To increase the level of education and erudition. How to increase erudition, increase general erudition

Do we need erudition? Controversies and discussions around the answer to this question continue today.

One side of the participants is sure that erudition is something like an eccentric hobby, which can roughly be called “I want to know everything!” Those who fall into the arms of this hobby strive to constantly expand the horizons of their knowledge and, like true bibliophages, indiscriminately “devour” all the books that come to their hands. Some people collect badges or stamps, while scholars hunt for new knowledge and endlessly search for new ways to increase their erudition.

So, the answer of the first group to the question of whether erudition is needed is rather negative. They consider erudites merely carriers of excess knowledge, and not at all smart people capable of generating new things, making scientific discoveries and providing technological breakthroughs.

The second group responds to their opponents with the famous phrase “ If you don't like education, then try ignorance!" And they give a lot of examples where ignorance really is prohibitively expensive:

• a doctor who failed to make the necessary diagnosis in a timely manner,
• a history or literature teacher whose knowledge is limited to a school textbook,
• a lawyer with little understanding of the legal framework,
• psychologist making diagnoses “over the phone”...

Behind each such case there is often not only a lack of professionalism, but also a low level of general education, leading to the inability to critically assess the situation and select adequate tools for analysis and correction.

Actually, erudition in the original sense of the word meant “ beyond ignorance or rudeness" (ex-ruide). In other words, the possession of such a breadth of knowledge that does not allow for primitive and naive explanations of the structure of the world. This means it contributes to the development of a special mindset!

An erudite has a critical view of the world

Increased erudition leads to expanded knowledge in a variety of areas and scientific disciplines, which in itself is already useful for any person focused on mental development and personal growth. But there is another unique consequence of developed erudition: collecting knowledge from different sources allows them to be compared with each other, contrasted and critically evaluated.

Today, such a critical view of the world is more useful than ever. The barrage of information that bombards us every day gradually makes us tolerant of its falsity. We don’t have time to check it and “swallow it,” suppressing doubts about its reliability.

Erudite individuals evaluate information completely differently. For example, by comparing how the same fact (for example, a historical event) is described in different sources, they easily discover inconsistencies and contradictions. Thus, their “excessive” knowledge of history helps them promptly discard information that is written with insufficient scientific conscientiousness.

Erudites look at the elephant from different angles

In the Bonn Science Center, inside the park area, there is a sculpture symbolizing scientific objectivity - an elephant, which is being touched from different sides by 4 blind men. One touches the elephant’s leg, the second touches the trunk, the third touches the tail, and the fourth runs his hand over the elephant’s body. This sculpture is an illustration of the famous parable about the dispute between four blind men about what an elephant looks like, where each of them repeated what they touched:

« An elephant is a wide pillar!»

"WITH the womb is a thick flexible hose!»

« An elephant is a small rope!»

« An elephant is a rough wall!»

And only if you put all four images together, you can understand what an elephant is. And it is the erudites who do this better than others.

Or another example. How do you answer the question about consciousness? If you do not use this term as a professional, then most likely you will simply say that this is how a person differs from an animal. You may be using words like " thinking», « understanding" And " awareness”, as close in meaning or even synonyms.

But professionals will answer the same question differently. The philosopher will note that consciousness can be public and personal. The doctor will tell you that you can lose consciousness or remain unconscious. The lawyer will point out that it is important to consider whether the suspect has reached the age of consent. A psychologist will connect the conscious and unconscious.

A polymath is usually able to consider the category of consciousness from all these points of view.

With Vikium you can increase your erudition online"

How to increase general erudition

So, if you set this goal for yourself, then take the following recommendations into account.

1. Learn and learn new words

At school and college, you learned new terms almost every day, became familiar with scientific concepts and categories, and considered them in the context of a specific theory or technology. Along with the end of training, the flow of new words-symbols into your consciousness also stopped. You are always in the same semiotic space, not giving your brain a reason to form new neural connections, and therefore to develop your intellect.

By themselves, learned new words do not automatically make a person an erudite., but after the new concept stretches a whole chain of their family ties. These connections restructure your understanding of the world. The more such connections there are, the more actively the cognitive simplicity of thinking is replaced by cognitive complexity.

What specific actions are behind this advice:

• Challenge yourself to learn and memorize 3 new words every week.. And not just memorize, but use them in your oral and written speech.
• Look for and learn words that mean different actions in different areas of knowledge, such as building reconstruction and event reconstruction. When you encounter an unfamiliar word, take the time to look up its meaning in the dictionary. Try to first understand for yourself what it means, and only then check the correctness of your reasoning or guesses.
• Read technical and scientific literature and strive not only to understand what this or that new term means, but also what other concepts and categories it is associated with.

1. Expand your thesaurus

Thesaurus is your individual vocabulary. It can be increased through the practice of using synonyms in your speech. Synonyms are words that sound different but have the same meaning (examples: discover and find, explore and study). Using synonyms, you can diversify your speech.

In addition, synonyms often mean the same thing only to an unprepared person, but an erudite will easily explain to you the difference, for example, between:

• rock and mountain,
• typhoon and tsunami,
• meaning and significance.

1. Read analytical articles and critical reviews

Such reading will allow you to compare your understanding of a particular issue with the comments of competent specialists.

As a result, you will get three points of view:

• stated in the original source,
• a specialist who understands this issue,
• your own.

Reviews of a critical nature are especially useful, as they will help you see the weak points in the logic of the author of the work being analyzed, and compare the two points of view yourself. This activity transforms reading from passive consumption of information into mental work, which is called comparative analysis.

1. Visit special sites to increase your erudition

Of course, we are talking about sites designed for professionals. There you will not only be able to expand your knowledge, but also practice in order to develop the mental skills of an erudite:

• constructing an objective picture of the world,
• critical thinking,
• comparative analysis.

1. Write more than ordinary people

Start writing texts on a specific topic. But not everyday or popular, but scientific or philosophical and artistic. Written speech allows you to structure thoughts and arrange them in a certain logic.

The written text is a reflection of your consciousness, so it will be easier for you to determine what you are strong enough and good at, and what still remains a zone of your immediate development.

1. Read as much as possible!

And let these not just be books with entertaining plots. Read descriptions of scientific experiments, philosophical discussions, serious fiction.

No matter how various merry fellows make fun of erudites, and no matter how disdainfully snobs speak of them, erudites always remain in demand both in a work environment and in moments of relaxation.

It is not for nothing that one of the most important roles in a management team or project group is called “expert” - a bearer of versatile knowledge, well-versed in a variety of areas and therefore able to tell where exactly to look for answers to complex questions that arise on the way to the team goal.

Self-development

Is it possible to develop intelligence? Neuroscientists have long answered this question in the affirmative. Your brain is plastic and has the ability to physically change depending on what you do. And even the smartest person has something to strive for. So don't waste your time! We've collected tips and exercises from our books to help you become even smarter.

1. Solve logic puzzles

You will find fascinating tasks for training logical thinking in the book by popular blogger Dmitry Chernyshev “What to do in the evening with your family at the dacha without the Internet.” Here are a few of them:

Answer:

This is a type of credit card. Notches about the borrowed goods were made simultaneously on both sticks. One was kept by the buyer, the other by the seller. This excluded fraud. When the debt was repaid, the sticks were destroyed.

Answer:

This is Morrison's shelter to protect people during bombing. Not everyone had basements in which to hide. For poor households, the device was free. 500,000 of these shelters were built by the end of 1941 and another 100,000 in 1943, when the Germans began using V-1 rockets. The shelter justified itself. According to statistics, in 44 houses equipped with such shelters that were heavily bombed, only three out of 136 residents died. Another 13 people were seriously injured and 16 were slightly injured.

Answer:

Look again at the condition of the task: there was no task to “continue the sequence.” If 1 = 5, then 5 = 1.

2. Train your memory

Until now, you have been trying to guess the number by choosing the average. This is an ideal strategy for a game in which the number was chosen at random. But in our case, the number was not chosen in random order. We have deliberately chosen a number that will be difficult for you to find. The main lesson of game theory is that you need to put yourself in the shoes of the other player. We put ourselves in your shoes and assumed that you would first name the number 50, then 25, then 37 and 42.

What would be your final guess? Is this number 49? Congratulations! Yourself, not you. You've fallen into the trap again! We guessed the number 48. In fact, all these discussions about the average number from the interval were aimed precisely at misleading you. We wanted you to choose the number 49.

The point of our game is not to show you how cunning we are, but to clearly illustrate what exactly makes any situation a game: you must take into account the goals and strategies of other players.

5. Do math

Lomonosov believed that mathematics puts the mind in order. And indeed it is. One of the ways to develop intelligence is to make friends with the world of numbers, graphs and formulas. If you want to try this method, the book "Beauty Squared" will help you, where the most complex concepts are described in a simple and fun way. A short excerpt from there:

“In 1611, the astronomer Johannes Kepler decided to find himself a wife. The process did not start very well: he rejected the first three candidates. Kepler would have taken a fourth wife if he had not seen the fifth, who seemed “modest, thrifty and capable of loving adopted children.” But the scientist behaved so indecisively that he met with several more women who did not interest him. Then he finally married the fifth candidate.

According to the mathematical theory of “optimal stopping,” in order to make a choice, it is necessary to consider and reject 36.8 percent of possible options. And then stop at the first one, which turns out to be better than all the rejected ones.

Kepler had 11 dates. But he could meet with four women, and then propose to the first of the remaining candidates that he liked more than those whom he had already seen. In other words, he would immediately choose the fifth woman and save himself from six unsuccessful meetings. The theory of “optimal stopping” is also applicable in other areas: medicine, energy, zoology, economics, etc.”

6. Learn to play a musical instrument

Psychologist, author of the book “We Are the Music” Victoria Williamson says that the Mozart effect is just a myth. Listening to classical music will not improve your IQ. But if you take up music yourself, you will help your brain work better. This is confirmed by the following experiment:

“Glenn Schellenberg has conducted a number of detailed analyzes of the relationship between music lessons and IQ in children. In 2004, he randomly assigned 144 six-year-old children from Toronto to four groups: the first group received keyboard lessons, the second group received singing lessons, the third group received acting classes, and the fourth group was a control group that received no additional activities. To be fair, after the study, children in the control group were offered the same activities as the others.

The training lasted 36 weeks in a designated school. All children took IQ tests during the summer holidays before these classes began and at the end of the study. Comparable age and socioeconomic status criteria were used.

After a year, a large majority of the children performed better on the IQ test, which makes sense since they were a year older. However, in the two music groups, the increase in IQ was greater than in the acting and control groups.”

7. Practice mindfulness meditation

Meditation not only helps reduce stress levels, but also helps develop memory, creativity, reaction, attention and self-control. More about this method in the book “Mindfulness”. Advice from it:

“Have you noticed that the older you get, the faster time passes? The reason is that with age we acquire habits, certain patterns of behavior and live on “automatic”: the autopilot guides us when we have breakfast, brush our teeth, go to work, sit down in the same chair every time... As a result, life passes past, and we feel unhappy.

Try a simple experiment. Buy some chocolate. Break off a small piece from it. Look at it as if you were seeing it for the first time. Pay attention to all the breaks, texture, smell, color. Put this piece in your mouth, but don't swallow it right away, let it slowly melt on your tongue. Try the whole bouquet of flavors. Then slowly swallow the chocolate, try to feel how it flows down the esophagus, notice the movements of the palate and tongue.

Agree, the sensations are not at all the same as if you simply ate a candy bar without thinking. Try this exercise with different foods, and then with your usual activities: be mindful at work, while walking, getting ready for bed, and so on.”

8. Learn to think outside the box

A creative approach will help you find a solution even in a situation that seems hopeless to most. book author"Rice Storm"I am sure that anyone can train creativity. First, try using Leonardo da Vinci's method:

“Leonardo da Vinci’s way of developing ideas was to close his eyes, completely relax, and scribble random lines and scribbles on a piece of paper. Then he opened his eyes and looked for images and nuances, objects and phenomena in the drawing. Many of his inventions were born from such sketches.

Here is an action plan on how you can use Leonardo da Vinci's method in your work:

Write the problem down on a piece of paper and think about it for a few minutes.

Relax. Give your intuition the opportunity to create images that reflect the current situation. You don't need to know what the drawing will look like before you draw it.

Give shape to your task by defining its boundaries. They can be of any size and take the shape you want.

Practice drawing unconsciously. Let the lines and scribbles dictate how you draw and arrange them.

If the result does not satisfy you, take another sheet of paper and make another drawing, and then another - as many as needed.

Explore your drawing. Write down the first word that comes to mind regarding each image, each squiggle, line, or structure.

Link all the words together by writing a short note. Now see how what you wrote relates to your task. Have new ideas emerged?

Be attentive to the questions that arise in your mind. For example: “What is this?”, “Where did this come from?” If you feel the need to find answers to specific questions, then you are on the right path leading to solving the problem.”

9. Learn foreign languages

According to researchers, it promotes brain development and helps maintain mental clarity even into adulthood. In the guide by polyglot Susanna Zaraiskaya you will find 90 effective tips on how to learn new foreign languages ​​easily and fun. Here are three recommendations from the book:

• Listen to songs in the language you're learning while you drive, clean your home, cook, take care of flowers, or do other things. You will become immersed in the rhythms of the language even when listening passively. The main thing is to do it regularly.

• The nonprofit Planet Read uses Bollywood music videos in its literacy program in India, subtitled in the same language. The subtitle format is the same as in karaoke, that is, the word currently being heard is highlighted. Easy access to such videos doubles the number of first-graders who master reading. And all due to the fact that viewers naturally synchronize audio and video. The way India fights illiteracy will allow you to compare what you hear with what you see.

• Who said that drama is incompatible with the table of irregular verbs? Soap operas can be a really fun way to learn a new language. The storylines are simple, and the acting is so expressive that even if you don't know all the words, you'll still be aware of what's going on just by following the characters' emotions.

10. Make up stories

This is another way to become more creative and develop flexible thinking. Don't know where to start? In the notebook “642 ideas of what to write about” you will find many tips. Your job is to continue the stories and turn them into complete stories. Here are some tasks from the book:

• You meet a girl who can close her eyes and see the entire Universe. Tell about her.

• Try to fit the whole life of a person into one sentence.

• Take an article from a recent newspaper. Write down ten words or phrases that caught your eye. Using these words, write a poem that begins: “What if...”

• Your cat dreams of world domination. She figured out how to switch bodies with you.

• Write a story that begins like this: “The weird thing started when Fred bought a house for his miniature pigs...”

• Explain to a gold miner from 1849 how email works.

• An unknown force threw you inside the computer. You need to get out.

• Choose any object on your desk (pen, pencil, eraser, etc.) and write a note of gratitude to it.

11. Get enough sleep!

Your ability to learn depends on the quality of your sleep. Interesting fact from the book “The Brain in Sleep”:

“Scientists have discovered that different stages of sleep are designed for different types of learning. For example, slow-wave sleep is important for mastering tasks involving factual memory, such as memorizing dates for a history exam. But dream-rich REM sleep is necessary for mastering what is associated with procedural memory - how something is done, including the development of new behavioral strategies.

Psychology professor Carlisle Smith says: “We spent a month cutting out blocks from which we built a maze for mice, and then for ten days we recorded their brain activity around the clock. Those mice that showed greater intelligence in running a maze also demonstrated greater brain activity in the REM sleep phase. I myself have never doubted that sleep and learning are connected, but now enough data has accumulated for others to become interested in this issue.”

12. Don't neglect physical education

Sport has a positive effect on our intellectual abilities. Here's what evolutionary biologist John Medina says about this in his book Brain Rules:

“All sorts of tests have shown that physical activity throughout life leads to amazing improvements in cognitive processes, in contrast to a sedentary lifestyle. Adherents of physical education outperformed lazy people and couch potatoes in terms of long-term memory, logic, attention, problem-solving ability, and even the so-called fluid intelligence.”

More books about the development of intelligence- .

P.S.: Subscribe to our newsletter. Once every two weeks we will send 10 of the most interesting and useful materials from the MYTH blog.

Always pay attention to what you read. It’s one thing to read articles from the Internet, and another thing to read serious fiction. Before talking about the concept of “serious literature,” we must define its concept. It is understood not as pulp novels, but when it is based on philosophy, psychology, history, when it expands the horizons of readers and is necessarily written in good language. Only these three conditions are intended to call a book serious fiction. An additional advantage is that such reading will have a beneficial effect on your oral and written speech, and this, in turn, will help develop the ability to express your thoughts coherently and correctly. Second, studies scientific literature.

Engage in what you read. Books that help you understand the world around you develop intuition and erudition, curiosity and a desire to learn even more. Explore the world not only around you, but also your inner world. Philosophy is the science of human life. Read more philosophical literature, literature on psychology.

Think and analyze more. A very effective remedy - after reading a book and seeing that you are interested in some aspect, write an essay or note on this topic. Share your knowledge with friends and colleagues, discuss. Discussions help and promote the ability to make critical conclusions based on facts, and also develop memory and logic. It is advisable that your interlocutor has a clear understanding of the subject of the conversation.

Try not to limit yourself to a narrow range of interests. Broad knowledge in various fields indicates high intellectual and spiritual development of the individual.

Train your mind more often, study foreign languages, write poetry, listen to classical music.

But we should not forget that there is no limit to perfection. Just because you learned something new doesn't mean you've become smarter. Get into the habit of thinking about new information. Be sure to put your knowledge into practice and share your impressions with people. Spend your time usefully, learn the latest news, play useful board games, take part in discussions, you will feel more knowledgeable and confident. The desire for self-improvement will certainly open up new horizons for you.

There is one simple example of how to develop erudition. The point is this: for example, you are sitting in your room. You are surrounded by some objects (TV, chest of drawers, bed, table, flowers, computer, cell phone). Try to tell about each item, who created it and when it appeared. Start, for example. from your clothes: find out where jeans came from and why they have a small pocket. If you learn about 10 things a day, then in a year you will learn about 3650 concepts. And remembering them is not so difficult. The main desire.

You can increase your erudition in many ways, but the surest way is to read a variety of books on history, philosophy, psychology, scientific and fiction literature.

Reading time: 2 min

Erudition is a concept that reflects the breadth of knowledge and multifaceted education. Developed erudition is manifested by a deep understanding of many things and finding connections between various areas of life. Erudites (those who have developed this quality at a fairly high level) are constantly engaged in expanding the range of their knowledge and deepening their existing ideas about the world. Thus, this is not only a superficial awareness of events taking place in the world and discoveries in the past and present, but also a deep understanding of these processes. We can say that an erudite is a specialist in several fields at once.

Erudition is not innate, and the level of its development depends solely on the efforts made by a person to constantly acquire new knowledge. This quality is directly related to education and has virtually no connection with the level of intellectual development.

But the concepts of education and erudition are not identical, since in relation to erudition there is a person’s internal need for constant development and overcoming his rudeness or lack of knowledge, while simply education does not provide this internal motivation. Knowledge can be obtained without, and with further choices, development stops, then erudition forces you to look for sources and opportunities to increase your level, regardless of your baggage. Erudition is an independent orientation that forces a person to engage in self-education, read books on topics of interest and go beyond the scope of training courses.

What it is

It cannot be said that some people have erudition and others do not. In this case, it is appropriate to consider the level of its development and implementation in various areas. There is an opportunity to increase the level of erudition, but the level can also decrease if you do not make additional efforts. This does not mean that once acquired knowledge will be forgotten or become irrelevant, but over time its relevance may be lost or some theory may be refuted - erudition is the ability to track dynamic changes. In addition, the level of erudition that is considered quite high for a fifth-grader will no longer be sufficient for the head of a company. Similar examples occur quite often when, after a lot of praise, a person stops engaging in his own development and remains at the same level without development.

Developed erudition arises only with the constant absorption of new information, and it should concern not only a narrow professional sphere, but also take into account aspects of many global life topics. Of course, this is a process of education, but not fixed by educational institutions and additional courses, but by a more independent contribution to what is happening. This can be expressed in reading not one, but various sources, and optimally opposing opinions. This also includes an active creative interest in other areas. So a person can study to become an architect, take language courses, read historical literature and become interested in plumbing work. His level of erudition will be significantly higher than that of an architect who has a deep understanding of his field, but does not go beyond it.

How to develop it

The development of erudition is becoming a pressing issue in modern society, since earlier emphasis was placed on highly specialized training, as a result of which an individual person is often unable to solve, and sometimes even understand, any everyday tasks that are not within his circle of competence. In addition to the global trend, the development of erudition is relevant at the individual personal level, since such a person can support almost any communication, quickly finds ways out of various life situations, and is also more creatively productive, since he can synthesize many aspects at once.

The first assistant in the development of erudition is considered to be reading a wide variety of literature in large quantities. This does not include novels of the same type that are forgotten a day after reading; we are talking about works and popular science literature that require analysis.

It is important not to devour books, trying to tick as many boxes as possible, but to read them well. There is no point in reading a hundred that cannot be remembered in a year, but one book, fully analyzed on several levels, can be more useful. The information received can be systematized, recorded, discussed with friends - the more a person interacts with new knowledge, the better and deeper it is absorbed.

Literature should be selected from different industries - this helps to expand the range of topics that are accessible to understanding. For example, books on psychology will help you understand people, and various works on physics will increase your understanding of the structure of the world.

Many books help self-research, for which you can keep a separate notebook or find suitable trainings where you can deepen your research. When faced with new information, the perception of the world changes, so an important point is to constantly correlate what you read with what your personal life is like at the moment. Not from memory, to know that some things were pleasant, while others were uninteresting, and every new time to analyze your inner world for changes. Choose scientific literature, since reading, even in large volumes of social media feeds, does not always have the desired effect. In order for Facebook and Telegram to be useful, you should carefully filter your subscriptions and monitor not only the variety of topics, but also the quality of the content.

Cinema is an excellent way to develop erudition, provided that the films are selected on a variety of topics and interesting directions. Comedies with rude humor and action films without any plot are more aimed at evoking different emotions, but historical films can break new ground. Biographical films based on real events are great. There are many short and arthouse films designed to show the unusual side of life, to reveal new facets and understandings.

How to Raise Broad Awareness

The general level of awareness is directly influenced by your social circle. The more time a person spends in contact with others, the more information he learns, and its assimilation is much easier than if he were forced to read the same facts. However, if you surround yourself only with artists, you get a set of approximately the same topics and events. Therefore, it is necessary to strive to be surrounded by various people with multifaceted interests, and of course their level of knowledge in any topic should be higher than your own.

An important point in any development is interest, and regarding erudition, it plays a paramount role. It is impossible to remember information that is both not needed for work and not interesting personally. Therefore, even when choosing a topic that is not entirely clear and interesting for study, it is worth organizing the entire process in advance in such a way as to periodically tone up passion. An interesting company that will not allow you to abandon training or a system of self-reward for achieving certain levels is perfect for this.

Choose a hobby instead of watching TV in the evening. In order for free time activities to be beneficial, you need to create a certain approach. For example, learning a language will have a greater impact on the development of general erudition if you directly communicate with people from different countries, via Skype or other programs, than just learning a dictionary. Collecting, which involves learning the history of each thing or the culture of the country where it was made, turns the accumulation of things into a developing personal process.

The facts that a person learns must be shared and discussed with friends, especially if there are disagreements and controversy arises. The brain is designed in such a way that the more we explain to others the structure of something, the more we ourselves begin to understand what we share.

It is also useful to consider any new information from different angles - this is what develops broad opportunities for knowledge. For example, having learned about the structure of a technical device, you can fill in the gaps regarding who invented it and when, and then study the biography of this person. Any new information brings with it new opportunities for study - the main thing is to notice them and criticize them.

The more critical your thinking is, the broader your horizons become. Not to take things for granted, but to look for why exactly this is so, not to learn a theorem, but to watch its proof - expands awareness and makes life more interesting.

Speaker of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"

In the age of high technology, human mental abilities are the basic foundation for success in life. The ability to quickly remember and reproduce information, erudition, competence - all these signs relate to the concept of “intelligence”. Let's figure out what is meant by this term, and also learn how to develop intelligence.

The essence of the concept

Intelligence and its components were first described by the German scientist Wilhelm Stern at the beginning of the 20th century. Then many scales and methods for diagnosing mental abilities appeared, including the famous IQ test.

Intelligence is defined as a stable set of human mental abilities that allow him to adapt to the environment, cognize and change it.

This concept cannot be equated with cognitive, mental abilities. They are only a working tool of the intellect.

The most comprehensive model for this term was proposed by the American psychologist Joy Paul Guilford. In his opinion, intelligence includes 120 factors.

All of them can be classified according to three indicators:

1. content (human mental work);
2. operations (method of information processing);
3. result.

The development of intelligence is possible if you work on all these points. However, in ordinary life, a person may have many ideas that he analyzes in every possible way, but cannot put into practice. He just doesn't have the skill to do it. It is very important to know how to increase your intellectual level in all areas. But more on that later.

Exercise for the mind

Let's take a closer look at how to develop intelligence with the help of special actions. Before moving on to specific examples, it should be noted that the development of intelligence is impossible without the ability to fully rest.

The human brain must be active and process a large amount of information. This is impossible without good sleep. Normally, 8 hours is enough for a person, but it all depends on individual characteristics. The main thing is that the individual feels rested and full of vital energy to improve his intellect and develop creativity.

In addition, active rest is important. Hiking, running, cycling, and swimming are ideal for this. At the same time, the head has the opportunity to temporarily disconnect from solving global problems.

Now let’s move on directly to exercises and ways to develop intelligence:

• Board games

This is the most famous and ancient way to improve human mental abilities. Playing chess, checkers and backgammon allows you to engage your intellect and creativity. Thinking, memory, will, and emotions actively work here. The player logically plans his moves and tries to predict the enemy's response.

In addition to well-known games, psychological board activities also improve intelligence well. These include the games “Mafia”, “Evolution”, “Dixit” and others. In such games, not only knowledge is important, but more so communicative competence in order to convey your point of view to others and feel the players.

• Puzzles

The name itself suggests that the brain will have to work. Puzzles include Rubik's cube, jigsaw puzzles, crossword and scanword puzzles, mathematical and other riddles.

Thanks to this, it is possible to competently organize intellectual leisure for both adults and children. After all, it is very important to introduce a child to mental operations from childhood. When solving puzzles, fine motor skills are also involved, due to which the relationship between visual analysis, thought and action develops.

• Fine art

Here the relationship between intelligence and visual creativity is most clearly visible. While a person is engaged in creativity, the brain is actively working and can find solutions to very important problems. This is also called illumination or insight.

The fact is that when drawing and sculpting, an individual falls into a light trance state and detaches himself from everyday life. This helps to tap into the unconscious impulses that are responsible for brilliant ideas.

The ability to draw and sculpt in this sense does not matter at all. The main thing is to surrender to the creative process. You can simply draw spots and lines, color the picture to a pleasant melody.

• Foreign languages

How to develop intelligence through learning foreign languages ​​is clear to everyone. The more knowledge, the wider the field for its application. What is important here is not quantity, but quality.

A person should have an interest in the language being studied and the culture of a given country, find consonances of words, write poems and songs in this language. This is what engages the “intelligence and creativity” connection.

• Reading

Books for the development of intelligence are an indispensable assistant. Through reading, a person not only learns new things, but also immerses himself in unusual worlds, becomes acquainted with the secrets of science, and comprehends new cultures. How to develop intelligence in the process of reading, because this is a common human activity?

The correct selection of books is important here. As already described above, you need to read thoughtfully and with pleasure. If the book is not interesting, you should not force yourself. Such reading will not bring joy, which means it will go in vain.

• Break pattern

A person whose life is subject to a clear routine often acts by inertia. Working and existing automatically does not allow an individual to even think about how to increase intelligence, and whether it should be done at all. Unfortunately, this is how most people live.

It is important to find the strength within yourself to break this vicious circle. You usually need to start small. For example, change the route to work. In the evening, take a walk in the park for an hour. On weekends, do something you haven't done before. Instead of household chores, go to an orphanage or to a neighboring town. Breaking the pattern allows you to look at the world differently and actualizes mental activity.

This article gives only some ways to increase intelligence. In this process, the most important thing is to understand how life will change when the intellectual level becomes higher. What will happen then to your inner world, your family, how will your wealth and relationships with others change? If the picture is positive, then this is the right path of development.

The connection between intelligence and mental processes

The human psyche is a complex structure, therefore all processes in it are interconnected and interdependent.

In particular, intelligence is largely influenced by the following internal realities:

• Thinking

Some scientists even considered these concepts to be synonymous. But this is fundamentally wrong. Thinking is the process of cognition and processing of information, and intelligence is the ability to competently apply knowledge at the right time. Without mental operations, a person's intellectual level would be very low.

Volitional efforts are needed precisely in order to master new material, study important books, and bring thoughts to the final result.

• Memory

The ability to preserve, store and reproduce information is an integral part of intelligence.

• Attention

Intelligent people are distinguished by an attentive attitude to the world around them. They are able to notice the smallest details, analyze and study them. The development of intelligence is closely related to the improvement of human attention.

• Creativity

Guilford wrote about this sweet couple: intelligence and creativity. This term refers to a person’s ability to think creatively, that is, outside the box, to synthesize original ideas.

Basic indicators of intelligence

Psychologists have identified four key characteristics of intelligence:

1. Depth of mind is the ability to get to the bottom of phenomena and events.
2. Inquisitiveness is curiosity, the desire to learn new things.
3. Flexibility and mobility - the ability to act outside the box, bypass barriers, and overcome difficulties.
4. Logicality is the ability to substantiate one’s point of view and correctly present the material.

Erudition and intelligence

The development of intelligence is closely related to such a concept as erudition. Let's figure out what it is?

Erudition is a set of deep knowledge in any field of science or life.

Erudites have an inquisitive mind, always looking for new information on a topic that interests them. An intelligent person does not stop at one area; he develops in all possible directions. The line between these concepts is quite blurry. An erudite may also be interested in several areas at once, but, for example, be a layman in communication.

It is important to understand the following: in order to increase your intellectual level, you need to strive to become an erudite person in any field.

How to increase erudition for an ordinary person? The best way is to read topical books. Moreover, the quality of reading is extremely important. It must be thoughtful and meaningful. A person should write down or mark favorite or controversial phrases and questions, and look for an answer to them.

After reading the book, you can discuss it on a special forum so that the knowledge works and does not lie in your memory as a dead weight. In special psychological and pedagogical literature you can also find out the opinions of scientists on how to develop intelligence.