Cover image by Donald Tran on Unsplash
Beloved,
I’ve always felt like I was an imposter when it came to intelligence. Despite being academically above average before my Master’s Degree humbled me and people complimenting me on being bright, I have never actually felt that smart.
In the past year or so however, I felt my brain atrophy in real time and fast. I wasn’t consuming any new information, I spent too many hours on social media and I hate to admit it, but I used Chatgpt to think for me on tasks I could have just done on my own. Moreover, I felt many of the people around me were just more intelligent than me in one way or the other.
One day I just woke up and decided, it wouldn’t hurt to try and become smarter. Smarter being an operative word here because I can’t fully explain to you what I’m trying to achieve. Do I want to be more analytical? Do I want to understand current affairs and the world’s political landscape? Do I just want to be more knowledgeable so I can stunt on my friends during 30 seconds? All of the above? I don’t know. But I’ll take anything that’s just more elevated than my current state.
To achieve whatever it is I’m trying to achieve here’s a few habits I’ve been incorporating into my life and why.
1. Reading widely
The other day I was literally telling a friend I miss the times when my phone didn’t give me the luxury of the entire world at my hands because then I was “forced” to read more books outside my comfort zone. I’ve always been a reader, but reading a lot does not equate to reading widely. During the time I couldn’t access the books that I wanted (which mainly consist of really lovely romcoms), I read what was usually available. These ranged across genres and authors. The past two years have been punctuated by romcoms and I’ve been taking active steps to read more outside my comfort zone again. I just feel reading widely broadens perspectives and just introduces you to new thoughts and concepts. It helps you view things differently and in turn helps you think differently.
2. Reviewing books
Deciding to review books on my blog was one of my finer decisions content wise. However, the more I write them the more I realise reviewing books is a good way to just have thoughts on something. These days I even make little notes of the books I don’t plan to publish on my blog. I’ve realised in doing so I actively engage in the book and well? Think.
3. Watching educational YouTube videos
I usually watch YouTube videos to keep up with the book world. But these days I’m trying to branch out into more “educational” content like what happens to the body when you drink alcohol or how nobody wants kids no more. I mainly watch Kurzegsagt and The Infographic Show, but I also want to start watching Crash Course, Vlog Brothers and Wired.
4. Listening to podcasts
It’s actually insane how I went from 0 to a 100 when it comes to listening to podcasts. I have my good friend Zee to thank for this. On two separate occasions he sent me really interesting episodes of PhilosophizeThis! The second time he did this I thought, maybe I could learn a thing or two about philosophy and just follow the guy. Since then, I’ve subscribed to a few more educational podcasts. My favourite is most likely Conflicted which deep dives into events that shaped history. I’m subscribed to a few more which I’m yet to get into like Sociology Ruins Everything (self explanatory) and It’s a Continent (which is about key moments in African History). I also listen to the news which brings me to the fifth thing I’ve been doing:
5. Following the news
As a journalist by training and a journalism lecturer by profession it’s actually embarrassing how little I know about current events. I always thought getting into following the news would be overwhelming so I didn’t try. But in so doing I realised I felt a bit disconnected from the machinations of the things around me and not even in a good way. There were plenty things I didn’t know that I definitely should have. So I decided to start following the news. Firstly by listening to the Global News Podcast by the BBC World Service. It’s actually really good in keeping me informed (well duh. It’s the BBC). I decided to take it one step further and and also listen to The Focus of Africa podcast – also by the BBC. As I keep narrowing down closer to home, I’m also planning to subscribe to The Nation Publications e-newspaper.
6. Presentations
Of course these have become fewer in between, but for a time my friends and I (and sometimes even my mom) would make presentations on any topic of our choosing. It started out as a way for both Angasa and I to become better at our presentation skills but at the same time, it became a good way to know some obscure topics – firstly through the research and also through what everyone else had to say.
7. Like really trying with Duolingo
This year I’ve seen people with stronger willpower than me quit that crazy bird app. No not Twitter ( now known but not accepted as X). But the even crazier homicidal bird that’s Duolingo. Sadly I’m too attached to my streak to give it up. But I’ve decided since it seems I’m in this for the long haul, I might as well really try when it comes to learning a new language. I spend at least 15 minutes at a time on the app. Try to finish all my quests and actively try to be top of the league. I’ve realised these days, reading french is easier. It’s still abysmal but way way better. And on days when my brain can’t be bothered to oui oui baguette my save my streak, I do math instead.
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All these little things are making me feel like my brain is waking up, no Neo. I’ve even taught myself how to locate every single African country on the map and where every district is in Malawi (ask me I dare you). Still, there are a few more practical things I’d like to try in future as well, like playing more chess, doing puzzles, or enrolling in a french class but I’ll save those for another post. Being “smarter” will most likely always be a moving target, but at least for now, I’m starting to feel little less like an imposter in my own brain.
