the intellect is influenced by the way of life and the quality of nutrition. Frequent stress and conflict destroy the neurons of the brain.

Reason in every possible way hinders the actions of a person for his development. After all, the main purpose of the brain is to store energy. Laziness and idleness contribute to intellectual degradation.

Curious fact! It has been established that the male brain "turns off" after sexual contact. This explains the desire to sleep immediately after intercourse.

Lawrence Katz created a technique that increases the level of intelligence development - neurobics. The essence of the training technique is to perform the usual actions in a new way:

• vacuum the apartment blindfolded;
• get to work on a different route;
• read a book turned upside down
• watch a movie without sound.

Receiving new impressions, the brain sends a signal to neurons, which are organized into groups to process new impulses.

When looking for literature that enhances intellectual potential, opt for these samples:

• David Gaimon, Aerobics for the Mind;
• Olga Kinyakina, "Brain at 100%";
• Ron Hubbard, Introspection;
• Alex Lickerman "Invincible Mind";
• Harry Adler, "Techniques for the Development of Intelligence";
• Edward de Bono, "Teach Yourself to Think."

Films can also be used as a means for "brainstorming", which encourage creative thinking, erasing stereotypes.

I offer 5 simple ways to increase intelligence. Developing your intellectual abilities is much easier than you think!

There are many smart people, but there are intellectuals in modern life you don't see it very often.

But, having met, you recognize them unmistakably.

Surely among your acquaintances there is at least one person who can answer virtually any question, whose mental abilities are really amazing.

Did you sigh while talking 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 work of the brain, they have significant differences.

Smart, in my opinion, a person is born.

Each of us has its own number of brain convolutions and cells (you understand that I am speaking figuratively now, right?), which is why studying is incredibly easy for someone, and someone spends many hours daily on classes in order to keep up with peers.

But even if you were born a smart person, this does not mean that you are guaranteed success.

It is very easy to make the mind a useless organ without nourishing it with healthy information, killing it with alcohol and nicotine, dulling it with serials and pulp fiction.

Wisdom is to see the very essence of things, to find a way out of difficult situations, make compromises when necessary, etc.

To be wise, it is not necessary to graduate from universities and get a degree.

Many grandmothers possess worldly wisdom, although their education often leaves much to be desired.

Wisdom is more characteristic of older people, but sometimes nature rewards it from childhood.

I once met an amazing six-year-old baby - her conclusions and attitude to life would be the envy of any adult.

But intelligence is a broader concept, which is denoted as the ability of a person to use the knowledge that he receives, and the totality of all human abilities that he can use to learn something new.

For a long time it was thought that the methods how to develop intelligence, do not make sense, since a person is either born endowed with a remarkable mind, or not.

However, intellectuals (people who expanded the possibilities of their minds by 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 correct books, and studies a dictionary of scientific terms in order to be able to trump with a tricky word on occasion, and bought solid glasses - and 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 is not right.

People often do not understand that before starting work, you need to eliminate everything that interferes.

It's like visiting regularly gym in the hope of losing weight, but at the same time continue to overeat pies and sweets at night.

It's the same with mind training.

"Intellectuals are divided into two categories: some worship the intellect, others use it."
Gilbert Chesterton

The main enemies of intelligence are:

In general, this is a serious enemy of all that is good: several normal channels and a small particle of useful transmissions are lost in tons of garbage.

In general, exclude him from your life - you can watch a film or program on the Internet.

Our brain needs 8 hours of sleep - none of the doctors has yet refuted this truth.

Moreover, sleep is considered healthy when a person goes to bed early and gets up early.

Don't be fooled by the illusion that I sleep lightly for a couple of hours a night 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 meats, I’m already silent, about nasty things like chips and poisonous lemonades in plastic bottles are absolutely useless for your brains.

They need fatty fish, cereals, a lot of vegetables and fruits, nuts, dried fruits, greens.

physical passivity.

Firstly, exercises increase brain productivity (this is a scientifically proven fact), and secondly, these swollen, soft-bodied intellectuals and faded shapeless intellectuals are already tired of them.

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”, “So reluctant to read, I’d better watch TV”, “Too lazy to go to foreign language courses, better at home lie down”, etc.

How to develop intelligence: 5 easy ways

Increasing your intellectual abilities is much easier than you think.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money, you don’t need to drink any medicines, you don’t have to exhaust yourself with long workouts.

You can increase your intelligence with:

Read as much as possible: both specialized literature, and scientific, and memoirs, and biographies, and fiction.

So you will accumulate enough knowledge to be able to keep up the conversation in any society.

But love novels and primitive detective stories from modern series, hand over today to waste paper.

Firstly, such knowledge will always come in handy, for example, when traveling abroad.

Secondly, the study of foreign words perfectly trains the brain and improves their abilities.

In addition, knowing 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 concentration.

The earlier a child gets acquainted with educational games, the better for him, however, this technique is also effective for adults.

Exact sciences.

Alas and ah, the humanities, but it is mathematics, physics and other exact sciences that are capable of increase intelligence.

If it's too late for you to get higher education or you are quite satisfied with your profession and do not want to change it, then do mathematics like an amateur: solve problems, go to a specialized circle.

Do you know how to measure your level of intelligence?

Did you take an IQ test at school/university/when applying for a job?

Or do you think that all this is complete nonsense? Let's figure it out!

Let's watch the video:

large quantity useful information everyday.

Your brain must constantly work and be in an active state.

Don't let it atrophy and overgrow with weeds.

Then these thickets will be difficult to uproot.

Useful article? Don't miss out on new ones!
Enter your e-mail and receive new articles by mail

Only a schoolboy is afraid of being considered too smart (what if they start teasing you as a nerd?). Adults understand: there is never too much intelligence.

If there were a magic wand that could instantly improve thinking and pump erudition, it would instantly become a bestseller.

Is it possible to develop intelligence in adulthood?

There is an opinion that it is necessary to “get smarter” in youth: they say, exchanging the third dozen, a person reaches his ceiling; then there is only one task left - to hold on to the occupied positions.

This view was shared even by scientists in the recent past.

Previously, theorists and researchers had argued that intellectual ability peaked around the age of 20, however, it is now clear that this conclusion is based on a misinterpretation of the limited research data available at the time.

Observations that were carried out in the 20th century using the longitudinal method (that is, long-term experiments) showed that after graduating from a university, a person has more than real chances to increase his own intellectual level.

“But what about physiological changes?” Readers will ask. Psychomotor reactions in a young guy are likely to be much faster than those of his grandfather.

The fact is that the efficiency of the mind not limited to biological potential nervous system.

R. Cattell and D. Horn singled out two types of intelligence - "fluid" and "crystallized". Fluid - these are basic abilities that allow you to learn new things (memorization, perception of relationships between objects, etc.). It tends to weaken with age. Crystallized intelligence - the accumulated amount of knowledge and experience - grows over the years and compensates for the declining speed of thinking.

With speed, fortunately, everything is not so primitive either.

A person who constantly practices intellectual skills, processing multifaceted information in different ways, does not become less learnable. He simultaneously manages to maintain clarity of thought and operate with the accumulated baggage of ready-made data.

Great discoveries - especially in the humanities - were made not by 20-year-olds, but by 40-50 or even 70-year-old scientists.

An inspiring example. The famous physiologist I.P. Pavlov died at the age of 86. A year before his death (!) he mentioned in a letter to I.M. Maikov: “Until now, I do not allow changes in the distribution and size of my studies.” Even in the last hours of his life, the academician managed to surprise his colleagues. Already forgetting the words, he excitedly repeated: “Excuse me, but this is the bark, this is the bark, this is the swelling of the cortex!” As it turned out later, the diagnosis was absolutely correct.

Some people think they keep their intelligence working. However, many types of mental work are associated with the performance of the same type of operations, which, moreover, is gradually brought to automatism.

To develop the mind, it is necessary to use intellectual capabilities to the maximum - for example, by doing self-study.

"Intellectual" exercises

I do not want to disappoint readers who opened the page in search of special exercises for the development of intelligence. Such puzzles exist, they are released in whole books.

Here are examples from a popular book Tom Woodjack "Mind Training"(published in 2011).

In the chapter about practice with words Woodjack recommends reading:

• phrases in which the letters are written in reverse order;
• statements written without spaces;
• sentences from a literary text - and then, without looking, repeat them in order from last word to the first;
• printed text on a flipped sheet.

• “Alphabetical order”: for a while, write down as many words as possible in which the letters coincide with the alphabetic “direction” (beam - “l” comes before “y”, and “y” - before “h”);
• “Through letter”: name the letter and come up with what it should be in a row; quickly recall the maximum number of suitable words (“sh”, the third from the beginning: cat, cup, tails, etc.);
• "Duplets": take two words with the same number of letters and build a chain from one to the other, replacing one of the letters in each link and using only nouns in the nominative case, singular (turn "goat" into "cake": goat - bark - court - cake; try to catch the "fish" in the "net" yourself or turn the "pen" into "ink");
• "Anagrams": make words only by rearranging the letters (it's better to play with ready-made sources - murmur, bug, mouse, carriage, ash, herd).

To develop mathematical abilities, Wujek suggests performing exercises with numbers- pronounce number sequences:

• from 1 to 100 and from 100 to 1;
• increasing or decreasing by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9;
• with increasing and decreasing in turn - for example, by 2: 2 - 100, 4 - 98, 6 - 96, 8 - 94, etc.

I advise you to look for more games in the book "Develop the intellect: exercises for development, memory, quick wit and intelligence" (K. Philip, Moscow, Astrel, 2003). It is inconvenient to retell fragments from it, since many tasks will be incomprehensible without illustrations.

All this is very exciting and great, but, frankly, I doubt that you will become a giant of thought only due to such exercises. More serious loads are also needed - for example, self-study.

Learn, learn and learn

Take an online math course or just work through a high school math textbook and you'll improve your corresponding thinking much more than when counting from one to a hundred and back. Likewise with other areas of knowledge that matter to you. There will be materials (see), there would be the right attitude.

If you want to become more intelligent in general and improve your memory, learn some language on your own; it really helps. The Scottish scientist Thomas Buck conducted a study using the same longitudinal method that I mentioned at the beginning of the article. Dr. Buck determined the IQ level of a group of people, first in 1947 (the participants in the experiment were 11 years old), then in 2008-2010 (“Learning a second language in adulthood can slow brain aging”, “The Telegraph”, 06/2/2014).

It turned out that by the age of seventy, people who studied any foreign language usually remained in good intellectual shape. One caveat: the effect was noted when knowledge was acquired not for the sake of knowledge, but for active application, and did not lie in memory as a dead weight.

Give preference to the language in which you intend to communicate at least sometimes, read, listen to programs, watch movies.

Here you will find practical advice self-study English:

No energy for regular classes? All right, play - in the evenings in doublets and anagrams, and on weekends - in "What? Where? When?" or "Once smart people". In "Reasonable People" and "CHGK" it is not so much rich erudition that leads to success as flexibility of thinking.

Physical education for the mind

Physical activity, it turns out, is very conducive to intellectual.

A.F. Akhmetshina, N.P. Gerasimov (Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev, Naberezhnye Chelny branch, article “Relationship of physical culture and sports with the development of intelligence”, conference materials “ Contemporary Issues physical culture and sports: retrospective, reality and future”) write that exercise has an impact for development:

• attention;
• observation;
• speed of thought, etc.

Helps improve cognitive skills good health(problems with the blood supply to the brain, which occur in many diseases, greatly complicate the thought processes). This time.

Intense movement requires both muscle tension and intellectual effort. This is two.

And what, the more you train, the better? No.

In the article "The influence of physical exercises on the body and intellectual abilities of a person" (E.N. Kurganova, I.V. Panina, Orlovsky State University named after I.S. Turgenev, materials "Science-2020") we read:

Proved interesting fact that the connection is established only between the intellect and the general indicator of the physical form of a person. With sports achievements, exhausting workouts, leading to overwork, this is not connected. Mental and cognitive abilities are developed to a greater extent in a person who regularly engages in physical exercises, but does not set himself the goal of achieving high sports results.

The body's resources are limited. Too intense training does not tone up, but exhausts.

How to increase erudition?

Since you have decided to increase the level of intelligence, think at the same time how to develop your horizons. An adult is constantly harassed by business, but if desired, he will be able to set aside half an hour a day for cognitive rest.

Read popular science books and science news. See documentaries- it is easy to assimilate information from them due to a combination of visual and auditory perception. Do not get hung up on hunting for purely factual information: fresh emotions also teach a person to think more broadly - for example, those that classical music gives (see?)

But - important advice- grow in areas that are for you interesting and/or useful.

Grabbing everything at once is pointless: to become a real polymath in the 21st century, you have to literally live in books for twenty-four hours a day. And in the end it turns out that Yandex and Google are still an order of magnitude smarter than you.

tweet

plus

send

It is impossible to become smarter in an instant. Being smart is a way of life constant search and overcoming yourself. This is a rather difficult, but at the same time pleasant path. And you can choose how to start it.

1. Exercise Regularly

This improves blood flow and oxygenates the brain, while good physical condition contributes to good mental health. Choose a program that is comfortable for your age and physical abilities. The main thing here is regularity.

2. Make sure you get enough sleep

Numerous studies have shown that sleep deprivation reduces concentration, short-term and long-term memory, problem solving speed, visual and hearing acuity, and slows reaction times. Especially for maintaining good mental health, the right combination of deep and REM sleep is important. Here again, physical exercises from Lifehacker will help you.

3. Eat a healthy, balanced diet

Your brain needs a certain amount of nutrients to optimal performance. Diversify your usual menu to get enough vitamins, amino acids and carbohydrates. You don't have to buy supplements for this! We wrote earlier.

4. If you smoke - stop!

5. Reduce your alcohol intake

Alcohol in small amounts, especially when combined with socializing, may be beneficial for some brain functions. But excessive use can lead to acute and chronic impairment of its activity and cause irreversible cognitive impairment.

6. Learn new things regularly

Learn something new, such as foreign languages, playing musical instruments. Learn something you've always wanted to try! This contributes to the plasticity and flexibility of the brain. Learning math is a great exercise in logic and abstract thinking, and it improves concentration, mental stamina, and is guaranteed to raise your IQ by a few points. Use to learn something new.

7. Maintain friendships with smart and educated people

Make regular meetings with them and discuss a wide range of issues - complex intellectual discussions will give you new ideas and perspectives. You will understand how smart people think and express themselves and what you might need to change about yourself.

If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.

Alexander Zhurba, businessman and venture investor

8. Read at least one serious book a week and diversify your reading.

It will improve vocabulary and verbal intelligence, as well as enhance your knowledge and conversational repertoire. Reading must be!

9. Play challenging PC games

Shooters and racing at best develop reaction speed, but do not give you mental stimulation. Choose a game that involves complex rules, strategy, and requires certain mental skills. These are, for example, puzzle games Braid and Portal.

In multiplayer online games, Eve-online has, perhaps, the highest entry threshold.

10. Let go of limiting beliefs about your own intelligence.

Many truly qualified people tend to underestimate their abilities and suffer from a lack of self-confidence. Often the opinions of parents, overly critical (or even incompetent) teachers matter more than the stubborn facts of your success. Believe in yourself and start living a full life!