Five Ways to Boost Your Intelligence

Every day, media corporations come up with more mind-numbing dribble for the general public to watch and perpetually absorb. Now, I'm not saying that the presence of this trash is appalling (we all watch it), but the over-consumption of it is. Many people don't even watch the news, let alone know about any current events. Most Americans don't read books or engage in intellectual conversation anymore. But don't despair; I have compiled a list of 5 ways for us "normies" to boost our intelligence without going too far out of our normal everyday routine.

Read A Book
Okay, so this is completely out of some people's everyday routine. To many, it doesn't seem very relaxing to come home from a long day at work and engage in reading a book. Instead, the alternative is usually favored- to sit down and have the television to all the work by spoon-feed the information. However, reading can be quite relaxing. Whether you read to yourself or aloud, the noise created is minimal compared to a television with all of its voices and sounds (can anyone say, "canned laughter"?). If you have a family with children try reading books that both challenge their minds and engage yours. There are many books with SAT words that are entertaining to youths like SCAM, which has been released by SparkNotes. SAT books can also provide new vocabulary words. Reading as a couple can also be very rewarding, my boyfriend and I plan to start sitting down every evening and reading classic books such as A Picture of Dorian Gray and Don Quixote. Reading aloud to one another brings a sense of togetherness instead of the singular act of engagement between you and the television.

Watch a Documentary
If you absolutely have to watch television, why not switch the channel over to something informative every now and then? There are many television channels like National Geographic, The Discovery Channel, and The History Channel. I found a documentary on rogue waves once and it was very informative and interesting. There are also websites with free documentaries, available for the general public. MoviesFoundOnline.com is a great resource for online documentaries! The Origin of Man and The Human Footprint are amongst my personal favorites.

Start a List of Vocabulary Words To Use
You don't absolutely have to read a book to broaden your vocabulary, just take a look inside of a dictionary. I remember how back in grade school we had vocabulary tests and I kind of miss them. I learned so many interesting words that I wouldn't have normally used in everyday conversation like serendipity and archipelago. All you have to do is compile a weekly list of words, stick them on your refrigerator, and vow to use at least one of those words every day. It's that simple, by just learning one new word you are boosting your intelligence.

Do Research
Pick a topic that interests you and do research on it! It'll be fun and interesting to find out facts about the topic that most people don't ever find out about and you'll be increasing your knowledge on the subject. Political topics are always a good choice for researching. The THOMAS database has a library of the laws currently going through Congress. Read up on them, do your research, and if you have an opinion on it, write to your congressman! Your informed and intelligent voice makes a much bigger impact than some ill-informed loon looking to rant.

Play a Game!
The Discovery Channel Store has plenty of games designed to boost intelligence and provide an evening full of fun. Some of the games include Evolution, The Wildlife DVD Game, and The Brain Game. Another source of good, intelligence boosting games is Professor Noggin. Professor Noggin games are actually card games with super informative questions! The cards have different subjects and on the back have in-depth questions regarding the subject. These cards are great for people of all ages, including children, and are sure to bring hours of entertainment.