5 Things That Really Smart People Do
Don't get in the way of your own
learning. Here are five ways to step aside and continue to increase your
smarts.
Most people don't really think much
about how they learn. Generally you assume learning comes naturally. You
listen to someone speak either in conversation or in a lecture and you simply
absorb what they are saying, right? Not really. In fact, I find as I get older
that real learning takes more work. The more I fill my brain with facts,
figures, and experience, the less room I have for new ideas and new thoughts.
Plus, now I have all sorts of opinions that may refute the ideas being pushed
at me. Like many people I consider myself a lifelong learner, but more and more
I have to work hard to stay open minded.
But the need for learning never
ends, so your desire to do so should always outweigh your desire to be right.
The world is changing and new ideas pop up everyday; incorporating them into
your life will keep you engaged and relevant. The following are the methods I
use to stay open and impressionable. They'll work for you too. No matter how
old you get.
1.
Quiet Your Inner Voice
You know the one I am talking about.
It's the little voice that offers a running commentary when you are listening
to someone. It's the voice that brings up your own opinion about the
information being provided. It is too easy to pay more attention to the inner
voice than the actual speaker. That voice often keeps you from listening openly
for good information and can often make you shut down before you have heard the
entire premise. Focus less on what your brain has to say and more on the
speaker. You may be surprised at what you hear.
to say and more on the speaker. You
may be surprised at what you hear.
2.
Argue With Yourself
If you can't quiet the inner voice,
then at least use it to your advantage. Every time you hear yourself
contradicting the speaker, stop and take the other point of view. Suggest to
your brain all the reasons why the speaker may be correct and you may be wrong.
In the best case you may open yourself to the information being provided.
Failing that, you will at least strengthen your own argument.
3.
Act Like You Are Curious
Some people are naturally curious
and others are not. No matter which category you are in you can benefit from
behaving like a curious person. Next time you are listening to information,
make up and write down three to five relevant questions. If you are in a
lecture, Google them after for answers. If you are in a conversation you can
ask the other person. Either way you'll likely learn more, and the action of
thinking up questions will help encode the concepts in your brain. As long as you're
not a cat you should benefit from these actions of curiosity.
4.
Find the Kernel of Truth
No concept or theory comes out of
thin air. Somewhere in the elaborate concept that sounds like complete malarkey there
is some aspect that is based upon fact. Even if you don't buy into the idea,
you should at least identify the little bit of truth from whence it came. Play like
a detective and build your own extrapolation. You'll enhance your skills of
deduction and may even improve the concept beyond the speaker's original idea.
5.
Focus on the Message Not the Messenger
Often people shut out learning due
to the person delivering the material. Whether it's a boring lecturer, someone
physically unappealing, or a member of the opposite political party, the
communicator can impact your learning. Even friends can disrupt the learning
process since there may be too much history and familiarity to see them as an
authority on a topic. Separate the material from the provider. Pretend you
don't know the person or their beliefs so you can hear the information
objectively. As for the boring person, focus on tip two, three, or four as if it
were a game, thereby creating your own entertainment.
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