Summary

Here again are the twenty rules of formulating knowledge. You will notice that the first 16
Do not learn if you do not understand
Learn before you memorize - build the picture of the whole before you dismember it into sim
Build upon the basics - never jump both feet into a complex manual because you may never se
Stick to the minimum information principle - if you continue forgetting an item, try to mak
Cloze deletion is easy and effective - completing a deleted word or phrase is not only an e
Use imagery - a picture is worth a thousand words
Use mnemonic techniques - read about peg lists and mind maps. Study the books by Tony Buzan
Graphic deletion is as good as cloze deletion - obstructing parts of a picture is great for
Avoid sets - larger sets are virtually un-memorizable unless you convert them into enumerat
Avoid enumerations - enumerations are also hard to remember but can be dealt with using clo
Combat interference - even the simplest items can be completely intractable if they are sim
Optimize wording - like you reduce mathematical equations, you can reduce complex sentences
Refer to other memories - building memories on other memories generates a coherent and herm
Personalize and provide examples - personalization might be the most effective way of build
Rely on emotional states - emotions are related to memories. If you learn a fact in the sat
Context cues simplify wording - providing context is a way of simplifying memories, buildin
Redundancy does not contradict minimum information principle - some forms of redundancy are
Provide sources - sources help you manage the learning process, updating your knowledge, ju
Provide date stamping - time stamping is useful for volatile knowledge that changes in time
Prioritize - effective learning is all about prioritizing. In incremental reading you can s

The roots of creativity and genius Dr Piotr Wozniak

Summer 2001
This article is an attempt at formulating a prescription for genius and creativity. In equa
Contents
Sideline stories
High IQ in high demand
Nature-vs-nurture dilemma resolved
What is intelligence?
The computing brain
What is special about a genius brain?
Working out genius
Smart and dumb learning
Predicting the future
What is creativity?
Ingredients of creativity
Personality factor
Creative environment
Negative and positive emotions
Lifelong learning: Rebirth of the Renaissance man
Major Genius Fallacies
Summary: Genius Checklist
Genius FAQ
Biological basis of genius
Down syndrome
Dyslexia
Expert systems
Ideafisher
Johannes Gutenberg
Charles Darwin
Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla
Steve Wozniak
Tim Berners-Lee
Polgar sisters
William James Sidis
Genius in chess
Predictive lapses
Inserts related to SuperMemo
SuperMemo and contradiction
SuperMemo and complexity
Incremental reading
Associational thinking
Knowledge selection
Representing SuperMemo

High IQ in high demand

Intelligence, creativity and genius are generally regarded as highly valuable assets of the
high intelligence reveals existential truths and as such is highly depressive
high intelligence prevents atavistic enjoyment of relationships
high intelligence is a source of envy and other bad feelings in others
high intelligence leads to inhuman behaviors and most sophisticated forms of evil
In this article, I will tacitly ignore the above claims and assume that you would gladly be
Nature-vs-nurture dilemma resolved
Many books on psychology put a substantial emphasis on the nature-vs-nurture debate. Psycho
The power of genetics on the functioning of the brain is illustrated by afflictions such as
If you look at the human brain from 100,000 years ago, you will not see much difference whe
Throughout this article, gray inserts will provide additional illustrative material. All in
Down syndrome
Of the inborn disorders that affect intellectual capacity, Down syndrome is the most preval
Whatever the actual molecular reason, over-expression of chromosome 21 genes puts children
At the same time, medical treatment, conducive family environment, vocational training, etc

What is intelligence?
You will find many definitions of human intelligence of which three make the most of the da
problem solving ability - the power of the human mind to process information and solve pro
processing power - the raw nimbleness and agility of the human mind. When you see a smart s
intelligence potential - the potential to develop intelligence in senses listed above. When
In this article, I will focus on ways towards developing the intelligence in the sense of p
High IQ is welcome but it makes up for only a fraction of intelligence (Definition 1). As m
Later in the article, I will argue in support for the scientifically obvious statement: wel
The computing brain
The neural network of the brain can be seen as mental hardware. It includes inborn ROM memo
If you doubt a mental ROM exists try the following experiment: look at the computer screen,
Knowledge is encoded in the modifiable strength of connections between neurons in a similar
Expert systems
Expert systems are computer programs that take over the job of an expert in a highly specia
An expert system is usually built of a knowledge base (collection of facts representing fac
Expert systems are always based on storing large amounts of information. They are built by
Much of expert thinking is much simpler than what happens in a child's brain in the course
What an expert needs to know can indeed be simple. However, it is often not simple to disco
As with the haziness of the rules, similar uncertainty may concern the actual application o
In conclusion, knowledge is the key to problem solving. In particular, highly abstract infe
In today's world, information is so abundant and can be accessed so readily that it is hard
It should be enough to create in our memory some sort of an index to the global wealth of i
The most important things we learn from expert systems is that extensive knowledge helps so
For a quick course on basic concepts of Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence see: ABC

Factual knowledge is made of facts. A fact may have a form of "Jimmy Carter was elected the
Apart from declarative facts and rules which we can learn in a textbook, our nervous system
Apart from inference engine, our brain is equipped with a sort of "interference engine". Ou
Here is the summary of the computer metaphor of the human mind. Terminology defined here wi
Hardware - the brain
Infrastructure - brain components: cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, etc.
ROM - inborn knowledge (e.g. acrophobia)
Software - knowledge
Declarative knowledge - textbooks knowledge
Facts - e.g. Mary is a pilot
Rules - e.g. All snakes are reptiles, formula for solving quadratic equations, etc.
Procedural knowledge - skills (e.g. playing piano, touch typing, swimming, etc.)
Interference - emotions, instincts, reflexes (e.g. hunger, thirst, orgasm, etc.)
positive emotions (e.g. passion, laugh, elation, zeal, energy, etc.)
negative emotions, instincts, reflexes (e.g. anger, envy, hate, malice, etc.)
In the above light, we can simplify genius to the following:
Genius is based on good hardware, excellent knowledge, strong motivation, and minimum negat
In other words:
it is helpful to be blessed with a healthy brain (hardware)
this brain must be subject to a lifelong training in acquiring useful knowledge (software);
knowledgeable brain must be driven by strong motivational factors (drive), including positi
well-driven knowledgeable brain must avoid negative interference from inborn weaknesses and
What is special about a genius brain?
Using the "simplified brain model" above, I will try to look for factors that determine a g
A genius brain in action will tackle a problem, quickly find an appropriate set of rules, a
Biological basis of genius
Humans do differ in their brain power. Some get a biological head start, others get handica
Scientists have studied Einstein's brain to look for the clues as to his genius. On cursory
Anatomical studies show that various areas of the human brain may substantially differ in s
A racially sensitive subject of lower SAT test scores among blacks and Hispanics in the US
Although we can point to differences based on sex or ethnicity, the ultimate difference in
When we tried to see if student IQ makes it easier to do well in learning and in exams, we

To produce breakthrough ideas, most valuable rules are those that are highly abstract (i.e.
Rule abstractness: If you learn the rule "Wheat contains 340 kcal per 100 grams" its is onl
The applicability of rules does not only depend on their express meaning. The actual repres
Let us use our computer metaphor to illustrate the problem:
If we take this rule: "if HardDiskSpace<5MB then raise(HardwareAlert('Running out of hard
If you type this rule to MS Word and save it in a doc file, the rule will be as useless as
For the same reason, I started this article with a computer metaphor. This way I tried to r
Abstractness calls for particularly well-chosen representation. The fact that dinosaurs bec
Blue inserts in this article are dedicated solely to users of SuperMemo. If you are not a u
Popularity of SuperMemo vs. knowledge representation
SuperMemo is still far from being widely accepted. It still awaits a moment to be packaged
In acquiring knowledge, never say "this article or book is too hard for me". When listing b
If you find difficult material, do not waste time for depression or despair. Abstractness i
Working out genius
High achievements in all fields require hours of training. This refers to music, chess, sci
Genius in chess
It is a pity that not all those genius chess brains had been sufficiently employed in the b
Chess is a great metaphor for creativity. Chessboard positions roughly correspond to facts
British chess player and author Jonathan Levitt proposed a formula linking chess scores wit
An important component of success in chess is the way chess knowledge is represented in the
In essence, chess training is based on memorizing positions and moves (see: smart vs. dumb
Of numerous interlinking factors, the personality of a chess player may be one of the most
In chess, it is easy to notice that statistically it better to be Jewish, middle-class, and
Ultimately the short formula for genius in chess is: (1) the right competitive personality
Similar preconditions are true for creativity in general: it all begins with the rage to ma

A well-planned training regimen has been shown to lead to a remarkable progress in people s
Dyslexia
People who experience reading difficulty without being otherwise intellectually disabled ar
5-15% of the population can be diagnosed as suffering from various degrees of dyslexia. Its
The list above indicates that those who show reading difficulties in childhood can also cop
In 1979, anatomical differences in the brain of a young dyslexic have been documented. Albe
Several genetic regions on chromosomes 1 and 6 have been found that might be linked to dysl
Whether today's models of dyslexia are correct or not, the main lesson of dyslexia is that

Smart lifelong training is an essential component of the formula for genius! Even though ge
Most average students today could amaze Aristotle with their ability to draw conclusions in
Smart and dumb learning
To build genius, your learning program must be based on high applicability of newly acquire
To accomplish smart learning, you will need to constantly pay utmost attention to what mate
While you focus on your goals, you cannot forget about the overall context of human life. Y
A bright 25-year-old Microsoft programmer has suggested to me recently that I use wrong exa
Listen to other people's advice and valuations. The younger you are the more you should lis
Remember that not all knowledge can easily be formulated in a declarative manner. Remember
Sifting trivia in SuperMemo
In early versions of SuperMemo, your decisions related to sifting trivia from valuable know

Predicting the future

The ability to "see" the future is one of the best tests for genius. The nature of spacetim
Predictive powers are the cornerstone of success in business. Those who can see the technol
Here is an example: when Alan Turing developed the concept of his Turing machine, he equipp
Ray Kurzweil is probably best know for his improbable-sounding predictions of the future. M
In 1977, the bright mind of Ken Olson, President of the Digital Equipment Corporation, comm
SuperMemo vs. contradiction
SuperMemo makes it easy to see that knowledge we are fed daily via various media is rich in

Ken Olson blundered by claiming no demand for personal computers, but his brain was able to
Notorious predictive lapses
Predictive lapses do not detract from human genius. They befell to presidents, Nobel Prize
It would appear that we have reached the limits of what it is possible to achieve with comp
Television won't hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will
This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communica
An amazing invention, but who would ever want to use one? U.S. president Rutherford Hayes,
No matter what happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping. Secretary of the N
There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom. Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize
I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and
I think there is a world market for about 5 computers. Thomas Watson Sr., President of IBM,
Everything that can be invented has been. US Patent Office 1899 (an urban legend)
For a taste of excellent knowledge-based predictive powers in action, see the highly educat

What is creativity?
Creativity is usually defined as the ability to generate new ideas that are both highly inn
Here are some examples of creative breakthroughs that we will use in an effort to find a pr
Johannes Gutenberg built upon the idea of metal blocks with letters, combined existing tech
Steve Wozniak combined his knowledge of electronics with a vision of a computer displaying
Tim Berners-Lee inspired by the idea of hypertext and in need of an efficient communication
Tim Berners-Lee
In 1980, Tim Berners-Lee wrote a little program called Enquire that helped him link pieces
Tim Berners-Lee creatively combined his experience, and existing ideas into a breakthrough

If you look at Gutenberg's, Steve Wozniak's or Tim Berners-Lee's breakthrough ideas, you ma
Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak is universally credited with initiating the entry of computers into private h
Successor to Tom Swift
Wozniak's early inspirations came from his father Jerry who was a Lockheed engineer, and fr
Woz's values were shaped and strengthened over years by his family, Christian philosophy (t
As a lasting Swift legacy, throughout his life, Wozniak loved all projects that required he
First home computer
With all engineering skills at hand, it was not hard for the Wizard of Woz to envisage a si
Wozniak could now focus full-time on fixing the shortcomings of Apple I and adding new func
Plane crash
In February of 1981, Wozniak nearly lost his genius in an accident that could have easily c
Woz became less enthusiastic about his work for Apple. He got married and returned to the u
The future of creativity
Wozniak said: "Apple is not the company I had hoped it would be. I always thought that a ma
Geniuses dislike corporate structures because corporations tend to bend creativity to comme
In addition to opening ways towards individual creativity, the Internet helps corporations

Ingredients of creativity
All creative individuals experience periods of time when new ideas come into their mind in
suitable state of mind: alert, excited, and excitable
suitable environment: minimum irrelevant interference from the outside word (e.g. ringing p
time: the more time you give for an idea to grow, the greater the likelihood of a breakthro
motivation: there must be a need to come up with a solution and strong motivation to docume
curiosity: the mind must curiously stray into unexplored paths when new associations and un
knowledge: knowledge in relevant areas
Of the above factors, genetic endowment may greatly help in achieving the suitable state of
Computer metaphor of the creative mind
A creative mind can be compared to an expert system that must go beyond its current field o
speed: the more parallel processing paths the creative system can spawn the richer its outp
minimum interference: we want to avoid power failure, additional computational tasks (e.g.
time: the more time we allow for the exploration, the greater the number of tasks we can ex
goal: the creative system by definition will focus on churning new ideas and recording the
branching: the creative system will use all heuristics available at hand to drive explorati
knowledge: the more rules and well-chosen facts our system has in store, the greater its ex
In short, our creative system can be improved by adding speed (esp. through stimulation of
In simple terms the above means stimulating creative powers, using creative techniques, avo
Rat maze metaphor of the creative mind
Our brain metaphor presented earlier does not suffice to efficiently explain the mind in th
The way brain controls major parallel processes can roughly be illustrated with the rat maz
Some people are born with highly creative minds. They invent new things faster than they ca
If increase in creativity was purely beneficial, it would have certainly been far better pr
To take only one example, the high suicide and low reproduction rate of people with bipolar
Conclusion: Creative balance is the key! There is an optimum level of creativity for any gi
Johannes Gutenberg
Before Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1438, there were only 30,000 books
It is important to add that it was a Chinese blacksmith and alchemist Pi Sheng who should b
Gutenberg illustrates important aspects of creativity:
great breakthrough may being with a very simple association of ideas
the inventor himself may take long to realize the importance of his own invention. If it wa
the creative process is subject to multiple constraints that can stifle the brightest idea

Enhancing creativity: summary

Using the above creative system models, let us quickly list the areas where your creativity
suitable state of mind: nurture your mental health, get enough sleep, avoid stress, learn a
suitable environment: turn off the phone, lock your door, turn off the radio, CD or MP3-pla
time: for a breakthrough solution, give up as much of little things in life and focus on yo
motivation: this one is hard to develop. The vicious circle of bad motivation comes from th
curiosity: lifelong learning is a sine qua non of creativity. The more you learn the more c
knowledge: knowledge is the software of your creative engine. The more knowledge you throw
The shortest formula for enhanced creativity: quiet, focus, curiosity, understanding the cr
Ideafisher - creativity software based on associational thinking
Creativity can be molded, enhanced and directed. This is the basis of Ideafisher software.
Incremental reading in SuperMemo 2004 can be employed in a similar fashion. In incremental
The main differences between Ideafisher and incremental reading:
incremental reading was designed for the purpose of learning; Ideafisher focuses specifical
Ideafisher comes with a ready-made database of association cues; in incremental reading you
Ideafisher can help you direct your creative effort towards a specific goal; incremental re
Ideafisher capitalizes on improbable associations that might be impossible with your presen

Personality factor
In the 1970s, Laszlo Polgar, a teacher from Hungary, concluded that all normal children cou
Polgar's optimistic claim does not leave much place for genetics. Throughout history, most
If genetics comes into play in limiting genius, it is less so in the area of the sheer brai
Except for mental disorders, important personality factors that limit overall creativity in
Such largely inborn factors as the overall level of serotonin or dopamine in the brain can
Destructive personality factors are highly correlated with each other. For example, non-vir
Early signs of genius personality are best described as the rage to master. By 1899 the Wri
Nathan Mhyrvold, former chief scientist at Microsoft, claims that a great programmer is wor
Motivation and belief in one's abilities may be a key to sustained development in a young m
Inability to cope with stress can also stifle creativity. Stress takes your mind away from
Lewis Terman, the precursor of IQ tests, agrees that the greatest differences between of gi
Dr Ellen Winner in her book Gifted Children (1996) presents her analysis on what makes the
Polgar sisters
A Hungarian teacher Laszlo Polgar had a theory about child-raising: every child can be made
Interestingly, Susan's success does not complete the Polgar sisters story. Younger sister S
Last but not least, the youngest of the Polgar sisters, Judit (born 1976) is an amazing and
It is known that chessplayers often experience various psychological problems. The level of

Could indeed any normal child be made a genius with sufficient training? Unfortunately, exc
The ability to delay gratification can be easily recognized by the parent. It can also be m
A blind belief that every normal child can be trained to be a genius can be dangerous if th
William James Sidis: The smartest brain in history
Some sources claim William James Sidis (born 1898) was a genius that has reached the highes
Formula for genius by Boris Sidis
To understand William James Sidis case, we need to look back to the days of his grandfather
... uncritical belief in authority, meaningless imitation of jingles and gibberish, memoriz
Boris dedicated a substantial effort to making his son an example of what education can do
Unfortunately, Boris's early success with bringing up William James showed little warning o
Amazing prodigy
Young William James Sidis was tutored relentlessly from the cradle. He could read English a
Prodigy downfall
At Harvard, young Sidis appeared to be rather poorly adapted emotionally and socially. His
In 1937, the New Yorker dug out the young prodigy story again and run a piece entitled "Apr
One of the reasons for lasting ridicule of Sidis was one of the books he wrote. While most
Fallen star or an anonymous giant
It is not true that Sidis contributed little to society beyond providing a remarkable study
Fuller got Sidis's book from Dan Mahony, a researcher who decided to unearth the truth abou
Sidis Fallacy
Multiple studies indicate that young prodigies end up better adapted to life in society tha
Young rebels
The world is populated with young rebel geniuses. They tend to be radical. After all, only
William James Sidis has definitely grown to be a young rebel. It is difficult to diagnose h
Conclusions
The case of William James Sidis contributed to several dangerous misconceptions. It is not
Lessons learned from Sidis case:
Personality is critical for developing true genius. Lack of social skills can ruin creativi
Genius is a virtue in itself and it does not require a spotlight. The attention genius attr
Parents need to exercise utmost caution when pushing their prodigies toward success. Ignora

In contrast, another prodigy child of early 20th century, Norbert Wiener, went on to establ
In conclusion, Polgar's statement "every normal child can be trained to be a genius" is lar
Every normal child can be trained to be a genius as long as utmost attention is paid to its
Creative environment
For genius accomplishments and high creativity, you need to pay lots of attention to the ri
Here is a basic checklist for inspecting your conditions for creative effort:
sleep: are you able to get as many hours of sleep as your body needs? Are you able to go to
stress: are you able to isolate yourself from the surrounding rat race? Are you surrounded
health: never skimp on time you should devote to exercise. Quality circulation and a health
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
The roots of Darwin's scrupulous scientific research can be traced back to his childhood. E
The idea of biological evolution that is largely attributed to Darwin was not new. Many aut
An extremely important component of creative thinking is the ability to focus entirely on a
Part of his success can also be attributed to his social skills. He did not want to publish
What ultimately prompted Darwin to make his work public was a paper by Alfred Russel Wallac
Even today, Darwin's theory is hard to swallow to religious fundamentalists. Creationists o
Darwin's scientific genius changed the world. The roots of his creative success could be fo

Negative and positive emotions

Human emotion is a powerful driving force. It can be highly creative as well as highly dest
One of the basic premises of developing a genius brain is: learn to capitalize on positive
Emotion management skills may actually be the most important factor that will determine if
The power of emotion comes from the fact that they are wired into the low-level brain struc
In the course of evolution, the emotional circuits of the brain played a critical role in s
Human mental and emotional characteristics are strongly rooted in genetics and may limit or
All healthy human beings are prone to experience negative emotions. However, in the course
Entirely different emotion management techniques must be used for different emotions. Some
Your life philosophy will have a powerful impact on your emotions. Neither striving at geni
At the root of your philosophical choice will be the classic conflict between stoic and epi
Apart from being guided by reason rather than emotion, you need to be aware that measuring
Some highly-driven young people set ambitious goals: earn $5 million in 5 years. Seemingly
Your optimization algorithm should not set a numeric target in conditions of insufficient i
A popular belief says that money, fame or luxury are the main factors that drive young peop
Of positive emotions, passion and the rage to master count most. However, these are highly
Have a look at the summary below. Invite all positive emotions that help you execute your g
Human characteristics derived from emotions can be divided into those of negative impact an
Negative emotions are often strongly rooted in genes. These include aggression, anger, mali
Positive emotions can often become negative if overdosed. These include: optimism (not mani
Emotional control is the ability to make a constructive use of one's emotional drives. It m
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison contributed greatly to our understanding of genius. On one hand, he easily me
According to his own account, the root of Edison's genius can be found in his self-educatio
Another misconception born from distorting Edison's statements is: learning by doing or by
Asked about the most important factors of his success, Edison replied: "hard work, stick-to
hard work: lifelong learning
hard work: persistent execution of plans molded strictly towards achieving one's goals (see
stick-to-itiveness: persistence, will-power and well-chosen specialization
common sense: learning and applying highly abstract rules of general reasoning
Edison's genius could then be summarized as an obsession for solving a specific problem, st
Edison vs. Tesla
Nicola Tesla was a lesser know but possibly even a greater genius than Edison himself. He w
Unlike Edison, Tesla received strong formal schooling and was at amazing ease with math. Te
One of Ronald Reagan's favorite sayings taken from Robert Woodruff was "there is no limit
Interestingly, Tesla and Edison shared a remarkable ability to sleep little and work a lot.
Unlike Edison, Tesla preferred to make a meticulous mental picture of his ideas and inventi

Lifelong learning: Rebirth of the Renaissance man

Recent years have demonstrated a tremendous potential of interdisciplinary science. Finding
Accelerated learning is also a prescription for a real-time problem solving. Once a problem
SuperMemo 2004: Dealing with incomprehensible articles
In incremental reading, you will often encounter material that is difficult to understand.
This is how you can approach complexity in incremental reading:
Start reading the article from the top. Once you find a difficult fragment, analyze it and
If the rest of the article does not depend much on the difficult fragment, keep on reading
If the rest of the article cannot be understood without understanding the difficult fragmen
if you need more knowledge to understand the fragment: postpone the article (Learning : Jum
if the fragment is hopelessly intricate and leaves no hope for the future (e.g. because of
If you decide to postpone the article with Ctrl+J, decide what new knowledge you will need
Schedule the review of the new knowledge or try to search for it immediately (e.g. by searc
Estimate the earliest time when you hope you will be able to understand the difficult artic

Major Genius Fallacies:

You must be born with a creative mind! False! Some kids indeed show an incredible curiosity
If you miss childhood, your genius is lost! False! Human brain is plastic by definition. In
Do not memorize! False! You can track this belief back to Rousseau's novel Émile. Its falla
Proliferation of geniuses is a threat to humanity. False! Most of the good things that surr
If you do something stupid, so are you! False! Human brain is an imperfectly programmed mac
Geniuses do not forget things! False! Genius brains are made of the same substance as avera
Geniuses sleep little! False! When looking at Edison and Tesla it is easy to believe that c
Early to ripe, early to rot! False! Terman Study contradicts this claim. See the section de
You need a degree! False! Edison got only 3 months of formal schooling. Lincoln spent less
Genius can be evil! False! Evil, by definition, is stupid. One can show genius skills in a
Be unique! This boosts creativity! False! The relationship between uniqueness and creativit
TV makes you stupid! False! TV or radio can be harmful if you are unable to control what yo
choose the right channel and programming in advance. Your decision should be conscious rath
use a VCR to make sure you can watch the material at designed time. By no means should TV s
choose the appropriate timing. Watching TV is by far less demanding to your brain than, for
to boost positive results, you could also add some priority to foreign language channels to
Curiosity killed the cat! False! Forget this proverbial eye-wash. Even in the 13th century,
George W. Bush won't make a good president! False! Do not be belied by W's poor knowledge o
Summary: Genius Checklist
To summarize and solidify the formula for genius advocated by this article, I list below th
Eliminate stress: Stress is understood here as rapid change resulting in an increase in str
Sleep: Make sure you always get as much quality sleep as your brain requires. The simplest
Self-discipline: Lack of self-discipline aggravated by stress and lack of sleep is the numb
Learn day and night: Knowledge is the substance you convert to ideas. Although it is possib
Abstract knowledge: except for lots of learning, you will need to pay attention to the qual
Knowledge representation: the main thing that makes genius brains stand out is their abilit
Health: take an obsessive care about your health! Keep your blood pressure down (high blood
Avoid negative emotions: learn to control and eliminate negative emotions that blur your mi
Optimism and patience: drive your life into the optimistic track! Do what you love and deve
Positive stimulation: things that you love doing should find a place in your schedule. Due
Clear goal: even the smartest and the most knowledgeable brain does not deserve the status
Rational optimization: Your goal can be great but what if a greater goal looms on the horiz
Balance learning and productivity: On one hand, this checklist asks you to work hard to ach
Ambition, motivation, energy and persistence: the internal drive and the rage to master are
Balance focus and generality - One one hand, this checklist asks you to specialize in a nar
Life philosophy - the way you look at the world and your most basic beliefs will strongly a
measure the day: measure your progress by your daily effort and not the distance remaining
forget about money: if you follow the money trail, you will in part optimize against creati
Incremental reading: incremental reading is a new idea you may have never heard of. It make
dramatically increasing the speed of learning
optimizing the structure of knowledge in your mind in terms of coherence, integrity and rep
enhancing creativity by association of ideas (see also: Ideafisher)
maximizing memory consolidation while you focus on knowledge representation
prioritizing the acquisition of knowledge in various fields as well as fine-tuning the bala
overcoming the boredom factor in digesting complex material
minimizing the stress related to information overload and making learning fun
Write down new ideas: never trust your memory to keep your new ideas. Once you come up with
Brainstorming: discuss great ideas with your colleagues: in a group or in relaxed one-to-on
Time-management: learn time-management techniques to maximize the efficiency with which you
Study great people: few things are as inspiring as the lives of the greatest individuals th
Study yourself: try to document how you got your best ideas in the past, and what serves yo
Grow social skills: do not neglect skills needed to interact with other people! Teamwork an
Slug it out: if you need to solve a hard problem, allocate many hours to the goal. For a pe
Warm family: to perpetuate genius, please provide the best and most inspiring environment t
The shortest synthesis of the above 25 rules is expressed by the point suggesting you work
In short, genius develops over years of daily remolding of your neural connections. Work ha