4 Daily Habits That Are Secretly Killing Your Intelligence – The Habits of Low IQ
Many of us assume that our routine habits are safe, smart, and reasonable practices; however, Habits of low IQ often develop quietly over time, and many of these behaviors have been known to reduce intelligence. Intelligence does not come only from IQ, but also shows in all parts of life, the way a person receives and processes information, and how they train their mind to think clearly through regular habits.
Without most people realizing it, over time, these habits have hurt their ability to focus, weakened their memory, and eventually damaged their ability to think deeply. Let’s look at four daily habits that may be slowly harming a person’s intelligence.
Habit 1: Constant Distraction
Have you attempted to stay completely still for a full five minutes without engaging with your mobile device or checking your social media profiles?
As you become flooded daily with a constant flow of social media “blips” from YouTube, Twitter, etc., you develop a habit of receiving immediate reward so that you no longer focus on long-range goals. The pages of history are filled with exceptionally clever people who took periodic breaks during the course of the day to rest their minds. Keeping your brain fresh should be considered an indication of greatness!
To boost your level of concentration and clarity of thought, make a habit of giving your brain dedicated times of ‘quiet’ throughout the day.
Habit 2: Talking Too Much, Listening Too Little
Most people will talk over one another and interrupt each other in an effort to “win” the conversation, and many others think they understand everything about everything.
Losing our ability to learn from others, not being able to communicate clearly, has caused many to become isolated and thus lose their ability to do so.
Most often, we find that the quietest person in a discussion is the most aware of themselves, as they have taken in the comments of others and thought about the information they have absorbed prior to deciding how to act on the information presented within the discussion.
Next time you chat with someone, remember this and take a moment before reacting or responding. Ask questions of others instead of speaking first. Doing so may give you the impression that you appear to be less knowledgeable, when in reality, listening not only allows you to develop your own level of intelligence but also assists in your growth.
Habit 3: A Fear of Failure and Avoiding Challenges
Habit 4: Thinking You Already Know Enough
Assuming you know everything you need to know leads to static understanding. This ceases interest in learning; creates boredom for deeper, continued learning. Therefore, you turn your understanding into an opinion; this narrows your thoughts.
Additionally, intelligent people continually strive to learn more. They believe that an existing skill may always have room for improvement or that their intellect can surpass their current level of intelligence. This mindset will create a constant cycle of inquiry and testing of previously held beliefs as well as a receptiveness toward other viewpoints and ideas.
The Takeaway
There is a misconception that Low intelligence comes from genes; this is not true — it comes from habits:
Distraction kills focus.
Talking more and listening less kills learning.
Avoiding hard challenges kills growth.
Pride kills curiosity.
Breaking even one of these habits can naturally improve your intelligence. Don’t force it — consistency is key.
