To want to know how to become more intelligent?

[ethelfleda]

This question probably makes me sound stupid to begin with!
But I revere intelligence! I’m always incredibly impressed with intelligence in other people and it’d be more important to me than improving my looks, for example. I see so many posts by intelligent women on here.
I didn’t go to university. I didn’t even stay on to complete A-Levels - something I feel a little ashamed of at times. I can’t really go back and study at this point in my life. So what small things can you recommend I do to increase my intelligence?
Please be kind to this thicko

What do you mean by intelligence?

A simple start would be to read the newspaper regularly

Reading a news paper doesnt make you more intelligent, just more educated.

Read. Lots and lots of reading. Good books, not Hello magazine! Start with some classic fiction, get some popular science books (I recommend A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson). Get some poetry compilations.

Find something you want to learn more about and read around the subject.

Just read!

Immerse yourself in reading - books, blogs, journals, papers, websites etc on all sorts and everything! Read about history, art, science, health, flora and fauna - everything and anything
Take part in different clubs, hobbies and activities to broaden skills and experiences.

Are you sure A-levels aren’t an option?

I know a couple of people who’ve done Open University courses for fun - basically distance learning (mostly) their way to a degree.
Have you looked into distance learning options for A-levels? You’d have to sit any exams at an official exam centre, but you could do most of the actual studying at home.

Do you want to be more intelligent or do you want to be more knowledgeable? They're two different things.

Well, you can’t become more intelligent (you get what you get in the way of cognitive potential, give or take environmental factors like drinking too much, or stress, which can affect cognitive performance). But you can become a lot more informed. Read. Get a list of classics and modern classics and read them. Read history books, popular science and economics publications (Nature/the Economist), philosophy books etc. Watch quality news programmes and documentaries.

True @bruffin but being educated does wonders for confidence in being able to understand, take part and participate in life's many areas. It makes me feel more intelligent being more knowledgeable.

What sort of things impress you about intelligent people? Is it the way they speak,or the knowledge they have? Is it the confidence they hold themselves with? I think you need to pinpoint what it is that you revere about them first.

There are many types of intelligence. There is a huge difference between Stephen Hawking and David Beckham etc. One academically gifted and one kinasthesically gifted. It depends what you are measuring!

I would echo read lots, go to museums, listening to radio 4 makes me feel im learning!

I think like @Bigbop you need to to think about what you mean by intelligence. My experience is that people are intelligent about things that interest them. So it's very hard to manufacture "intelligence" about topics you don't feel drawn to. So a first step might be to have a think about what interests you or what do you wish you knew more about.

Remember that qualifications are not measures of intelligence in themselves. Those who gained exam passes at school and went to university from school were just suited to the very limited way in which formal education works. This doesn't work for many many people.

More and more research is showing that learning throughout your life has massive benefits. It really is never too late.

I’ve signed up to openlearn and have completed loads of the free courses on there
I also have a subscription to Great courses plus and watch lectures when I can. I love listening to lectures - loads of topics interest me - Art history, evolution, social science, literature, horticulture ( I could go on) and while I do find learning these subjects fascinating, what I find so impressive about intelligent people is the ability to create logical arguments or modify their behaviour in a way to make them more successful, or just be very interesting to talk to!

Intelligence and education are not the same. You need to be reasonably intelligent to reach a high level of education but there are intelligent people who are not well informed.

You can read more, listen to discussion programmes on the radio, watch Ted talks etc

Also - I am fascinated by this being one thing that doesn’t have to ‘grow old’ iyswim
Looks fade- but your brain doesn’t have to (bar any degenerative disease of course)

In you are interested in constructing arguments etc. maybe consider a philosophy course?

Unfortunately there is nothing anyone can do to increase their IQ.
However there's loads you can do to improve your general knowledge. You can read books, watch documentaries and the OU (you don't need to be on a ou course) .
Do your local museums do talks/lectures?
Also just because you left school early doesn't mean that you are not intelligent just that life didn't allow you to continue at school

I think being able to talk eloquently about what you know is a very specific skill. I am well educated and know a lot about many subjects but sometimes struggle to talk about my knowledge. I can write it down in a essay no bother but sometimes the words just don't come. I really envy people who can talk about what they know and engage people.

Start with what you enjoy. People tend to be knowledgable (perceived as intelligent) about their passion. I love a bit of Wikipedia surfing - start with a subject and follow the links of anything that grabs your interest. There’s also podcasts which can be great when you find one that engages you.

There are loads of free online courses and learning resources available if you think you want to try to be a bit more structured about it.

Have a look at honing your critical thinking skills too. Learn how to delve deeper into information presented to you instead of accepting a piece of information as cut and dried. If you’re asking questions your learning more.

I agree to keep up with the news. Look up anything you don’t understand (do the same with words you come across - thesauruses are great for expanding your vocabulary too).

I know a lot of very intelligent people. Some are cruel and use their logic to hurt and wound. Some are rubbish company as they have zero sense of humour.

Be knowledgeable, know yourself, don't be an arse, listen to and care about people and your non verbal reasoning score fades into unimportance.

Question everything. If you read something you don't fully understand, look it up. Train yourself to think critically - if you read an opinion in a newspaper (say) don't take it at face value - think about it and ask yourself whether it is reasonable - how else could events be interpreted? If trying to decide something or work out a problem, don't let your mind be constrained by obvious solutions - let your brain go, and explore even things that may seem wildly improbable.

I would start with listening to podcasts - science, news, lifestyle topics each time you drive somewhere.
They are incredibly interesting and you can change between different subjects until you find something for you. It’s free.

Then download an app like Blinkist - the free version. You get a free daily non-fiction ebook ( 15 minute summary of it) which you can either listen to or read.

Watch documentaries- set yourself a goal for example two a week to start with , look for something that actually interests you. You might find that you discover interest in completely new subjects.

Find one newspaper ( online copy) that is comfortable for you to read ( they all have different styles) and spend 15 minutes in the morning reading a few articles that interest you. It’s not about absorbing all the headlines - it’s better to digest one or two subjects in depth and reflect on the views raised and what your own opinion on the matter is. It stimulates thinking.

Listening to Ted talks is also great and really entertaining. And free.

If you discover a subject that really interests you , go and do a you tube search on it- thousands of free materials to enhance your knowledge.

Talk to people who have different opinions to you and debate subjects. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and look for alternatives.

I know general knowledge is not the same as intelligence. But the more you stimulate your brain to think the more ‘intelligent’ you might feel you become , it’s like physical exercise but for your mind.

DDIJ
I am a lawyer and we are trained in constructing arguments. People who write marketing or funding pitches will have been trained, as will politicians and academics. Either actively trained or trained through practice. It is a skill.

Read. Read a range of newspapers- not just one. Read opinion sections, leader bits and general articles. Read different themed sections.
It's Sunday, get the Observer and the Sunday Telegraph. Find a nice spot to sit with a cuppa.

The key is to choose a subject you are genuinely interested in. Then it isn’t a chore.
And read as much as possible.
Most of the people you call intelligent will have studied one subject at university.
I took a business degree years ago when I was interested in that but now I’m interested in nutrition. So I read about diet, for athletes, for children, to avoid bone thinning or obesity, during pregnancy. I read the backs of food packets and learn what we’re really eating.
But mostly just find something you enjoy reading about. It’s never too late to learn.

I think you can become more intelligent because studies show that training your brain can improve your intelligence. Here are my tips:

1. Learn a new language
2. Learn a new sport
3. Read more books
4. Learn a musical instrument and practice regularly
5. Puzzles sudokus and crosswords
6. Sleep excercise and eat healthy

The key is trying new things and challenging yourself!