Book

When we think of a genius we think of someone who was a prodigy in their childhood and later went on to capitalize on their mental powers and make a success out of their lives, perhaps finding the cure for cancer or joining NASA to help launch man into outer space.
As a general rule these are people we hold up as an exception to the rule, a run against the norm. We believe that their incredible mental abilities have allowed them to stretch beyond the limits of normal of humanity; however, this is not the case.

Oddly enough, scientists believe that it is the physical formation of the brain that determines a person’s intelligence. A brain with a greater quantity of gray matter in the cerebral cortex, the portion of the brain which controls its higher functions (the lower portions of the brain control bodily activities, such as breathing and the pumping of the heart) will bless a person with a greater intelligence.

It is believed to be the reason that many children who possess above average intelligence come from parents who possess a great deal of intelligence; the physical structure of the brain is handed down genetically.

Is it impossible for a person who does not have an excessive quantity of gray matter in their brain to be intelligent? Certainly not! The ability of the brain to function is based greatly on the ability of its neurons to connect with each other.

An increase in neuron connection equals an increase in brain activity, which equals an increase in the thought process and the ability of the brain to respond more quickly in certain situations.

There are many situations that result in an inability of the neurons to connect with maximum efficiency. One of the most common is sleep deprivation, an epidemic that is sweeping across the globe as men, women and children of all ages attempt to accomplish more in a day than it was ever intended for them to do. Drug and alcohol use will also have a negative effect on the ability of the neurons to connect properly.

The good news is that everyone’s brains operate by these same fundamental principles, regardless of the amount of gray matter present. What does this mean? It means that by successfully increasing the ability of the neurons to connect anyone can increase their intelligence.

How can one increase the connection of their neurons? By using them! The brain can continue to produce new neurons into old age; the degeneration of the mind that accompanies the golden years is generally caused by disease or disuse rather than a natural body process.

By continuing to exercise the brain through reading and academic puzzles anyone can increase and maintain their brain power, even if they aren’t your average genius.

If you ever think that genius can only be born, you can be seriously wrong.
In 1952, an experiment was done by Aaron Stern on his daughter, Edith, which proves the world that given the right environment and strategies, a person’s intelligence can be developed and trained. Edith was truly a genius who obtained a PH. D. degree at the age of 18.

In short, Aaron Stern trained Edith from the time she was born. Playing classical music to her, using picture cards and flash cards to teach her everyday even she was only a few weeks old. At the age of 5, she had finished reading the entire encyclopedia Britannica.

The good is you can train yourself to be a genius too even though you started out late. It’s only a matter of the right strategies and methods. Start by listening to classical music on a daily basis or using Mindmaps to brain storm from ideas.

George Tee is the author of “Secrets Of Scoring ‘A’s” and founder of Learning Nest – Secretsofstudying.com . A few of his popular articles are 5 Hacks That Make Study Simple And Effective, 11 Things Students Do To Get Back At Teachers and Time Management for a Stress-Free Life