You are not an omnipotent genie in a lamp, but still there is a wide range of possibilities to increase your potential. Not only can you increase your potential, but, naturally, your general performance; here is how to do it.
Listen to Others
No matter how hard you try; you physically cannot know everything. Smart people understand that perfectly, and use this fact as a reason to learn something new at every occasion. Have you ever noticed that smart people usually tend to stay quiet? They are listening and filtrating the information that they might need in the future. At the same time, they do not brag and neither they get all their cards on the table, in order to avoid negativity or jealousy.
Play Games
Smart people enjoy games. Board games, card games, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, jigsaws, logic games, video games – you name it. Anything that presents a challenge and keeps your mind at work is enough to tickle a smart person’s curiosity. Download logical games to play on your phone while you commute to school or to work, and you might improve your abstract thinking.
Do Not Demean, But Teach
A person may be knowledgeable, but if they are truly smart, they will never make their interlocutor feel like they are stupid or lack certain knowledge. Rather, they will try to share their knowledge in order to make the other person learn something new. Do not make fun of someone for not knowing, because you don’t know a lot of things yourself.
Consider Your Friends
It is said, that you are the average between the five closest people to you. What kind of people are your friends? Since high school, everyone tries to find their own circle. If you find the conversation with someone engaging and enlightening, try to become their friend, and soon you will realize that your friendship will be fruitful for both of you.
Analyze
When faced with a problem, smart people do not panic right away. For example, if they get trapped in an elevator, they will not scream or bang on the door, but try to keep calm. Their brain calculates all the possible solutions for the problem. If there are no means to contact a repairman, they will consult with the background knowledge to take care of the problem in the most effective way, and calm themselves down too.
Acknowledge That There Are No Limits
A smart person often does not think of themselves as smart. Why is that? If you dive into the ocean, you realize how little of it is explored. The same goes for your brain. The more you learn, the deeper you understand how many things are still left unknown. The good thing is, there is also no limit to what we can learn. A smart person always levels up: constantly looks for a new material on the topic, is subscribed to magazines that present news on the subject they are interested in and loves to talk to other professionals.