How to turn yourself into a genius

[UM-Bot]

Ken Korczak: What if I were to tell you that just one year from now your IQ could be double what it is today? And what if I told you that all you needed to do was perform a simple daily exercise that would make it happen? In fact, there is strong evidence that by doing this one simple exercise, you can dramatically increase your IQ -- and even make yourself a genius!So what is this simple, easy and fantastic “genius exercise” that will supercharge your brain? This: Keep a daily journal or dairy. Every day, or several times a day, write down all your thoughts on paper. Do it faithfully for one complete year, and you will rapidly grow more intelligent -- guaranteed.

Consider:

• Researcher Catherine Cox studied the habits of 300 geniuses — luminaries such as Isaac Newton, Einstein, Thomas Jefferson — and discovered that all of them were “compulsive” journal or diary keepers.

• A study determined that only 1 percent of the world’s population habitually engaged in daily journal writing. The study also found that that same 1 percent were almost always super high achievers, and that they almost always lived longer than the average for their time, place and era.

• Thomas Edison wrote an incredible 3 million pages of notes, letters and personal thoughts in hundreds of personal journals throughout his life.

• The brilliant cosmologist Steven Hawking contracted Lou Gehrig’s disease more than 30 years ago and was give just two years to live. Hawking is a shriveled up lump of a human being confined to an electronic wheelchair. He cannot speak, write, or even move more than just a trifle. But 32 years after contracting his disease, Hawking is considered among the world’s greatest thinkers. He remarried a few years ago after a divorce, and shows no signs of slowing down with his contributions to cosmology and quantum relativity theory. Although unable to physically keep a journal, Hawking has used computers and other mechanical aides to constantly record not only new ideas and scientific theories, but his own inner reflections.

• When he was a young man, Albert Einstein took a young woman sailing for a date. The date didn’t go very well. The young woman was frustrated because Einstein hardly said a word to her -- but instead spent the whole day scribbling in a small journal he carried with him.

Now here’s some more good news: to get all of the IQ building effects of daily journaling, you don’t even have to write down anything that is even coherent!This fact is demonstrated in the the journal of one of the great minds of the 19th Century, English inventor Thomas Faraday, a man much admired by Einstein himself. Faraday filled thousands of notebooks with seeming utter nonsense. Many have studied the journals of Faraday hoping to discover the key to his brilliant mind. All have been frustrated. In Win Winger and Richard Poe’s book, The Einstein Factor, one researcher wrote:“(Faraday's) Diaries have the irritating form of ideas jotted down, repeated and forgotten … a morass or articulated and unarticulated principles, concepts, observations and physical facts.”In fact, the best method to build your IQ seems to be carrying your journal with you throughout the day and writing down any random thoughts as they come into your head.Now an added bonus: Keeping a daily “random thoughts” journal will not only make you smarter, but may also increase your life span! The evidence for this come from a fascinating study of a group of unusual nuns in Mankato, Minnesota.

The nuns are unique in that just about all of them live well past the average age of death for women in Minnesota. Most of them live well into their 90s, and some top the 100-year mark. Few or none of them have ever suffered from senile dementia or Alzheimer's Disease.What do the sisters all have in common? That’s right -- they are all obsessive journal keepers. Keeping a journal is a requirement of their particular order. And yes, a study of the nuns’ IQs showed that they were all well above average. Of course, there were other variables in the nuns’ clean and serene lifestyle that most likely contributed to their intelligence and long life -- but journal keeping is the one key element they all had in common.So there you have it. Buy a notebook, get a pen and carry them wherever you go. Jot down your random thoughts, reflect upon what you write, and soon, you’ll be enjoying your shiny new super-powered IQ!

[paquetboy1]

Intresting idea im gonna try it

[Immortal Norway]

... tyrs to find a diary to write in...

Well, can`t say that I`m suprised, but seriously ? Double IQ, that`s proboly to much.

[Tiggs]

What if I were to tell you that just one year from now your IQ could be double what it is today?

On the basis that I'd have a 300+ IQ, I think you might have overcooked that claim just a tad...

Agreed, however, that recording your innermost thoughts and feelings is a definite boost for IQ.

[Avius]

Would it not be easier to just mentally talk to yourself. Or shall we allways share

[IronGhost]

Would it not be easier to just mentally talk to yourself. Or shall we allways share

No, this would not have the same effect. It's important to write down thoughts to increase the self reflexivity aspect. Think of it as standing next to a wall and throwing a ball at it so the ball can have something solid to bounce back from.

Without that solid wall to provide the bounce-back, the ball would just sail away every time you throw it. That's the way thoughts are -- if you don't "catch" them, they just flit away.

When a child plays at throwing a ball against a wall and catching it, he or she develops hand-to-eye coordination. It improves the reflexes, and the brain.

That's the way journal writing works -- it gives your brain something solid to bounce ideas back from -- the result -- you get smarter!

Edited June 14, 2006 by IronGhost

[Bio-Mage]

Practice makes perfect...still dont see whats new behind this...

[RachelM]

So what is this simple, easy and fantastic “genius exercise” that will supercharge your brain? This: Keep a daily journal or dairy

How does milking cows raise your I.Q.? Oh, I know...maybe it's goats. Everyone knows that milking goats make you smarter.

Researcher Catherine Cox studied the habits of 300 geniuses — luminaries such as Isaac Newton, Einstein, Thomas Jefferson — and discovered that all of them were “compulsive” journal or diary keepers.

Okay, these people were geniuses before they started keeping journals. I can see how keeping a notebook of your ideas and thoughts can help you out, but I don't see how it could double your I.Q. I do like the idea of "compulsive" journal keepers. I get the image of some guy going into DT's because he can't find a pen.

[IronGhost]

Practice makes perfect...still dont see whats new behind this...

Einstein said: "Sometimes, it takes a genius to see the obvious."

A lot of people reading this seem to poo-poo it because it seems so simple and obvious. But most often, the most simple and elegant theories are the best.

Perhaps the author engaged in a bit of hyperboly by using the word "double." But the overall point is that there is very good evidence that journaling increases IQ. Even if you could boost your IQ 10 or 20 percent, wouldn't anyone welcome that?

Edited June 14, 2006 by IronGhost

[Bio-Mage]

Einstein said: "Sometimes, it takes a genius to see the obvious."

Sometimes....all the other times is common sense....

[Michelle]

*runs and gets my 127 journals*

I don't know if it has worked for me, but it is a great stress reliever. I can be furious and write down what is going through my mind...if I read it a couple of days later, it's still important then it's something that needs to be talked about.

[Vixen]

I've always kept journals. For years, but I dont know if its ever doubled my IQ.

Interesting article though, definately.

Vixen

[adkchamp]

THIS IS REAL! My friend, who was dumb as brick but bright, started to write in a diary (2 years) and now me and other friends are like "No way, he's going to a college!?!" lol

It helps to refresh memory, but you would have to write a lot everyday (lets say about 1-2 pages) in order to become smarter

[lonelyalpacafarmer]

do you guys think it would matter if it was typed on a computer or not?

[Venusian]

Well writing in a journal is only important if you start digging into yourself, not the possible monotony of life around you. Reflection is key to understanding the self and focusing on what you can achieve.

By the way, I really think other far important merits lie in keeping a journal besides increasing 'IQ'. Being able to remember things and applying your mind to the metaphysical questions is a good way to offset and avoid degenerative mental afflictions that affect us later in life. It also gives us a channel to meditate and find a truth in life or a philosophy that we develop as we mature in this world. IQ is simply a bragging right unless its applied and used to enhance ones life, or the life of others. Keeping a journal is being aware of the self and I think far less than 1% of the entire world's population can claim they know who they are and more importantly the things they wish to contribute to society at large.

[IronGhost]

do you guys think it would matter if it was typed on a computer or not?

One of the keys is to monitor your own mind all the time, and get instant feedback. Journaling on a computer is good, but I think to get the real effect, you should be able to frequently and spontaneously jot things down. It all depends on how portable your writing tools are. A palm pilot, for example, might work well.

You know, I just happened to hear an interview with the singer Billy Joel, who is a song-writer extraordinaire. He says carrying a notebook around with him is the way he does it. He said sometimes when he wants to write a song, he pages through the random thoughts and snippets of ideas he has had for a song, and gets sudden breakthroughs.

He said: "Sometimes, when I look through my notebook, I just have to say "thank you" because it almost seems like something new and brilliant can be found there."

A notebook enables him to delve into his own inner and greater potential, he says.

I think everyone should try this -- delve into your own inner and greater potential! And what do you have to lose?

[IronGhost]

Well writing in a journal is only important if you start digging into yourself, not the possible monotony of life around you. Reflection is key to understanding the self and focusing on what you can achieve.

By the way, I really think other far important merits lie in keeping a journal besides increasing 'IQ'. Being able to remember things and applying your mind to the metaphysical questions is a good way to offset and avoid degenerative mental afflictions that affect us later in life. It also gives us a channel to meditate and find a truth in life or a philosophy that we develop as we mature in this world. IQ is simply a bragging right unless its applied and used to enhance ones life, or the life of others. Keeping a journal is being aware of the self and I think far less than 1% of the entire world's population can claim they know who they are and more importantly the things they wish to contribute to society at large.

Extremely well said.

[Tiggs]

do you guys think it would matter if it was typed on a computer or not?

Shouldn't make a difference. It's the act of translation from mental to physical and back again that reinforces and clarifies your thoughts.

The Bloggers are getting smarter...

[lil_miz_cherubic]

i NEED to try this...lol its not that im stupiud but i like to write nonsense and i have a lot of random thoughts and stuff......and thinking taht a simple fun thing that anyone can do can make you smarter?!?!?

AMAZING!!! -lol

besides i like experimenting

Edited June 14, 2006 by lil_miz_cherubic

[smallpackage]

Can I virtually type up my diary, or do I have to physically write it?

[Nadal]

Can I virtually type up my diary, or do I have to physically write it?

Typing it in a Word Processing program is probably better, Because you can correct errors in spelling. Therefore, you're getting reinforced and a higher vocabulary and spelling-cabinent of thought!

[Raptor]

(Too lazy to read article)

Does it not consider the fact that maybe they kept a diary because they were intelligent, and not that they were intelligent because they kept a diary?

[IronGhost]

(Too lazy to read article)

Does it not consider the fact that maybe they kept a diary because they were intelligent, and not that they were intelligent because they kept a diary?

No, there is a lot of strong evidence when looking at this from other angles that keeping a journal increases intelligence.

One is the First Law of Behavioral Psychology. Whenever you write down a creative thought or idea, you are reinforcing the behavior of doing something creative -- and also sharpening your perception of what it is to be creative.

Once the process gets started, the brain find it easier and easier to repeat creative behavior. It recognizes it better. Also, something called "deutro-learning" kicks in.

Dueturo learning is basically: Learning about how you learn. It's learning about learning. This also applies to creativity and intelligence. Once you jumpstart your creativity through learning, you'll have insights about the process, and thus enable you to expand and increase the process. When you leanr how to learn, you become a more efficient original learner. Get it?

Edited June 14, 2006 by IronGhost

[Raptor]

Ah, I see. Thanks.

[RamboIII]

I have tried that but I never felt that rush of intelligence.

Maybe I should try for longer than half an hour...