Oscar Del Ben left this comment on "Does imagining what it’s like to be more intelligent, more effective, etc., make you more intelligent, effective, etc.? I think maybe yes." -

I’ll tell you what it is. I believe intelligence is a process, not an absolute thing. What I want to say is that even if your iq is 160 (congrats if it is), it doesn’t mean that you always perform at that level of intelligence.

So, when you ask that question, specifically “What would I have done right now at this moment”, you get to use all your different intelligences (strategic, planning, etc) to get the right answer. In that specific moment you’ll be likely to perform at the top of your potential, and because intelligence can be exercised, you can theoretically become more intelligent by asking yourself how you can be more intelligent.

Practical example: If I would be more intelligent right now, I would write down this note, and constantly ask myself “How would I do this if I were more intelligent”, probably a variation of that question.

I’m sure that by *constantly* asking ourselves these questions, and thus incrementing the times that we think at the top of our abilities, we can achieve life changing effects.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts about this.

Intriguing, interesting stuff there Oscar.

I agree we can increase our output by asking smart questions and running better processes.

The intriguing part is, where does that come from? Or, what is intelligence?

I reckon there's definitely a procedural component to intelligence. Obviously, a person who is well-nourished, who has slept enough, with a healthy blood circulation and immune system will think better than the same guy who doesn't take care of his health in those ways.

Likewise, better thinking/planning/preparation/questions should increase output.

Is there a hard limit to how much improvement you could make by better processes?

I don't know. Maybe not? Interesting stuff to think about.

Oscar's site is here - http://freestylemind.com/