From: david_musick@juno.com
Date: Sat Apr 24 1999 - 18:30:06 MDT
J.R. wrote,
"Einstein's brain did (does -- they keep it in a jar) look different
(under the microscope) than other brains, but perhaps that has to do
with the way he used it. Sort of like callouses on hard working hands."
Very good point. Our minds improve with use. Einstein was so
intelligent because he was always thinking, always trying to understand
things. His intelligence was not a random event; he deliberately chose
it by constantly exercising his mind. I believe that nearly all humans
are capable of becoming geniuses; of course, it takes years of intense
mental exercise and mental discipline, and one must be committed to
increasing one's own intelligence (this is why most people, sadly enough,
are not geniuses).
However, I believe that children could be raised in ways that constantly
challenge them to develop more effective mental skills. This is
something I would like to test out. I want to see if a form of education
could be created that is capable of dramatically increasing people's
intelligence. As far as I can tell, intelligence is basically a
collection of mental skills, and like any skills, they are learned.
For the past few years, I've been developing activities and exercises
which seem to have been very effective in increasing the quality of my
own thinking, the power of my problem solving skills and my creative
abilities. Most of the activities can be done by people of all ages and
levels of intelligence; they are fundamentally simple activities
(although the level of difficulty can be varied quite a bit). I have
found the activities quite enjoyable and productive for myself, but I
have not shared them with many others yet, so I don't know how effective
they would be for people in general yet.
I figured that this list was the perfect place to share my ideas with
others who may wish to try them out and give me some feedback.
Eventually, I want to publish my ideas more widely, but, of course, I do
need to get them written down first, and I think this list is a good
place to do that. Is that alright with everyone?
- David Musick
continual improvement is the highest good
David_Musick@juno.com
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