Encourage Curiosity and Intelligence
Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.”
This passionate curiosity about the world around you may be one of the keys to intelligence. Intelligent people let themselves become fascinated by things others take for granted.
Being curious is actually scientifically proven to be related to intelligence. Scientists from University of Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospital published a study in 2009 in the journal Neuron that showed that curiosity improves learning and memory.
They discovered that some of the brain regions and molecules that control learning and memory also control curiosity. Fostering curiosity therefore should also foster intelligence.
Other studies have shown that high levels of curiosity in adults are connected to greater analytic ability, problem-solving skills and overall intelligence. A 2011 study published in Perspectives in Psychological Science found that curiosity is a big part of academic performance.
In fact, personality traits like curiosity seem to be as important as intelligence in determining how well students do in school. All these studies suggest that cultivating more curiosity in your daily life is likely to make you smarter!
Curiosity fuels imagination, creative work and innovation. A curious mind can relate and connect ideas better.
Nurturing and developing your curiosity will help you discover new things and help you create your most amazing work. Curious people always ask questions and search for answers in their minds. Their minds are always active.
Since the mind is like a muscle which becomes stronger through continual exercise, the mental exercise caused by curiosity makes your mind stronger and stronger.
The good news is you can actively cultivate curiosity in your daily life. Your curiosity can be accessed any day and any time.
So, what can you do?
Today, (yes sometime today) try these three things:
- Keep an open mind – accept that some of the things you believe to be true, may be wrong. Rather than trying to convince someone of your point of view, listen more and try to understand the opposing view a bit more.
- Ask more questions – challenge your thinking and help you come up with new solutions to old problems
- Don’t take things for granted – dig deeper. A solution that might seem obvious might not actually be the best one.
Look for the opportunities when you can try the above ideas. Be more curious – and more intelligent.
(Reference: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/curiosity-intelligence-diane-law/)
