What does make smart people actually "smart"?

Intelligence has been defined –during centuries- in many ways, it is one of the hardest topics to define due to its divergence and the multitude of its components, the most acceptable definition: the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving.

Generally, it can be described as the ability to perceive or infer information, and to retain it as knowledge to be applied towards adaptive behaviors within an environment or context.

As the quality of having intelligence is being intelligent or smart, a lot of people may find discussing this specific topic uneasy, the reason behind that is the widespread conviction that Intelligence is something you are born with and so you have nothing to do to influence it.

Well the fortunate news is intelligence has a fair part to do with genetics, but the huge influence comes from the environment: home, education system and society have a significant effect as well as your wellness to improve it.

Some people are born “smart”, but the real smart people do daily rituals to maintain their gift. Whether they do it in school, work, business, the arts, or a different field, they push and challenge themselves daily. To be smart is helpful, but it doesn't occur overnight, thus if you want to sharpen your mind and become smarter, you have to create habits that will polish your intelligence and nourish your brain.

Without further so, here are some habits that would assist you becoming your smartest self:

 Learn how to question everything

One of the biggest mistakes that will curb your mind is taking for certain most of –if not all- the information given to you, don't assume anything or subscribe thoughtlessly to the “straight” information. Keep always your eyes and mind wide open and critical.

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance at all, but the delusion of having always the correct knowledge, thus questioning and curiosity are the real path to defeat this enemy.

Everything you incorporate is either elevating or damaging your mind. Thus the importance to curb incoming negativity, once you master the art of questioning for the truth, you begin to major play a role in shaping your mindsets and beliefs, which in turn guide your actions and impacts your general intelligence.

Hang out with smarter people

 

“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room”. Keep befriending people that are “allegedly” smarter than you, smart people have usually interesting topics to talk about and different perspective of analyzing situations.

They have learned how to expand their mind, to keep it open and critical, and how to nourish their brain, consequently spending time with these people is beneficial for you on multiple levels. Where can you find them? Well, they are already around you in the house, at work and other places, spend time with people and you will see.

Keep in mind that smart people tend to have fewer friends than the average, usually they have friends that present a tendency for learning and knowledge, the smarter you are, the more selective you become. who you spend time with reflects significantly who you are.

Motivate yourself

Learning and acquiring new habits can become kind of boring or exhausting, thus you have to find a topic that keeps you interested and probe in. As you can remark it's much easier to stay engaged with a topic you find interesting.

You can apply this rule on your methods; find a format that excites your mind, whether it's a radio podcast or a newspaper, keep feeding your mind well with things you enjoy the most.

Star reading right now and stay famished for knowledge

Due to our modern lifestyle and the “overrun” of our daily time by the Social Media, futile app mobiles and unworthy news, shows and so on, reading books has become less and less popular as a pastime.

If you start the habit of reading several pages of a book per day –even one page per day, the wealth of knowledge that you will find yourself with every is priceless. Make reading your rollercoaster to intelligence, but true reading; not just checking some sentences on the internet.

When life gives you whatever opportunity to learn, seize it immediately. Make a point of incessantly acquiring different skills, because life will never stop teaching if you are truthfully willing to learn.

Be creative and innovative

Creativity and innovation constitute the angular stone of intelligence, to be innovative means making new path and unusual solutions to modern problems, most importantly keeping behind the fear of being wrong.

Even daily things, you can be inventive and experimental, you must let your brain function outside its usual borders, take risks, make these feared mistakes, and also have fun instead of marching through the same exhausted routine. Challenge your mind and let your imagination and creativity change the world.

Hold always a journal to note down ideas when they come to your head, doing that will push yourself to be creative each day and to think in new ways. Review these fresh ideas daily or weekly and edit them as much as you go.

Don’t forget to exercise your body

“Mens sana in corpore sano” is an ancient Latin phrase, translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body".

As you are now caring for your mind and the ways to make it smarter, don't neglect your body, follow a healthy discipline in doing what you have to do in terms of diet, exercise, and –of course- sleep.

You can learn online too

Internet is a double-edged sword; it can devastate your time and your brain or make you the smartest ever being; dedicate your break time to something more creative than social media or watching futile TV shows.

The internet is overflowing with awesome learning tools. Even if it seems strange but it is a big win if you can nourish your brain and advance your career , your life and your intelligence at the same time.