The Essence Of Genius...?

[AbsentMinded]

What knowledge must one acquire and use, in order to become a brilliant thinker?...how should one go about studying and trainning the brain, to improve intelligence...and raise I.Q.?

...Perhaps, I will get a more thoughtful response if I share a few things about myself; in order to explain my search for answers....
A few years ago my grandmother died, shortly there after, my father tried to commit suicide, was institutionalized and given Risperidal (I'm not sure about the spelling)....My father has not taken a single pill. I dropped out of school with high marks (72 was my lowest) started spending a lot of time alone, or talking with my father and drinking. That lasted for two years and it was hell. Last summer I ingested datura (a plant that shamans use), developed delirium and was hospitalized...I vowed from that moment (when I sobered up in the ER) I would never use a substance that is dangerous for my health and go back to school blahblahblah....right :)

Also, tell me what sets you apart from others, intellectually and why that is... Ive seen some great responses, so I will appreciate any and all advice, thank-you.

[Carl G]

First advice: change your screen name. "AbsentMinded" doesn't bode well for you obtaining your objective. It transmits a messageto your subconscious opposite to your stated intention. Nevermind the slight, and perhaps accidental, allusion to Emptiness, which may have value. It's like naming yourself "Stupid As Hell" and applying to Harvard.

[Nick]

Remember that nothing is too sacred to question or challenge, cut ties with any emotional attachments you can manage to do at this time, and focus on what is ultimately true. When you find out what is true, think, think, and think some more about it. Let it become a part of who you are and the rest will take care of itself.

[AbsentMinded]

So, if I change my self-depricating screen name, will you gather up useful info and help me...?

I have seen your writing on other posts and you come off as a being of intelligence, so I would really like you to try and help me, thanks.

btw: How do I change it?

[Carl G]

Also, don't only think with your brain. Think with your heart, and your feet, and your stomach. Think with every part of you.

[AbsentMinded]

What do you mean by, emotional attachments?

and how do I go about doing that, is that like setting my priorities strait??

[Carl G]

So, if I change my self-depricating screen name, will you gather up useful info and help me...?

You will gather the info, Grasshopper, as well as help yourself.

btw: How do I change it?

The easiest way is probably to register again under a new name.

[AbsentMinded]

I don't know what your talking about?...When people say follow your heart, doen't that mean, start thinking. Every thought and emotion comes from the brain...To me the soul is the mind and the mind is reflects the state that the brain is in?

You tell me...

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

I can't believe the advice "follow your heart" is coming from the same board that advocates "sever all emotional attachments."

If you just want to increase your IQ (which is just a score and is ultimatly meaningless), increase your vocabulary, learn how to recognize patterns, learn how to determine what is meaningful vs what is meaningless in regards to finding the answer to the question, practice noting details and differences, and brush up on math - but there is only the need to hit through geometry and basic algebra.

If you had a high IQ, what would you do with it?

Changing the self-depreciating screen name was a piece of good advice - not a condition to receiving good advice. Recognizing that would be a sign of wisdom.

Practicing anything will help you be better at what you practice. Practicing thinking will help you become a better thinker. Keep participating on the threads here; you'll get the hang of it.
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[AbsentMinded]

I do not mean-practicing I.Q. questions in order to reach a high score
(isn't that like memorizing the answers for only the questions on a test)...there is so much more. I want to become a thinker like albert Einstein or Richard Feynman.

nature or nurture?...When I was in elementary school, I was tested for learning disabilities, because I never payed any attention to the teachers (BIG mistake), because they always made everything sound so boring. Well, I happened to pass the tests with high marks, because they wanted me to start a attending a gifted program...Should have, but I was very clever, but without much wisdom.

I'm twenty years old now and I know its not too late. I've heard that new brain cell production is possible (stem cells) with concentration and brain exhaustion...

I want to know how to think, what to think about, whats good whats bad when it comes to learning...What books should I read...Should I read quickly with comprhension or slowly with alot of thinking and associations, or both....tell me...share that wisdom, if poss....

[AbsentMinded]

I have got to start writing more often....(sign)

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

Should I read quickly with comprhension or slowly with alot of thinking and associations, or both....tell me...

I will do better than tell you; I will help you practice your thinking skills by asking you some questions you should be asking yourself to think of the answer yourself.

Why would it be better to read quickly with comprehension? Why would it be better to read slowly with a lot of thinking and associations? Are there any other possibilities?
.

[HUNTEDvsINVIS]

Robotise...in the right direction...follow heart and then become metal.

"Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" ( I can't remember who said that, but it was on a poster against a wall in my school. Total propaganda, but it's worth a try. I liked the sound of it. There is a massive amount of genius in going against the Newtonian law of wanting to return to motionlessness. You must devise strategies to get you going constantly.

1st decide wether you will dedicate your life to evil or goodness. This will magnify the future for you and make it easier to act in situations. If you want to be a pragmatist, that is ok too. Just get direction. Someone like Diebert, for example, has made life a lot easier for himself in this way. Admirable.

Read.

Eat. Your brain largely consists of fat cells. Eating a lot of fruit enables you to think faster because it passes through your system easier and thus doesn't cause for blood to stay in your stomach for longer for digestion. Better blood flow equals faster transportation of blood to brain equals faster thinking. Coffee temporarily improves I. Q. with a few percent.

Stay away from stress. The smartest people I have ever come across were peaceful, gentle and didn't take themselves seriously. All their mental power went into the stuff that mattered: papers and equations.

Always deny that you are a genius, even to yourself. This way you will always be on the move to strive for higher things. You are never complete.

[Matt Gregory]

AbsentMinded,

At the top of this page, there's a link called "Quotes", which has lots of quotations on Genius.

Otto Weininger wrote an excellent book called Sex and Character which goes deeply into the nature of Genius. That's worth a few careful reads.

Hope that helps.

[Gretchen]

AM wrote:

I want to know how to think, what to think about, whats good whats bad when it comes to learning...What books should I read...Should I read quickly with comprhension or slowly with alot of thinking and associations, or both....tell me...share that wisdom, if poss....

Before you even begin to post onto this forum (I had to learn the hard way) take Introduction to Philosophy. It will teach you the basic fundamentals of thought throughout history, force you to write and think about issues that you never questioned in your life, and learn how to argue properly.

I don't know the background of most people on this board, either they are self-taught by reading a lot, have time on their hands to think a lot, or they have learned it in school. I do know that without background, it is difficult to understand a lot of the concepts.

I am half-way through the class myself. It has enabled me to understand more of what is discussed here, although I now have very few opportunities to post because the work in the class is monumental. However, I do read and use the forum to search for discussions into certain areas that I have questions about in class.

I would highly recommend you do this first, the rest will come once you start thinking....good luck.

[AbsentMinded]

" The rest will come once I start thinking..." I learned that one is never complete. There is always a higher peak to conquer...Thats why Geniuses like Leonardo davinci (probably the most accomplished genius) and "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration"- Thomas Edison...That one stuck from english class...All of them accomplished so much in their life times. That alone is an inspiration.

Matt- I've read a few quotations by great minds- To me they are hidden wisdom. Do they ever explain what they mean, when they say such things...We may interpret them differently, I can sometimes have multiple interpretations of what a quote means....?

"Sex and Character" whats it about...?

Passthrough- Thanks for the advice, I am going to take philosophy next semester...how was is it?

Hunted- Coffee's good, I get a storm of ideas after a cup...But I tend to abuse things that make me feel good, it gets a little crazy. Recently, I bought multi- vitamins and minerals and cold water salmon oil.

Elizabeth- I think it would be best to develop a level where one reads quickly (saves time for more info) with clarity and remembers , Photographic memory- How does one achieve that??

I know how to study and learn (obviously)..I want to improve upon every aspect of my brain (don't we all) and I'm searching for ways
. short cuts, How do you people study , read and learn. Write about strategies...What works for you might not work for me and vice versa, but it's worth a try...Thanks

[AbsentMinded]

Oh and can you please comment on my writing, is it good/bad, what should I improve upon, does it have a hint of potential intelligence...

--I don't know why I'm so weird, but this is the internet and the only place I feel like asking questions like this without fear of embarrassment...thanks again!

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

Elizabeth- I think it would be best to develop a level where one reads quickly (saves time for more info) with clarity and remembers

Well, you answered one, maybe two of the questions - but you missed this one:

Why would it be better to read slowly with a lot of thinking and associations?

Next:

Photographic memory- How does one achieve that??

I'm not sure that is possible for everyone, and I only have that to some degree. For me, it does not work well enough to be particularly useful on large blocks of text or charts, or on words that I am otherwise unfamiliar with - although a couple of weeks ago I was speaking with a friend and could not remember a name, but was able to picture it and spell out all but a couple of the letters. I did not intentionally memorize it like that - it's just that stuff tends to stick in my mind that way sometimes.

When I intentionally use it, it works best with retaining the overall gestalt - and works by my stopping all thought and motion and just letting the image in, unjudged and unanalyzed. The technique should work at least reasonably well with anyone who is able to still his or her mind - I taught it to a classmate in second grade, and she both caught on quickly and seemed pretty excited about it once she got it working. I suspect you will have a bit more of a challenge getting your mind to still long enough to let an image take root, but with practice at stilling your mind (achieved best through meditation), you should see some level of success.
.

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

Oh and can you please comment on my writing, is it good/bad, what should I improve upon, does it have a hint of potential intelligence...

--I don't know why I'm so weird, but this is the internet and the only place I feel like asking questions like this without fear of embarrassment...thanks again!

I also make typing errors and am given to sub-optimal grammar with writing as informal as on a message board (I am particularly prone to run-on sentences), but since you ask, I will pick some nits for you.

I corrected two of your spelling errors in the above post - can you find them now?

Should I read quickly with comprhension or slowly with alot of thinking and associations, or both....tell me...

I will do better than tell you; I will help you practice your thinking skills by asking you some questions you should be asking yourself to think of the answer yourself.

Why would it be better to read quickly with comprehension? Why would it be better to read slowly with a lot of thinking and associations? Are there any other possibilities?

Also, it is "Leonardo Da Vinci" - and we always capitalize the first letter when listing a language (English class).

(BTW, I use American English - which involves some differences from Australian and British English. Nevertheless, what I have corrected are corrections for all three versions of English.).

Your writing reflects that you are excitied to learn, which is wonderful. That quality alone will get you very far. Unfortunately, your writing is also a bit scattered. Your topics don't segue from one to the next very smoothly. Just be aware of that, and notice how published authors change topics.
.

[Matt Gregory]

Matt- I've read a few quotations by great minds- To me they are hidden wisdom. Do they ever explain what they mean, when they say such things...We may interpret them differently, I can sometimes have multiple interpretations of what a quote means....?

Just be patient; big thoughts take time to digest.

"Sex and Character" whats it about...?

Living up to your potential.

[Trevor Salyzyn]

AM,

What knowledge must one acquire and use, in order to become a brilliant thinker?...how should one go about studying and trainning the brain, to improve intelligence...and raise I.Q.?

You must have strong working knowledge of logic (actual well-structured logic, not what untutored people try to pass off as logic) and the nature of reality to be wise.

IQ is not especially important; a high IQ is often just used to fool unwise people into believing they are in the presence of intelligence.

Perhaps, I will get a more thoughtful response if I share a few things about myself... (etc.)

It always takes a history of suffering and delusion before a person smartens up and actually tries to actively pursue truth. There is only one way to achieve an understanding of reality, and that is by removing all false thoughts. This is done through careful, logical, thought.

Shamanism and drug use do not get anyone any closer to reality. To follow that path any farther will increase your delusions.

I vowed from that moment (when I sobered up in the ER) I would never use a substance that is dangerous for my health and go back to school blahblahblah....right :)

You were half-way to the best vow: to perfect your wisdom, regardless of where it takes you. It has taken you from drugs -- but is school the best next step?

Also, tell me what sets you apart from others, intellectually and why that is

I value wisdom because I cannot be indifferent to foolishness and falsehoods. I have the motivation to go to great lengths to be wise, and the commitment live in the wisest way possible.

[HUNTEDvsINVIS]

Absent, what is it that you are really good at doing in life, what do you really like doing or what do you really want to do? : ) This might give us more of an idea of what you are trying to achieve with your questions. There must be something you really/partially shine at.

[AbsentMinded]

Answer, What if I wanted to develop into a brilliant genuis, like Lenardo Dan Vinci (I don't care if its not possible!), what would I have to do? (Hypothically-lets say I have the genetics for it...)

1. Thats #1 (first Q)

2. Is there such a thing as studying too much and too intensively? why? What happens?

3. Is there such thing as talent...?

what does this mean: Is you have talent in one thing, you have talent in many, or everything?

[AbsentMinded]

I don't get mental illness, why can't it be controled without therapy...Thinking of John Nash???

[Trevor Salyzyn]

AM,

1. What if I wanted to develop into a brilliant genuis, like Lenardo Dan Vinci (I don't care if its not possible!), what would I have to do?

Depends on how similar to Leonardo da Vinci you want to be.

2. Is there such a thing as studying too much and too intensively? why? What happens?

Yes, excessive studying can be harmful. When you are reading a book, or listening to a teacher, you are not thinking for yourself. Too much and you either never learn to think, or you forget how.

3. Is there such thing as talent...?

Yes, and it's different than genius. Talent is what impresses the audience and pays the bills.

what does this mean: Is you have talent in one thing, you have talent in many, or everything?

I have no idea. Are you sure you typed it correctly?

I don't get mental illness, why can't it be controled without therapy...Thinking of John Nash???

It's harder to control a mental illness than it is to control a drug trip.