Lyric Fire: Am I Smart Enough? - Gauging & Assessing Self Intelligence

Throughout the day I think many thoughts and recently this one blazed across my brain: "Am I smart enough?" I'm not sure what if anything in particular triggered this question, but it stayed with me for a few days, lingering and nagging at me.

Of course I have common sense and book smarts as I'm well-read and a college graduate, but I feel deep within my depths that I should know more than what I do at this stage of life. Being able to answer questions while watching Jeopardy and solving crossword puzzles is great, but I sense something is definitely missing. 

Perhaps the fact that I'm not satisfied with my level of knowledge is a good thing. I'm still relatively young anyway and have loads more learning to do. So what to do with this feeling? 

Since I'm good at making lists of things for others to do to better themselves (recent post: 25 Unconventional Things You Can Do To Become A Better Writer!) here are a few suggestions for myself and others who want to feed their appetite for continued learning:

Read more journals: Educational studies with facts and figures, oh my!

Learn a new language: Should I try Italian or French? 

Book an educational trip: Pleasure travel is amazing, but  7-10 days of learning might be fun too. 

Read more blogs: I do this on a regular basis anyway, but I'm going to incorporate some new ones that focus on subjects I'm not familiar with. 

Get an additional degree: In this economy going back to school might be a challenge, but what isn't these days? 

In my quest for more knowledge I uncovered this wonderful infographic about the brain. Do enjoy and please share some more suggestions of what we all can do to increase our intelligence. Also, chime in on your own state of smartness. What does being "brainy" mean to you? 

Infographic courtesy of Web Cool Tips and the Visual Academy

 

Comments

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Hey Jennifer! Big words thrown about to show off are so dull and boring aren't they? But I must admit that I love them when they are used in the right way. You my dear have nothing to worry about. You are brilliant! :-)

[Jennifer]

I struggle with this all the time. Sometimes I feel like I don't know enough big words. The thing is--I detest big words! There are some that are beautiful, but for the most part, when I read a book rife with big words, I want to fall asleep. I study vocab words for fun anyway though. :0)

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Hi Lisa! Thanks for your comments! Knowledge is power so I will be cramming away! :-)

[Lisa at Amalfi Blue]

I applaud your desire to learn more. Boredom is what drove me to law school. Once I got there, I thought my head would explode with all the knowledge I had to cram in. LoL

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Dawn, thanks for sharing that. I do think how we view intelligence is shaped in our formative years. Sometimes teachers and parents can cause damage if they push us too hard, but others might need a push and if someone is brilliant, there needs to be a balance so there is no pressure and only growth. I could talk about this stuff all day! Thanks as always for your enlightened insights!

[Dawn]

You know, this is something I've struggled with my whole life. It comes from a very toxic practice that was just hitting elementary schools when I was in first grade - there was a new wave of studies of IQ in children in grade school, with some very inappropriate methods employed. Kids were treated like lab rats in these studies. I happened to test at genius level IQ and that started a pretty big set of expectations and a demanding road to walk throughout my formative years. The label of "the brain" still follows me to this day.

Eventually, I found a way to come to peace with this part of who I am. A high IQ, unfortunately, doesn't gift us with a successful life path. In fact, I ended up having to work a lot harder than people would think because I have some odd comprehension quirks.

All of that aside, having my brain hardwired this way means that I love the process of learning! I have what I call "low boredom threshold" that drives to me always be conquering something new. Am I smart enough? Heck, no! I tend to ascribe to the school of thought that the more I learn, the more aware that I am just getting started. Keeps life interesting! :)

- Dawn

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Thanks so much Jessica! You are right, we should never stop learning! Thanks for stopping by as always. Cheers!

[Jessica]

Wow..this was a very informative post...! I think we never stop learning in life. At least we shouldn't. It's great to seek out more structured ways..like college, etc. but I think also experiencing life itself is sometimes the greatest classroom. Diving deep into the rich tapestry of colors it has to offer you.
Great post!

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Thanks for the visit Momto8! Yes indeed!

[momto8blog]

interesting and informative..thanks!!
I know for certain that man becomes what he thanks about...

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

So true J.R.! Thanks for visiting!

[J. R. Nova]

Nice! I was always bothered by the 10% usage myth (I've heard varying amounts between 5% and 15%, but it's all the same in the end). I think it caught on a lot because it was something Einstein had said, but it doesn't fit reality. Sure, only a certain part of it is used for thinking, but the rest is hard at work hearing, seeing, talking, touching, tasting, smelling, balancing, and so many other things.

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Melissa thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on smartness! Your intelligence is astounding! I would love to read your journal. Health and wellness is definitely a topic that I love! :-)

[Melissa Tandoc]

Ooo thank you, I needed that a review on the brain's functions today :) The circulatory system works better for me though :P

Italian is great ;) ~ it's like studying all the other languages together because the roots are Latin and is similar to Spanish in most ways :) My sister studied German (for the love of her bf :P)...

Maybe you could include our 'journal' to your collection :D

Ooo, the kids are wishing for an educational trip...I hope we get funds for it (the truth is I like to have it too :)

Blogs ~ I think I'm gearing towards arts and 'more' crafts this time plus fashion blogs ~ LOL! I'm getting younger ~ I just learned a new way of tying a hair and would like to try it out to my niece :D

Mary's blog on Celiac Disease is also interesting ~ there are many recipes I'd like to try out...

On additional degree ~ if God will permit it, hopefully, by next year or the next ones before my contract at work ends, I'd like to continue with Religious Science (maybe I could even teach after that)...my cousins are pushing me to pursue Masterals in Nursing ~ I'm not so sure about that :P

Oooo, and so much more Tameka... maybe it's not having high scores at schools or getting As in term papers that counts :) For me, at least ~ I'm learning many beautiful things in this world :)

Additional reading :)
Seat of human soul ~http://www.viewzone.com/pineal.html~
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P.S. You are one of the most highly creative and intelligent individuals I've ever met online :) Keep it up :)

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Hi Dawn, thanks for your insights. I love the fact that we can all learn in different ways. I happened to be a school nerd, I loved it! Going to college was something I had always wanted to do and I loved the camaraderie of my classmates and being able to access brilliant professors and engage in collegiate activities.

But, going to a university isn't the only way of obtaining knowledge. Going into the workforce or supporting your community or traveling and definitely going to the library and utilizing the World Wide Web are fabulous ways to keep those brain cells moving and grooving. Whatever works for you! Cheers!

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Research is a great way to learn Martha! I love stumbling upon something I didn't know from doing research. I think as bloggers we do this more often than not. Thanks so much for the compliment! Back to you! :-)

[Tameka Mullins (Tamstarz)]

Hi Leah! You are one of the smartest people I know! I agree that just because women may be more in tune with their emotions that they are overly emotional. I've met plenty of emotional men as well. Yay! Learn those languages. I studied Spanish in high school and college. I think I want to tackle French! Cheers and Happy Friday!

[crazylady]

VERY interesting. We are home of learners here. I don't have a college degree and won't be getting one. We go to the library alot and if we have questions off to the internet we go!! School is not where you learn about life.. It's where you get a diploma...

[Martha Orlando]

Great post, Tameka, and so interesting! I knew some of these "Brain Facts", but some were new to me.
And, that's another way we can become smarter, or more educated, if you will: Research things we wish to know more about. I have often done this in the past when preparing a blog post and did it all the time when I taught and had to prepare interesting lessons. That will really stimulate the gray matter! :)
And, I, like you, am constantly reading people's blogs and learning from them. What a fascinating world the internet has opened up to us!
And, yes, my friend, you are one smart cookie! :)
Blessings!

[Leah]

Tameka, I found this post fascinating. #13 proves that women are more emotional, which does not necessarily mean overly emotional; I believe women tend to be more intuitive also.

Well, as far as am I smart enough? Um. No and yes. I forgot most of what I learned in school, but life has taught me plenty. I may not be able to recite the state capitals, or speak another language (unless pig latin counts) but I do have some wisdom and common sense, something you can't get from a text book. Seriously, I do enjoy learning, and I just happen to have a set of language CD's waiting for my attention. I want to learn Spanish and then French. Not fluently, but enough to get by when I go traveling.

Great post Tameka!