[Podcast] Is your IQ fixed or can you get smarter? | Rich Habits Poor Habits Podcast

Want to become smarter? According to the latest research, you can.

Contrary to what was previously believed, your IQ is not fixed. 

Most IQ tests attempt to measure two types of intelligence - crystallized and fluid. 

1. Crystallized intelligence relies on existing skills, knowledge and experience to solve problems by accessing information from long-term memory. 
2. Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, relies on the ability to understand relationships between various concepts to solve the problems.

It is independent of any previous knowledge, skills or experience and accesses information from short-term memory or "working memory". 

Researchers have concluded that this part of intelligence can be improved.

So how do you do this?

That’s what we’re going to discuss today.

When you engage in certain mental and physical activities, the size of your axons grows, the number of dendrites multiply and you increase the number of synapses inside your brain.

When your mental and physical activities are limited, your axons shrink, reducing the number of dendrites and synapses.

WHAT ACTIVITIES GROW AXONS, DENDRITES AND SYNAPSES?

• Reading to learn 
• Auditory learning
• Visual learning 
• Studying (Semantic Memory)
• Learning a new language
• Utilizing a new language through repetition or absorption in a new country
• Traveling – exploring different parts of the world and different cultures (Episodic Memory)
• Learning a new skill
• Novelty
• Daily exercise
• Engaging in athletic activities
• Practicing a skill, new or old, repetitively
• Creative pursuits such as writing, painting, music, engineering, building design, invention, etc.
• Increasing your communications with others (networking, volunteering, working, social interaction, etc.)

WHAT SHRINKS AXONS, DENDRITES AND SYNAPSES?

• Absence of learning (no reading, no auditory learning and no visual learning)
• Loss of skills due to inactivity 
• Isolation 
• Being Homebound
• Being set in your ways – absence of novelty
• Not exercising
• No athletic activities
• Watching TV (exceptions: TV shows that teach)
• Reading Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. (exceptions: posts that teach)

If you forge daily habits that increase the size of your axons, number of dendrites and the synapses inside your brain, your IQ will grow.

Good habits, therefore, can grow your IQ throughout your entire life.

Conversely, bad habits can cause your IQ to decrease during your lifetime.

Links and Resources:

Michael Yardney

Rich Habits Poor Habits

Michael Yardney’s Mentorship Program

Some of our favourite quotes from the show: 

“Interestingly, exercise is one of the actions that can increase how smart you are.” – Michael Yardney

“When you’re a spectator, your brain cells are not growing. In fact, they’re shrinking.” – Tom Corley

“The message today is your IQ is not fixed at birth, it’s not related to your genetics, in fact, your habits, what you do regularly can either help you become smarter or less intelligent.” – Michael Yardney

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