[Music]
hey everyone and welcome to top think
today we're going to learn about seven
simple habits
that'll make you smarter now let's begin
number one doing nothing do you set
aside time to do
nothing you may have a long list of
responsibilities on your plate
you spend hours every day working
running errands keeping up with your
hobbies
you want to develop productive habits to
increase your work ethic
and use your time wisely you do all
these things to improve yourself
but what if i told you one of the best
ways to increase your intelligence
is to do nothing at all when you're
running around all day
every day you rarely get a minute to
yourself when you're finally alone
you're so exhausted
that you feel like turning off your
brain so you watch
tv you play games and you enjoy popular
time wasters because
you want to give your brain a break from
the chaos of your daily life
but you don't have to waste your time to
relax
your brain you can unwind after a long
day while simultaneously boosting your
brain power
all you have to do is sit down tune out
the world
and think you might think about your
goals you might think about your loved
ones you might think about the happiest
parts of your day
or maybe the most frustrating there are
no requirements and no expectations
there are no lists schedules or time
limits
you can think about everything or you
can think about
nothing the only requirement is that you
think
all by yourself now during the time you
spend thinking you may discover a
strange kind of clarity
when you're busy your thoughts are
muddled and scattered you're thinking
every which way and you can hardly make
sense of your own thoughts
all you know is that you're stressed and
confused
but when you stop to think in a quiet
place
you can unravel and digest your most
overwhelming
problems that's where this simple habit
comes in handy
it doesn't boost your iq or reveal the
mysteries of the universe
but it does teach you how to think and
solve problems on your own
that kind of intelligence is invaluable
number two arguing against yourself
you can argue in favor of ideas and
values that you believe in but
how often do you argue against your own
opinions
here's a challenging intellectual
exercise that works your brain
in unique ways so the next time you
argue a point
change sides yeah change sides
argue the opposite of what you believe
this is called
playing devil's advocate and it's an
incredible exercise to strengthen your
intellect and your personal opinions
why well because arguing against
yourself helps you recognize the holes
in your opinions
it challenges you to think harder about
your ideas
ah but most of all it helps you
understand both sides of a controversial
subject
so when you play devil's advocate you're
forced to recognize the possibility of
something else
an opinion that isn't your own many
people are so focused on being right
that they don't think through the
stances they take
they blindly believe that their way is
the only way
but that's rarely the case the most
intelligent people know that
every argument is more complicated than
simple rights and wrongs
every difficult question demands a broad
spectrum of answers but it takes an open
mind and a strong intellect to
understand
multiple perspectives so challenge your
opinions
get to know all sides of an argument and
recognize
the holes in your thinking your opinions
may change or stay exactly the same
either way by expanding your perspective
you've gained a deeper understanding of
a complicated issue
number three reading every day
reading finds its way into many of our
videos it's one of the most versatile
and constructive habits out there
it can be fun relaxing educational and
challenging reading can open new doors
help you navigate difficult situations
and ignite passions that you never knew
existed above all
daily reading gives a significant boost
to your intelligence
for starters reading activates your
imagination
your imagination is your ability to
create new ideas and concepts
there's a gross misconception that
artists are the only people with strong
imaginations
that couldn't be further from the truth
almost every significant person in
history had a powerful imagination
from writers to scientists these
imaginative people were resourceful
clever and perceptive their imaginations
empowered their brain with a flexible
array of mental tools
and it can do the same thing for you so
if you're looking to boost your
intelligence then your imagination's a
great place to start
whether you want to be witty or wise
adaptable or perceptive
every intellectual benefits from a
fine-tuned imagination
and the best way to develop your
imagination is reading
every day number four
available resources in the world today
there are limitless options for anyone
hoping to expand their brain
all you have to do is look countless
podcasts videos and seminars exist
online to educate you on a wide variety
of subjects
you can learn about the arts investigate
the sciences or engage with hobbies that
you've never even heard of
the problem is these resources aren't
always standing in plain sight
most people won't go out of their way to
search for a new podcast or seminar
and even if you do you might listen once
and then never tune in again
if you don't engage with online
resources then you're not going to learn
much of anything
learning relies on repetition you absorb
information on a given subject time and
time again
sometimes you hear things you've heard
before other times you hear
clashing opinions and disjointed
arguments
but all of that information comes
together to form your mastery of the
subject so if you want to learn
something new or grow your intelligence
then find a resource that works for you
pick a subject and explore the podcasts
or youtube channel with interesting
things to say
when you found someone you like
incorporate that educational resource
into your daily routine and if you're
consistent you can grow your knowledge
in no time number five
empowering conversations reading and
studying
are effective ways to boost your
intelligence but you can reap the same
rewards from
one great conversation all right let's
say you and your friend have a long
discussion about a difficult topic
you explain your thoughts you dissect
your arguments you ask good questions
and by the end of your conversation
you've developed a fuller understanding
of what you're talking about
you may not be leading experts in the
field you might not be reinventing your
craft
but by challenging your brain you've
nurtured your intelligence in a unique
way
great conversations put your creativity
and imagination to the test
when you actively explore topics out
loud you're
challenging yourself to use your
knowledge you get a clearer idea of what
you know and what you don't
if you've found yourself a capable
sparring partner the two of you can push
each other to new
intellectual heights so find someone
whose intelligence you admire
and start up an interesting conversation
talk about something that
lights a fire inside you because a great
conversation can change the way you
think number six
daily brainstorming do you spend time
brainstorming
brainstorming plays a role in many
professional fields
but it's also a valuable practice to
increase your intelligence
just try this for 15 minutes sit down at
your desk
open a notebook grab a pencil and pick a
topic that you want to brainstorm about
are you interested in rewriting your
goals do you want to move your career in
a new direction
maybe you're an artist hoping to
generate ideas for your next work
whatever topic you choose write down 10
ideas
the first 10 that pop into your head
they don't have to be life-changing
ideas you might not like everything you
write down but that's okay
every once in a while you might stumble
upon a kernel of wisdom
but your brain benefits from generating
new ideas whether they're useful or not
this daily habit teaches you to think
outside the box
you hone your ability to innovate adapt
and create on the fly
like a strong imagination this is one of
the most important tools an intelligent
person can have
it's useful in any line of work and it
only takes
15 minutes a day so brainstorm first
thing in the morning
pour yourself a cup of coffee find a
quiet corner to think and write down
10 new ideas not only are you warming up
your brain for a productive day
but you're also boosting your creative
power
number seven intellectual influence
intelligent people surround themselves
with intellectual equals they want
stimulating and challenging
conversations
so they choose friends partners and
professional connections
that force them to expand their minds
not every single one of your friends
needs to be a brainiac
with some friends it's easier to turn
your brain off and relax
knowing they don't have any expectations
of you
however if you want to grow your
intelligence then you can't spend all
your time with people who aren't
interested in difficult subjects
expand your social circle to include
people at
or above your intellectual level ideally
you should look for people who've
achieved the kind of success that you're
looking for
because these are the people you can
learn from but why is it so important to
make intellectual friends
well you gain a kind of second hand
intelligence by spending time with
someone who's highly intellectual
intelligent people use more challenging
vocabulary they engage in harder
conversations
and they ask better questions they even
make more sophisticated jokes
so when you spend time with intellectual
friends their natural
intellectual rubs off on you and that
raises your
intellectual standards so find a new
group of intellectual friends
no you don't need to get rid of your old
ones but you do need people in your life
that challenge you that argue with you
and encourage you to improve hey thanks
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