Genius & Easily Raising Your IQ
Summary
TLDRJeffrey Allen Ford, a member of multiple high IQ societies, challenges the notion that IQ is fixed. He offers practical advice on enhancing one's intelligence through improved listening skills, critical reading, expanding vocabulary, and developing mental syntax. Ford also emphasizes the importance of a conducive intellectual environment, engaging in daydreams, and surrounding oneself with great literature, arts, and music to foster creativity and independent thought.
Takeaways
- π§ Jeffrey Allen Ford is a member of 16 high IQ societies and has been recognized for his intelligence.
- π He was honored by Michigan's House of Representatives and received the 'Genius of the Year for America' award in 2015.
- π‘ The speaker challenges the notion that IQ cannot be improved and suggests that a perfect upbringing is not the only way to achieve high intelligence.
- π± He emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation for intelligence, similar to constructing a skyscraper.
- π Listening is crucial for intelligence; one must be an active listener, ask questions, and avoid interrupting or judging what is being said.
- π Reading intelligently involves considering the source, author's background, and publication date to understand potential biases.
- π― To improve attention span, one should be comfortable with silence, focus on special interests, and be aware of how diet affects focus.
- π Note-taking can be beneficial in retaining information and serves as a record of what was discussed, especially in professional settings.
- π Developing proper mental syntax is essential for higher-level thinking, and this can be achieved through good grammar and vocabulary.
- πΌ Engaging with music and math can enhance one's mental syntax, as they both involve patterns and systems that are fundamental to structured thinking.
- π‘ Creating a conducive intellectual environment at home or elsewhere is vital for nurturing one's thoughts and ideas.
- π€ Joining groups and engaging with others can broaden one's knowledge and stimulate intellectual growth through shared insights.
Q & A
Who is Jeffrey Allen Ford and what is his claim to fame?
-Jeffrey Allen Ford is a member of 16 high IQ societies, including Mensa and Triple Nine Society. He was featured on the cover of the July 2015 issue of the World Genius Directory and was honored by Michigan's House of Representatives for winning the 'Genius of the Year for America' in 2015.
What is Ford's stance on the possibility of raising one's IQ?
-Ford believes that it is possible to raise one's IQ, contrary to what many experts say. He suggests that the only way the experts' claim would be true is if someone was born into a perfect environment with the best possible upbringing and education.
What does Ford define as the difference between education and indoctrination?
-Ford defines education as truly teaching someone how to think, rather than just regurgitating facts. Indoctrination, on the other hand, is when schools or institutions focus more on telling students what to believe rather than teaching them to think critically.
What are some of the fundamental aspects Ford suggests to build up one's IQ?
-Ford suggests improving listening skills, reading intelligently, developing mental syntax for complex thoughts, and creating an environment conducive to high-level thinking as fundamental aspects to build up one's IQ.
How does Ford recommend improving listening skills?
-Ford recommends being an active listener, tuning out distractions, asking questions, not judging what is being said, and taking notes to improve listening skills.
What are some tips Ford provides for reading intelligently?
-Ford advises considering the source of the material, being aware of potential biases due to the author's background, considering the publisher, and thinking about the date of publication when reading intelligently.
How can one improve their attention span according to Ford?
-Ford suggests being comfortable in one's own company and silence, focusing on a special interest, being aware of the effects of diet such as sugar and caffeine, and gradually increasing focus on other pursuits to improve attention span.
What role does Ford believe grammar plays in developing mental syntax?
-Ford believes that having good grammar is crucial for developing mental syntax, which is necessary for higher-level thinking. He encourages using online tutorials to improve grammar skills.
How does Ford view the importance of vocabulary in thinking?
-Ford views vocabulary as essential for precise thinking. He suggests that the more nuanced one's vocabulary, the more precise and complex thoughts one can have.
What does Ford suggest for creating an intellectual environment?
-Ford suggests having a quiet place for intellectual pursuits, engaging in daydreams, surrounding oneself with great books and arts, and joining intellectual groups to create an environment conducive to intellectual growth.
What are some of the benefits of joining intellectual groups according to Ford?
-Ford believes that joining intellectual groups allows for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, fostering growth and learning, and helping individuals to think at a higher level.
Outlines
π§ Enhancing IQ and Critical Thinking Skills
Jeffrey Allen Ford introduces himself as a member of high IQ societies and challenges the notion that IQ is fixed. He emphasizes the importance of education that fosters critical thinking rather than indoctrination. Ford suggests that a strong foundation in listening, reading, and mental syntax is essential for building IQ. He also touches on the importance of creating an environment conducive to high-level thinking and improving attention span.
π The Art of Active Listening
Ford discusses the importance of active listening, which includes not just hearing words but understanding their meaning. He advises against interrupting and judging while listening, and instead, encourages asking questions to foster learning. Ford also recommends taking notes to ensure accurate retention of information, especially in professional settings like doctor's appointments.
π Developing Intelligent Reading Habits
The speaker provides tips for reading intelligently, such as considering the source, the author's background, and the publication date. He stresses the importance of recognizing potential biases and being aware of one's own. Ford also discusses the impact of the author's era, gender, and geographical background on the content, urging readers to be discerning and critical in their approach to reading material.
π― Improving Attention Span and Focus
Ford addresses the issue of short attention spans in the digital age and offers strategies to improve focus. He suggests being comfortable with silence and solitude to enhance concentration. Ford also recommends engaging in one's special interest to practice focus and gradually applying this skill to other areas. He advises on the impact of diet, particularly sugar and caffeine, on attention and suggests understanding one's body's response to different foods.
π Building Mental Syntax and Vocabulary
The speaker emphasizes the importance of grammar and vocabulary in developing mental syntax, which is crucial for higher-level thinking. Ford encourages the use of online resources to improve grammar skills and dedicates time to expanding one's vocabulary. He also highlights the benefits of engaging with music and math to structure thinking and the value of reading great books to absorb proper syntax and grammar.
π‘ Creating an Intellectual Environment
Ford talks about the necessity of creating a conducive intellectual environment for oneself, whether it's a quiet space at home or elsewhere. He advocates for daydreaming and creativity, suggesting that one should have access to tools for writing, drawing, or building. Ford also stresses the importance of engaging with others through groups and learning from diverse perspectives, as well as surrounding oneself with great literature and arts to stimulate intellectual growth.
π Embracing Arts, Music, and Continuous Learning
In the final paragraph, Ford expresses gratitude for the opportunity to speak and reiterates the importance of the building blocks discussed for personal development. He encourages continuous learning through engagement with arts and music, specifically mentioning classical composers like Mozart and Beethoven. Ford concludes by inviting the audience to subscribe to his YouTube channel for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘IQ
π‘Indoctrination
π‘Mensa
π‘Triple Nine Society
π‘World Genius Directory
π‘Mental Syntax
π‘Attention Span
π‘Vocabulary
π‘Special Interest
π‘Intellectual Environment
π‘Daydreaming
π‘Classical Music
Highlights
Jeffrey Allen Ford, a member of 16 high IQ societies, challenges the notion that IQ is immutable.
Ford was featured on the cover of the July 2015 Mensa Bulletin and recognized as a top intellect.
He emphasizes the importance of proper education that fosters critical thinking over indoctrination.
Ford suggests that the environment plays a crucial role in intellectual development, contrary to the idea of fixed IQ.
He introduces the concept of building a strong intellectual foundation for complex thought processes.
Active listening and asking questions are presented as key skills for enhancing understanding and intelligence.
Ford advises against judging speakers mid-sentence to fully absorb their message.
Note-taking is highlighted as a valuable tool for capturing and recalling information accurately.
The importance of reading intelligently by considering the source and potential biases is discussed.
Ford recommends being aware of the author's background and the publication's credibility when reading.
Increasing attention span is linked to higher-level thinking and working memory capacity.
Learning to be comfortable in silence and one's own company is suggested for improving focus.
Ford encourages engaging in special interests to naturally increase attention span and focus.
Understanding the effects of diet, specifically sugar and caffeine, on attention and focus is advised.
Developing proper mental syntax through good grammar is presented as fundamental to higher-level thinking.
Ford promotes the use of online grammar tutorials to strengthen language skills.
Vocabulary expansion is emphasized for more precise and nuanced thinking.
The benefits of engaging with music and math for structural thinking and pattern recognition are discussed.
Creating a conducive intellectual environment for deep thought and creativity is recommended.
Ford suggests daydreaming and fantasy as precursors to innovation and encourages their practice.
Joining intellectual groups and exchanging knowledge is presented as a way to grow and learn.
Surrounding oneself with great books and appreciating their language and syntax is encouraged.
Ford concludes by emphasizing the cumulative impact of these building blocks on personal development.
Transcripts
hello everybody my name is Jeffrey Allen
Ford and I want to thank you for
allowing me the privilege of speaking
with you here today
I belong to 16 different high IQ
societies including Mensa
I was featured on the cover of July 2015
months a world drill not done in the
United States Mensa bulletin I also
belong to the triple nine society for
people with IQs in the 99.9 percent town
above mines above and I also am a member
of the world genius directory which is
the who's who of the high IQ world last
year in January as honored Michigan's
House of Representatives for winning the
world genius directory genius of the
Year for America which includes the
North and South American continents
today I want to talk to you about
raising your IQ and becoming more
intelligent a lot of experts say that we
can't raise that IQ I say Nance s the
only way that would be true as if he
were born to the perfect parents and the
perfect family and the perfect
neighborhood you went to the perfect
schools that didn't care much about
indoctrination or telling you what to
believe as what they cared about truly
teaching you how to think and not just
teaching you how to regurgitate facts
back to the instructor okay that's not
education that's indoctrination and
that's not what teaching should be so
because we have all lives in the perfect
environment the perfect culture perfect
society with the perfect family we need
to do things to help increase fire
intelligence and we can do that and it's
not all that hard to do as a mere fact
it goes back to the fundamentals you
cannot build a building a skyscraper
with a porous foundation you have to
have a strong foundation and today I'm
going to talk about this
that you can take to really build up
your IQ the involves how to listen how
to read how to develop the mental syntax
necessary in order to think more complex
thoughts and how to also create an
environment for yourself where you're
able to think at the highest level and
also we're going to talk about how you
can improve your attention span so let's
talk first about how to listen correctly
a lot of people they don't listen think
about how many arguments you've had in
your life of people that never would
been arguing with you if they had just
actually listened to what you said as a
tutor I triggered accounting and the
cynics who would argue you know the
exact well yeah but when I thought the
question was asking was you have to
accept the words mean what they mean
they have definitions and definitions
matter okay so you really need to listen
to what is being conveyed to you then
there's stuff that you can do to be a
really good listener one don't just
listen waiting to speak be active while
you're listening okay be active really
really just tune out the voices in your
head that will distract you from what
actually being said and another thing
you can do while you're listening ask a
lot of questions a lot of people are
afraid to ask questions because you
think it makes them look stupid or
ignorant there's no nothing wrong at all
with looking ignorant I'm so ignorant
you'd probably believe it but you know
I'm incredibly ignorant I don't know how
to fly the space shuttle I don't know
how to do TV repair I don't think I'd be
to adopt a plumbing III think we're
going to try and tap the experts so I
have talked to people who do you know
something I like to ask them questions
when I don't understand that helps me to
learn more and so when I leave
them I leave battered unless ignorant
than when I was before I met them the
other thing is to don't judge what
people are saying
while we're saying it to you just close
that voice down inside your head because
a lot of times people will be talking to
you and you'll think that's magic that's
so that's ridiculous
don't judge so click because a lot of
times people need to get to the reasons
why the things that they're saying is
valid and think about all the times
you've talked to people and they keep
interrupting you keep interrupting
they wouldn't they let me to drop you
off and just shut up and listen to what
you have to say right and then they'd
understand what you're saying but by the
constant interruptions whether on their
part or you interrupting them and your
health even if you're not saying
anything out loud you're going to mess
it so try to suspend your judgement and
just really listen the other thing I do
is I take note if I'm in a meeting if
I'm at the doctor's office nope can be a
real lifesaver in the doctor's office
because then you don't have to rely on
your own memory right because you have a
record of what was said and you have a
documented to which can sometimes come
in handy later now let's talk about how
to learn to read intelligently okay
you're not going to get far in life if
you don't know how to read intelligently
I'm not talking about do you know how to
read I'm talking about being on how to
read and intelligently okay and there's
some tips I'm going to give you to help
you read intelligently tip 1 consider
the source of everything you read
everything whether it's a book a
periodical a document wherever consider
the source
some of them I'm going to say is not
going to be politically correct you
might not like it but I hope that you'll
consider it I would like you to consider
the age of the author when you read
something
boring during the Depression really
boring during World War two revenge
child during World War two
could that possibly create a bias in
their mind because of the era of the big
grew up did they grow up during Vietnam
in the flowerpower era you know well
when drugs are just being passed out you
know that can create a bias to what
you're do they attend collagen these are
things that you need to think where were
they born what part of the country were
they born in a small town in Kansas were
they born in New York City were they
born in Los Angeles Chicago all these
things can create biases not necessarily
okay but yes be aware of potential
biases while you're reading what's the
gender of the person who wrote it to
could there'd be a bias due to someone
being a male could there be a bias due
to someone being a female not
necessarily but it's possible and you
need to be aware of that before you
start reading something also who
published the material that really
Maddox is a large publishing company a
small publishing copy was it
self-published
was it something rude that you're off
the internet and then you definitely
want to consider the source if it's not
footnote you need to think about that
and also think about the date of what
you're eating - okay when was it
published was it published recently is
it more recent there's a pressure or was
a published long ago long ago can also
be really good because maybe it was
written with people who are in that era
who maybe knew the people okay there
might be more often so they dates don't
necessarily like if it's older than the
gate the usefulness it might actually
make it more useful in ways at times now
let's talk about the tension stance
people really really really don't have a
very good attention span now
do they most people cannot stand to
handle 140 characters of a Twitter feed
you know it's like oh my gosh they used
all the characters this is too much
effort so what you want to do is you
want to have a really good attention to
band because you put things in working
memory in order to work with and the
longer things can stay in your mind that
you can stay focused the higher level
thoughts that you can engage in so
here's a ways that you can increase your
attention span one learn to be
comfortable in your own company and in
silence because a lot of people have a
hard time focusing because that they
can't be still you know and you need to
be doing something they miss the
stimulation of their cell phone or the
computer or the TV and all these things
distract you from being able to really
digest and to focus and to pay attention
learn to be comfortable and what you can
do because you can create a nice
environment for yourself and we'll talk
about that later number two second tip
for increasing your attention span and
of course this is not medical or
psychological advice for people with a
DD or ADHD okay if that here if you can
sell the professional this is for people
who just need help getting improving
what they're doing but if you need more
help got it there's no shame in that
there's a three source called other
people who are incredibly valuable and I
encourage you if you need to help
together but had a special interest okay
what I mean by that there's a passion
something you can focus on for an hour
two hours three hours and time man just
slides by you were soaked into it's so
engaged and that shows you that you can
really focus but you do have a good
man and the more you engage in your
special interest your only being at one
of it the more that you'll be able to
take that hopefully and apply it to
other things
and maybe you want to incremental shift
that into other pursuits as well but you
know that you can do it at that point
that's done just a matter of applying it
to other things
now we also all have things that we are
naturally you know better app and other
things so don't be yourself up as that's
the case that's your human condition
okay just really really really try to
focus and things that you can really
excel at and focus on and then take
those skills and just improve gradually
incrementally the other things the other
tip I have has to do a diet sugar and
caffeine some people they have served
their bouncing all over the place
Mandor not sitting down there up or
right I go boom boom boom other people
have sugar and it energizes them and
top-center set and we're really focused
because they have the energy in order to
do that know your body some people with
caffeine they get jittery edgy they
can't sit still kind of like sugar but
different other people have caffeine
computer programmers for example are
notorious and that caffeine will help
them to sit there for a long period of
time and you're only get done what needs
to get done so know how different foods
and also Turkey would shift if an
another foods also that might slow you
down so be aware of what you're eating
and that can really help you is your
attention span as well now I talked to
you about developing the proper mental
syntax that you need in order to absorb
and information in to really assimilate
it and to create higher-level slots just
as you cannot build a building with a
shaky foundation you cannot create
higher level faucets out the proper
level
tax okay how do you do that you can do
that
what's having really really good grammar
okay and there's a really fantastic new
invention out there to help you have the
grammar skills if you lack them that you
might need that this thing called the
internet they have amazing tutorials
amazing and they're terrific and they're
easy and they're done at different
levels like really beginning up to
higher level I encourage you to take
part in those tutorials they're free
except for the internet connection in
your computer just really really focus
on that and that will really help you
develop the mental syntax you need for
the building blocks or high levels up
the other thing I want to encourage you
us is vocabulary vocabulary is huge we
think with words so people think in
pictures but most of us I believe think
on words
mostly and the more nuanced your
vocabulary is the more you can think
very very precise thoughts for me having
a good vocabulary and building my
vocabulary as a way of life what I'd
like you to do is dedicate yourself to
improving your vocabulary and don't beat
people up so either that that's of Naxos
right when you know people don't know
the words that you use and you don't use
them or define them while you're using
them with people but at least have them
excuse it so that you can use them
yourself in your head while you're
thinking to other fantastic ways in
order to develop these the syntax that
you need to sync music and math math I
think it's pretty obvious you have the
building blocks and really really really
helps you in terms of structuring
thinking in terms of systems and
patterns music the same exact thing
music is when you combine all those
things if you're good with a language
math and music you're really going to be
set up but let's say you don't you're
not really mathematically inclined well
then
focus on the language and maybe you're
really you know a lot of people who are
really drawing that math don't have the
greatest language skills when I worked
in accounting I would meet people looks
like you wrote that memo they were
number people and good for them because
we need them too so that's what you want
to do with that and the other thing I
want to talk to you about the final
thing I wanna talk to you about is
creating a strong intellectual
environment for you to live in that is
so key have a place in your home let's
quiet look still where you feel the
peace enough and if it's not in your
home that's okay to you because
sometimes people have large families and
we need to go away maybe find a place
outdoors or maybe in the library
somewhere where you can regularly go and
I encourage you to engage in daydreams
daydreams are not a waste of time
they're actually you know the precursor
of every invention if you think about it
people drink things up that never
existed before and that comes and
thought and it comes engage rings
fantasy right you're picturing that so
give yourself time to daydream give
yourself time to create create an
environment where if you want to write
you can write if you want to drop
pictures you can draw pictures if you
want to build something build something
that allow yourself to be able to do
that and have it be in a situation where
there's not too much extraneous noise
where you can really be at one with your
thoughts while you're doing it because
that really helps you build up being
used to hear your own voice so many of
us are told every day what to think
we're told by the media
a academia our employers TV we're told
what we need to think you need to be
able to think for yourself if you're
ever going to be thinking at a higher
level a true genius level the other
thing I'd encourage you to do join
groups again there's this resource
called
other people they know things that you
don't know and you know things that they
don't know get together with them pull
your intellectual resources and it will
help you all to grow and to become more
intelligent more knowledgeable I
defriending Chuck who one time said to
me if he knew accounting you know
chemistry negative work and you know
accounting you know chemistry
they're both systems you've already
proven that you can think in the
system's
framework all you have to do is take
that building apply it to different
things that completely opened up my
consciousness and I am gold and I've
learned so many different things you
would not believe that I was also very
young man at the time but again people
change people allow them to the good
ones to change you for the better the
other fingers can surround yourself the
great books whatever your languages
whether the people are who wrote in the
proper syntax with really good grammar
people who you'd want to emulate
intellectually or even the most one read
those things and it will help you
because while you're reading good
grammar that helps you with your own
grammar without you really even being
aware of it that just does my favorite
fiction book is Pride and Prejudice I
love the language find something where
you really really love the language and
delve right into the other thing arts
and music go to museums and in terms of
music I encourage you to listen to
classical music listen to what you want
allows music is not necessarily good for
the mind I think we all to be honest
about that but some music Julius I
really love Mozart
I love Beethoven some some vogner some
Franz Liszt
I'm not a huge classical music fan but I
absolutely love Mozart and I love
Beethoven especially multi-use my
favorite well I want to thank you for
listening to this and I hope there's
helped I know this might seem like very
simple like but these changes these are
building blocks add up over time and
they hope to change you from where you
were to who you can be and these are the
things that help to add life to life now
I again I thank you for allowing me the
privilege of speaking with you today and
if you'd like to watch more videos by me
just subscribe to my YouTube page have a
great day and thank you very much bye
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