A lot of people think that being smart means getting good grades and having that degree. However, to be smart is to be able to think critically and make decisions that benefit you. It’s not just about memorizing information or being able to recite facts; it’s about understanding how the world works and using that knowledge to your advantage. You don’t have to be a genius or spend hours in the library to get smarter! Regardless of your age or level of education, you can become smarter by following some simple habits. Here are some of our favorites:
很多人认为聪明意味着取得好成绩，获得学位，而实际上，聪明是指能够批判性地思考，并做出有利于自己的决定。聪明不仅仅是能够记忆信息、复述某些事实，更重要的是了解世界的运作方式，并将这些知识为你所用，你不必是个天才，也不必成天待在图书馆里才能变得聪明。无论你的年龄或教育水平如何，你都可以通过以下一些简单的方法变得更聪明，这些是我们觉得最有用的：
#1 Question, Don’t Just Assume
第一：质疑，不要只是假定
This is a habit that applies to every aspect of your life from the way you take in new information to how you approach interpersonal relationships. Many people tend to take things at face value. They don’t question things; they just assume that if something is presented as fact in the media or by a source they trust, then it must be true. Unfortunately, this can lead to bad decision-making because you can miss out on information that could help make better choices. Don’t just assume that something is true because someone told you so. Always clarify and look at all sides of everything before making up your mind.
这一习惯适用于你生活的各个方面，从你接受新信息的方式到你如何处理人际关系，许多人倾向于只看事物的表面价值，他们不会质疑，在他们看来如果一件事情，由媒体或他们信任的来源作为事实提出，那么它一定是真的。不幸的是，这可能会导致错误的决策，因为你可能会错过那些能够帮助做出更好选择的信息，不要因为有人告诉你某件事，就觉得它一定是真的，在下定决心之前，一定要了解并理清事情的方方面面。
#2 Read Something You Normally Wouldn’t
第二：读一些你平常不会读的东西
Reading is a great way to expand your knowledge (and your vocabulary), and if you want to be smarter, you should definitely read every day. You should also consider reading something that you normally wouldn’t even if it directly opposes your own perspective! Whether it’s an article or book, reading something that differs from what you would normally read can potentially be an eye-opening experience as you will likely be forced to consider another point of view. It can certainly help expand your mind and challenge some of your ideas.
阅读是扩展你的知识（以及词汇量）的好方法。如果你想变得更聪明，你应该每天都阅读。你也应该考虑读一些你通常不会读的东西，即使它与你的某些看法相左。无论是文章还是书籍，阅读与你通常阅读的内容不同的东西，将能够开阔你的眼界。因为你很可能会被迫思考另一种观点，这无疑可以帮助拓展你的思维，挑战你的一些想法。
#3 Diversify Your Day
第三：丰富你的生活
While a routine can be great and beneficial, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. To be both happy and productive, you need to mix things up – so that you are constantly doing new things and keeping your brain active. Get yourself off autopilot. Take a different route home from work, try a new recipe for dinner, or go for a walk outside instead of walking on a treadmill. Inviting a little novelty into your daily life will not only help keep things fresh and interesting, but it can actually help make you smarter and more creative!
虽然常规的生活也可以过得很好，但很容易陷入刻板乏味之中，想要生活既快乐又有收获，你需要使它丰富起来，这样你就会不断地做新的事情，保持你的大脑活跃，让自己从自动驾驶中解脱出来，下班走不同的路线回家，尝试新的晚餐食谱，或到户外散步代替在跑步机上行走，在你的日常生活中引入一点新鲜的东西，不仅有助于保持新鲜和有趣，还能够帮助你变得更聪明，更有创造力。
#4 Expose Yourself to Different World Views
第四：让自己接触不同的世界观
Smart people are curious. They interact with different people, and expose themselves to as many cultures, places, and perspectives as possible. It’s a great way to get your mind working. Of course, it’s also important that you are open-minded about the information you receive from these sources. You may not agree with everything you hear and see, but if you keep an open mind, it will help broaden your understanding of the world around you.
聪明人都有好奇心，他们与不同的人交流，并尽可能地让自己接触更多的文化、地方和观点，这是一个让你的大脑活跃起来的好方法。当然同样重要的是，你要对从这些来源获得的信息持开放态度，你可能无法赞成所有你听到和看到的，但如果你保持开放的心态，这将有助于开阔你对于周围世界的理解。
#5 Make a Point of Learning Something New Each Day
第五：坚持每天学习新东西
Learning something new every day (no matter how small or seemingly insignificant) can have a big impact on your brain. Watch educational shows, listen to audiobooks or podcasts, or subscribe to thought-provoking newsletters. You can even use a word-of-the-day app and have fun learning new words.
每天学习一些新的东西（无论多么小或看似微不足道），都会对你的大脑产生很大的影响。观看教育节目，听有声读物或播客，或订阅一些能够引人深思的消息推送，你甚至可以使用每日一词的软件，享受学习新单词的乐趣。
#6 Apply New Knowledge
第六：应用新的知识
When you learn something new, don’t let it go to waste. If you don’t apply what you’ve learned, then what’s the point? Don’t just learn for the sake of learning; make sure it betters your life somehow. Whether it’s learning about nutrition or technology, if you take the time to learn something, put that knowledge into practice.
当你学到新东西时，不要让它浪费。如果你不应用你所学到的东西，那学习有什么意义？不要只是为了学习而学习，确保它能以某种方式改善你的生活。无论是学习营养学还是技术，如果你花时间学习了一些东西，就把这些知识付诸实践。
#7 Think of New Ways to Do Old Things
第七：想出新的方法来做旧的事情
Another way you can challenge your brain is to look at things you do every day – and think about how you could do them slightly differently. Finding new ways to do things will fend off boredom and help your brain stay sharp and focused, as well as make life more interesting and fun. You could also use this habit to find better, more efficient ways of doing something you do often, such as packing lunches or folding clothes.
另一种挑战你大脑的方法是看看你每天做的事情，想想你可以如何以稍微不同的方式做这些事情，寻找新的方法能够避免无聊，帮助你的大脑保持敏锐和专注，也能使生活更加有趣和好玩，你也可以利用这个习惯找到更好、更有效的方法来做你经常做的事情，如打包午餐或叠衣服。
#8 Play Games That Make You Think
第八：玩那些让你动脑的游戏
To keep your brain sharp and engaged, do something that requires you to think. Board games, card games, video games, and puzzles are all good options. As a matter of fact, studies show that playing strategy-based games helps improve memory function. That’s because they require you to think on the spot. And by giving your brain practice with this type of thinking process over time, you also improve your ability to deal with different scenarios in everyday life.
要使你的大脑保持敏锐和活跃，做一些需要你动脑的事情，棋盘游戏、纸牌游戏、视频游戏，以及拼图都是不错的选择。事实上，研究表明，玩策略类游戏，有助于提高记忆力，这是因为它们需要你即时思考，而通过让你的大脑，长期进行这种思维练习，你也能够提高你应对日常生活中不同场景的能力。
#9 Increase Mental Intensity
第九：提升脑力强度
The more you challenge yourself, the smarter you become. The key to doing this is to push yourself beyond what you think are your limits. Try picking up a new skill or studying a subject that you’re unfamiliar with for at least 30 minutes a day. You could also try entertaining a different thought pattern by reading self-help books or listening to podcasts about personal development. By doing these things on a regular basis, you will continue building neural pathways in your brain, which will ultimately increase your capacity for learning.
你越是挑战自己，你就会变得越聪明，这样做的关键是要推动自己超越你认为的极限，试着每天至少花30分钟去学习一项新技能或研究一个你不熟悉的主题，你也可以尝试通过阅读自我成长书籍，或收听有关个人成长的播客来感受不同的思维模式。通过定期这样做，你将持续在你的大脑中建立神经通路，这将最终提高你的学习能力。
#10 Take Up a Productive Hobby
第十：培养有益的兴趣爱好
It’s important to have interests outside of work, even if you’re a busy professional. Hobbies are more than merely a way to fill your free time; they’re creative outlets that keep your brain engaged and they can even improve cognitive function. Whether it’s writing, playing a musical instrument, painting, knitting, woodworking, or gardening, hobbies are essential for your mental health and can help you learn skills that will make you a more well-rounded person. They can also serve as a great way to meet people with similar interests, which can be helpful if you’re looking to make new friends.
即使你的工作非常忙碌，也需要有工作以外的兴趣，爱好不仅仅能够填补你的空闲时间，更能保持你的大脑活跃，甚至可以改善你的认知功能，无论是写作、演奏乐器、绘画、编织、木工，还是园艺，兴趣爱好对你的心理健康至关重要，也可以帮助你学习技能，使你成为一个更全能的人，兴趣爱好也可以作为你认识志同道合的人的好方法，如果你想交新朋友的话，这可能会有帮助。
#11 Hang Out with People Who Are Smarter Than You
十一：与比你更聪明的人交往
This is a big one! It’s easy to surround yourself with those that agree with your views or offer the same level of intelligence as yours. But if you want your brain to evolve into something greater and more complex, you need to learn from those who can teach you new things or show you another way of looking at an issue. When you surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, they’ll challenge and inspire you. They will make you think critically about your own beliefs and actions, which can help you become more effective.
这一点非常重要，你的周围常常都是同意你的观点，或与你智力水平相当的人。但是如果你想让你的大脑进化得更强大、更复杂，你需要向那些能教你新东西，或告诉你看问题的另一种方式的人学习。当你的身边有比你更聪明的人，他们就能够挑战和激励你，他们会使你对自己的信念和行动进行批判性思考，而这可以帮助你变得更有成效。
#12 Get Some Physical Exercise
十二：进行一些体育锻炼
You already know that exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body and brain, which is why it’s so important to make physical activity a habit in your life. In addition to helping improve your overall health and well-being, exercise helps improve blood flow to the brain. Consistent exercise also produces BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which helps with memory, learning, focus, concentration, and comprehension. As an added bonus, it also promotes better sleep.
你已经知道运动是对你的大脑和身体最有益的事情之一，这就是为什么我们需要让体育活动成为你生活中的一个习惯，除了帮助改善，你的整体健康之外，运动还有助于改善大脑的血液流动，坚持锻炼还能产生BDNF（脑源性神经营养因子）这有助于记忆、学习、专注、集中和理解力的提高，除此之外，它还能促进更好的睡眠。
#13 Set Aside Some Quiet Time
十三：留出一些安静的时间
If you want to be smarter, it’s important to take time to reflect on your days. Smart people learn from their experiences so they don’t make the same mistakes again and again. And by reflecting on your days, you can also start seeing patterns that might contribute to unhealthy habits or behaviors. This will help you become more self-aware and mindful of the way you think, act, and live. So, there you have it. If you want to get smarter, try adding these habits into your life. If you already do some of these things, keep up the good work. And remember: It’s not about being perfect all the time; it’s about making progress. Don’t be too hard on yourself if something doesn’t work out the way you’d hoped. Just keep learning and moving forward.
如果你想变得更聪明，很重要的一点是要花时间反思你的生活，聪明的人从他们的经验中学习，所以他们不会一而再再而三地犯同样的错误，通过反思你的生活，你也可以开始察觉那些不健康的习惯或行为模式，这将有助于你更好地了解和认识自己的思维方式、行为方式和生活方式，以上就是全部了。如果你想变得更聪明，试着在你的生活中加入这些习惯。如果你已经在做其中的一些事情，请继续努力。请记住：最重要的并不是要一直保持完美，而是要取得进步。如果在某些方面进展不顺利，也不要苛责自己，只需要继续学习和前进。如果你喜欢本期视频，请点赞。并与你的朋友分享，以支持我们继续创作，想看更多此类视频，请关注我们，不要忘记星标，还有，记得看看我们的其他视频。感谢观看。
