How do you become more intelligent?

[KungPoweChicken]

For the purpose of this question, let's assume that intelligence is synonymous with knowledge. So what does it take? What should every intelligent person know as a baseline? I'd like to stay away from things like "making a conscious effort into converting learned facts into long term memory" and "paying attention more in the moment" as those I find are abstract ideals. What are the most pertinent things to know to be intelligent? How do you learn them? And how do you keep learning them?

[BballTim]

  I've always felt that knowledge and intelligence were two different things. I think that inventiveness and strong problem solving skills are signs of intelligence, more what you're able to do with the knowledge that you have than just having the knowledge in the first place.

[fairweatherfan]

Start by dropping your first sentence.  As Socrates famously said, "I know one thing: that I know nothing".  One of the common characteristics of intelligent people is that they are more aware of how many things they don't know than less intelligent people.  Look up the Dunning-Kruger effect for some background on this idea.

Intelligence is more about how you think than how many pieces of information your have.  Look at the assumptions behind basic ideas, even things like words.  Finding the structure behind the information you know will make it easier to learn and make sense of new information.  And then never stop looking for things to learn about.  There's a lot more to it than this but it's a decent start.

[jojowhite10]

I have struggled with this question.

I went to a school that is considered by some to be "prestigious". When you go to a place like this you find that almost everyone is a very bright person. I had many qualms about opening up and showing what I had to offer, as I was worried they would not be impressed or I would come to find out I was not as smart as I'd thought.

As I matured I realized that if you are confident in who you are, and know that you are capable of doing the things you love, then it is about being comfortable in your own skin and not worrying about what others think.

There's nothing to "know" that will make you more intelligent. Being intelligent is interpreting the things you have experienced in life and having a clear view of what you are living through.

[ManUp]

The way I see it, intelligence is measured by the speed someone is able to learn, understand, and apply new information/knowledge. Some people are faster than others. A genius isn't a genius because of what he/she knows, more of because how quickly he learns. His do you get smarter? Challenge and user your mind more. Being knowledgeable in certain area doesn't necessarily make you intelligent.

[banty19]

I think pure intelligence is mostly genetic. However, you can definitely maximize what you have by eating right, sleeping right, exercising, minimizing stress, etc. There's definitely a big physiological component to reaching your full potential.

You can also exercise your brain. Reading, writing, puzzles, etc. Worst case, you'll likely gain some knowledge or some new skills. Best case, it might make you a little smarter.

[elcotte]

by learning.

[democritic]

I think intelligence and knowledge are different things, but in either case, the best thing you can do is learn how you learn.

Develop critical thinking skills and have an understanding of what it is to learn something and how you do it, and you can foster intelligence and gain knowledge in any situation.

The rest is just being serious, working hard, and applying what you know whenever you have the chance.

[oldmanspeaks]

I use to work with and manage some of the smartest people on the planet. However intelligence is really about thinking quickly. I have a high IQ because I think very quickly and therefore can solve problems the same way. However success in one's field is more related in the ability to do scenarios. If you focus on solving a problem you seldom accomplish much. If you focus on the alternatives and redefining the question, you make much more of an impact. All of the times that people that I was intelligent it was because I figured out what the real problem was and not the problem as stated. If you want to be more intelligent, create many scenarios for any situation. Then figure out which one gives the best chance for overall success. When you see a lightbulb, don't think light-Think resistor, heat source, security, injury avoidance system,cullet source, etc,etc, etc,etc, etc

[KJR]

intelligence is the ability to take in and make effective use of information

some things that help: being interested in everything; keeping an open mind; questioning your assumptions; being analytical (i.e. breaking things down), developing mental structures to organize information; using these structures as a lens to view complex problems; free associating the information you have to create something new

don't just ingest information (books, art, music): stop and think about it: why did Damien Hirst put a golden calf in formaldehyde?  how much oxygen does a tree produce in a year?  is the fact that Pre-Civil War states could bar free blacks from entering their territories useful precedent in deciding the Arizona immigration law?  for extra credit, by how many IQ points is Justice Breyer smarter than the unassimilated guy from Queens (that would be Scalia)?  why does Keats equate happiness with a Nightingale?

people who study the field often speak of multiple intelligences, to describe people who have talent processing different types of information: some people are geniuses at human perception (Dostoyevsky); others are great at spatial relationships (Frank Lloyd Wright)

almost everyone has a talent or intelligence for a certain type of information: rather than focusing on a talent you don't have (chess), I'd derive joy from a talent that you do (human empathy, art, music, teaching, etc.)

don't confuse the certainty with which a person is speaking with intelligence; it is usually the opposite (present company excepted)

[clover]

For the purpose of this question, let's assume that intelligence is synonymous with knowledge. So what does it take? What should every intelligent person know as a baseline? I'd like to stay away from things like "making a conscious effort into converting learned facts into long term memory" and "paying attention more in the moment" as those I find are abstract ideals. What are the most pertinent things to know to be intelligent? How do you learn them? And how do you keep learning them?

Poor assumption at the start, as others have noted.  Intelligence apparently is largely innate, though it can be boosted or hindered somewhat by early environment, particularly. 

Therefore, an adult's proactive efforts toward immersion and study may still increase intelligence somewhat.  To a greater degree, however, such efforts influence how much one maximizes the intelligence one has.  American culture tends to downplay this dynamic, but here is likely the secret which you seek.

Consider how and in what context you would like to be able to apply greater intelligence, then concentrate your studies there.  The more you learn in what matters to you, the greater the return on your intelligence that you will realize.

[Kane3387]

by learning.

Read more and then reflect on what you are reading?

[jarufu]

I always thought alcohol made me much cleverer . .

[BballTim]

I think pure intelligence is mostly genetic. However, you can definitely maximize what you have by eating right, sleeping right, exercising, minimizing stress, etc. There's definitely a big physiological component to reaching your full potential.

You can also exercise your brain. Reading, writing, puzzles, etc. Worst case, you'll likely gain some knowledge or some new skills. Best case, it might make you a little smarter.

  Yes, you're born with a certain amount of intelligence, but it's more like speed than height. You can get in shape, refine your technique and practice and get somewhat (but not tremendously) faster, but you really can't do much to get taller.

[KungPoweChicken]

There are some good points here. I agree that intelligence is largely genetic. And intelligence and knowledge are different things: agreed. If one were to seek gaining more knowledge, however, what would be the most pertinent knowledge to learn? There's such a wealth of information in the world, it is such an overwhelming task of setting out to become "more knowledgeable." Where do you start? What are the things every "knowledgeable citizen" should know? I know that is vague, but I'm sure such a criteria could be reached upon. If you asked thirty random people to point to Burma on the globe, probably half of them wouldn't be able to do it. Does knowing where Burma is encapsulate what knowledge is all about? No. But I think being knowledgeable is about having information on a little bit of everything. Maybe I'm over thinking it. Maybe being knowledgeable is simply studying what we all learned in school: math, science, and history. But, in a way, I am wondering what's the best way to expedite this process? We all studied this stuff in school, yet most of us don't know where Crete is on a map. Or maybe that doesn't even matter?