Expanding your cognitive horizons through new experiences. Reimagining what exists in completely new ways. By Madeline Johnson
The Objective:
Expanding your cognitive horizons through new experiences. Reimagining what exists in completely new ways.
Why we need to do it:
The complexity of today’s global society and the accelerating rate of change requires that we continuously learn, think, create, and seek to build and experience new innovations. Truth be told, we simply don’t have a choice.
Understanding how we learn.
Fluid vs Crystalized Intelligence
Fluid intelligence is your capacity to learn new information, retain it, then use that new knowledge as a foundation to solve the next problem, or learn the next new skill, and so on. When you encounter an entirely new problem that cannot be solved with your existing knowledge, you must rely on fluid intelligence to solve it.
One way to think of fluid intelligence is that you’ll use it slightly differently each time you’re in a new situation, so it’s flexible and adaptive – like water in its fluid form.
By comparison, crystallized intelligence is the ability to use all the learned knowledge and experience stored in our heads. When you’re taking a class at school, you use crystallized intelligence all the time. When you’re learning a new language, you memorize the new vocabulary words and increase your vocabulary over time. You can improve your crystallized intelligence by reading new books and taking classes.
Read Five Ways to Improve Your Fluid Intelligence
You can build your fluid intelligence by constantly exposing yourself to new things, as you are prime your brain for learning. What is new and unseen triggers dopamine, which stimulates the creation of new neurons, and this also smooths the journey to learning. “Always look to new activities to engage your mind—expand your cognitive horizons,” says Kuszewski.
Gains in intelligence don’t come from sticking to the same old routines. Keep exploring new things in life and keep learning new things. Tackle learning a new language. Take piano or drum lessons. Visit a new country and learn about the people and culture.
A Case for Immersive Experiences
A wide range of new studies are finding that motor skills, hand-eye coordination, aerobic conditioning and daily physicality are important for maintaining working memory and fluid intelligence.
Craving New Experiences & Exposing Yourself To New Ideas
I am the type of person that craves new experiences, specifically those that involve as many of my senses as possible. I am more than willing to spend money and time on mesmerizing, immersive experiences like Jump into the Light, a new virtual reality experience in Manhattan; Fuerza Bruta, a dynamic, theatrical performance that started in New York and an Inipi Sweat Lodge Ceremony in Miami.
We also gain fluid knowledge by socializing, networking, mixing and mingling. Being with other people, we expose yourself to new ideas, environments, and opportunities.
Featured Artist
Eugenia Loli
Starting off in the working world as a nurse, Eugenia then took a U-turn and became a computer programmer, which lead her down the path of becoming a technology journalist and a filmmaker.
