You can grow your intelligence

A lot of people think that some people are smart and some aren’t that smart. But did you know that your intelligence doesn’t define you, nor is it impossible to change.

Neuroscientists have discovered that the brain works a lot like a muscle, actually. The more you train it, the stronger and better it gets. In the cerebral cortex, a part of the brain, there are tiny nerve cells called neurons. These neurons connect in different ways and form our thoughts and memories. A brain that doesn’t get a lot of exercise, has fewer neurons connections than a brain that does. Brain exercise can be anything from problem solving to any sensory input (for example, in a study where neuroscientists checked for neuroconnections in animal that lived in an empty cage, compared to animals with company and thus more sensory input, it was found that the latter had significantly more neuron connections.). This is what is called having a “growth mindset”, realising that your intelligence can expand.

But one has to be aware that just challenging your brain isn’t enough. It is vital to keep challenging yourself and keep pushing, otherwise the neuron connections will fade away and you will eventually lose your intelligence, just like it is with muscle power. Hence the catchphrase “Use it or you lose it”.

Sometimes when you’re having trouble solving a problem, it is valuable to remember that giving up won’t make anything easier. It is important to challenge yourself and use your brain, only then will you get better. Always when facing a challenge you have to have the word “yet” in mind. Instead of thinking “I can’t do this”, think “I can’t do this yet”. With th help of “yet”, you realise that what you’re trying isn’t impossible, you just haven’t mastered it yet!

   And if you see everybody but you succeed, it is important to know that you shouldn’t compare your work to others, but instead to your older work. “Being good lies not in outperforming your fellow men, being good consists in outperforming your former self.”

Now you know how your brain works and you know what wonderful things it can do. So now it is your turn. Go out there and do great things!