Nice thread on Hacker News | Ask HN: How do I become smarter?
I have great news for you. The brain is extremely plastic. Read about neuroplasticity here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeuroplasticityRest assured that your capacity to acquire new skills and knowledge is massive.
You don't just get smarter. You get smarter at something in particular. Playing chess, doing IQ tests, running the 100m dash, programming, social skills, public speaking, etc. So you need to pick a particular skill or set of skills or vocation and decide to get smarter at that.
There are some general rules for improving brain function though. Here are a few:
1. Read books. Reading trains your brain to concentrate for long periods of time without fatigue or distraction. There is a growing school of thought that the short bursts of reading and frequent distractions we experience online are harming our ability for deep contemplation, introspection and concentration. See Nicholas Carr, The Shallows. http://n.pr/bnAfRV
On that note. Let's get deep into my next task. See yall when I'm done!
