Becoming more intelligent

[blackrave]

Don't simply "learn math" or chemistry or physics or whatever.
Pick up some interest or hobby you might like (and you both could share)
For example- astronomy
In process of learning about it you will learn related physics (about inertia, radiation, gravity, etc.), chemistry (composition of solar system, matter state, molecules and their combinations, etc.) and math (formulas of what is going on)
If you step one step further and try to build your own telescope you will again meet physics (lenses and light), chemistry (actual materials used for telescope) and math (calculating everything)
And when your telescope will be ready you will be forced to learn reading starmaps (or moonmap if you prefer observing moon)
And after all this you might ask you girl out on stargazing picnic (with romantic music for additional effect)
Just a thought

 

[beyondbrainmatter]

Hello all. I (somewhat) recently starting dating a girl who is incredibly smart, and, while I don't have any real issue dating someone smarter than me, it has sparked a certain degree of dissatisfaction with my level of cognitive development at this point in my life. Her knowledge of chemistry, biology, physics impresses me, but I'm most impressed by her ability to apply that knowledge in situations where most wouldn't.

I'm curious as to what some of you may have done to increase your own levels of intelligence in the past, and I'd like to hear what you've seen prove effective.

Right now I'm trying to learn more math and science. I plan on eating healthier as well, and exercising more regularly. However my main interested is in developing critical thinking and problem solving skills, from both a logical and creative standpoint. I want to be able to use cause and effect and deductive reasoning and apply it to situations or challenges I face. I want to be able to take what I learn and use it for more than just trivia. I also want to be quicker thinking and more consistent. This also applies to my work, as I may be promoted to manager soon, and I don't feel I'm ready for that. For those wondering, I do plan on learning skillsets that apply specifically to management, but I've found the hardest parts of being a manager where I work is more abstract problem solving than anything (and we have a very "sink or swim" mentality at my workplace).

As others have stated, don't confuse knowledge with intelligence, or reasoning for that matter.

Richard Restak has a lecture series devoted to increasing intelligence over at the Teaching Company (Expensive!!): http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=1651

Stuff like that, from the Teaching Company and the Modern Scholar (http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholar.home&consumer&All) might help you become more knowledgable. If you want to learn about physics, the books by Stephen Hawking ("Brief History of Time" and "Universe in a Nutshell") are good starting points. If you want to know more, Richard Feynmann wrote some intro books (Six Easy Pieces) and there's always his lecture series (Feynmann lectures on physics).

As for reasoning skills, well, that basically all comes down to argumentation. Some links:

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/mathew/logic.html
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=4294
http://classicpersuasion.org/pw/index.htm