What needs to be read. Readers are more likely to succeed

Once upon a time, at the dawn of my freelance work, I earned very little, but I firmly decided to spend 10% of my income on books. Then with this money I could hardly buy one normal book. Years passed, and I firmly adhered to this rule. Now, for 10% of my monthly salary, I can buy so many books that I can't read them in a year - and this means that I bought and read books not in vain.

Always save 10% of your income for books - this is the best investment of this money. There is no need to put off more, less too.

Here is my monthly rate so far:

2. Read with a notepad

I like to call this rule "read smart". I never read a book twice. This happens because I “squeeze” all the ideas out of it as detailed as possible - a notebook helps me. When I read a book, I write down all the interesting and useful ideas, all links to other books, I write out quotes that inspire me. When there is no notebook at hand or it is inconvenient to use it, I write in the margins with a pencil.

As a result, what remains in my notebook is a squeeze of the book, the concentration of its ideas, the quintessence of meaning. It is pleasant to re-read the notebook afterwards - it is very inspiring.

And most importantly - such reading allows you to deeply penetrate the book.

3. List the top books to buy

Combining the first two tips, we have a rule of spending 10% of the money on books and a list of interesting books in a notebook. This very list is the "to-do" of future purchases. It is regularly shuffled and reworked - personal and professional interests tend to change.

4. Read at least an hour a day

And two is better. It really doesn't matter how much you read (although I strongly recommend reading at least an hour a day). It is important to do this regularly - accustom yourself to the rule "not a day without a book."

It is very difficult to allocate an hour a day for reading, especially busy person. In this case, I advise you to break the reading into small twenty-minute segments, which can be evenly “eaten” throughout the day. Reading at night before going to bed is not cool, a tired brain will refuse to accept a book and consider it a sleeping pill.

5. Mix styles

I am a big fan of books about self-development and motivation (probably I am one of those people for whom reading books about self-development has replaced self-development). However, reading only such books every day is boring. Therefore, alternate books, first useful, then science fiction, then business, and then fiction. Art books are also very useful and interesting to read.

6. Don't hold on to books

I advise you to exchange books with friends and acquaintances. First, it's a great way to save money. Second, you help your friends learn and grow. I have already lost count of the books that I sent by mail to my friends - and it pleases me, and it is useful for them.

7. Switch to e-books

No matter what anyone says, but the paper book is gradually dying off, turning into a kind of vinyl record - a pleasure for fans. Reading in the reader is easier, simpler and much cheaper. For a lover of reading, the reader pays off in about two months. And it's hard to calculate how many trees you save.

These are my simple rules and laws. Once you start reading, you can't stop. This I will tell you for sure. And one more thing: as an unknown designer Artemy Lebedev once said, every successful person is, first of all, books that he read on time.

What do you think will happen if two people say different things to you at the same time? One in the left ear and the other in the right? And a very curious thing will happen: no matter how hard you try, you will be able to be aware of only one text. The other one will be unavailable

Your hearing works perfectly, and you can hear everything perfectly, but you will hear only one of the two proposed options. The second you also hear, but do not realize it.

Cherry, working with two sources of signals that a person listens to at the same time (using special headphones for this, which feed different tape recordings into two ears), discovered the "party effect" (cocktail party effect), - the ability to listen and remember only one of two conversations.

The subject had to listen carefully to one of the recordings, and, upon completion, he could easily retell what he heard. But from another recording, he did not catch almost anything.

The same effect was also found in the field of visual signals: when different movie scenes were presented to the retinas of the right and left eyes, the subject could perceive only one of them.

But. There are two important things. Even three. First: your subconscious mind hears both (!) texts.

You can compare this to a telephone security system that "listens" to all conversations and automatically starts recording when "terrorist" words like "bomb", "act of terrorism", "detonate" and so on appear on the air.

This system is a myth, since all conversations are recorded without exception, and the tapes are tapped if there is a reason for that.

I also highly doubt that terrorists use such words as "bomb", "act of terrorism" or "detonate" on the air. But that's not the point. It is important that a person has such protective system called "subconscious", which controls all the sounds of the ether. This is the first.

Secondly, when these important words appear on the air, consciousness involuntarily switches to this channel, which until that time was not realized. For example, a representative from the FBI faction sits and listens telephone conversations potential terrorists. There are a lot of lines, but physically you can only listen to one. Here he sits and listens to how the worst terrorist orders pizza, and suddenly - bang! - hears the word "bomb", which sounds on the other line. Attention automatically switches to this conversation, and the pizza order "falls out" of consciousness.

Third, we can arbitrarily switch from one channel to another. For example, the FBI listens to a conversation about a "bomb" and understands that a potential terrorist is talking about beautiful woman. Only and everything. Now he can "return" his attention to the pizza if he wants to. Or keep listening to the conversation about women.

If you ask an FBI agent what was discussed in the second conversation before the word "bomb", then he will not be able to remember anything. And if you ask the agent what was discussed in the first conversation after the word "bomb", he will not be able to remember anything.

No matter how psychologists say, there are no "tape recorders" that record everything in a row in our head. And if you haven't listened to the conversation, you won't be able to remember it.

Even under the condition that your subconscious "heard" it. For his "behavior" resembles the aforementioned system of protection against terrorists. As soon as the keyword sounds, the recording starts. But if such a word is not heard, the conversation is ignored. The agent will be able to recall the conversation about pizza before the word "bomb" and the conversation about "bomb" after the word "bomb". The second part of the first conversation and the first part of the second conversation do not exist in his memory.

Why am I talking about this in such detail? Because, through the efforts of neurolinguistic programming, advertising has appeared obsession"program" the client's subconscious with the help of special keywords. It's called the "inserted message technique". Another text is artificially inserted into the advertising text, which is written in a different size, in a different color, in bold or in italics. When the client reads this text, the "inserted" words subconsciously (!) add up to a separate text, and the client actually reads the hidden message. Most of the time, it's an imperative. For example, buy from us. Here is such a theory. Does it work? Let's figure it out.

Embedded Message Technique

The ancestor of the inserted message technique was the outstanding psychoanalyst Carl Jung (a student of Freud, the author of the famous theory of the collective unconscious, which was also reflected in advertising). Jung offered the client a certain set of words, to which the client had to respond with free associations. For example, the word "mother".

And the client says what associations he has. But the meaning was not at all in what associations the client offers to the word "mother", "father" or "childhood".

Jung noted which words caused unexpected difficulties with associations.

If the client cannot find an association for the word "cat" for a long time, Jung assumes that the cat is somehow connected with the client's painful experience of the past. For example, when the client was small, the cat frightened or scratched him severely. And if the association comes easily, then there is no problem.

In this way, Carl Jung was bringing out traumatic experiences from a distant past, and without the knowledge of the client. And while other psychoanalysts were "looking for" the problem, Jung found it in a few minutes, which then allowed him to work with precision.

In 1936, Milton Erickson, the world-famous psychotherapist and hypnotist, wrote an article in which he spoke about the result of an experiment with the Jung test. The subject was a young woman with a fear of pregnancy.

In his study, Erickson presented her with the stimulus word "belly", and received a story in response, and some words from this text were, as it were, in bold type. For example, the tone has changed. Or an involuntary gesture was made. In general, it was obvious that some words were more emotionally charged than others.

Erickson separated these words from the rest of the text, and he came up with a coherent story about an unwanted pregnancy (and subsequent abortion): sick, anxious, baby, afraid, operation, illness, forgotten. Thus, the woman unconsciously told Erickson the story of her past experience, which was later repressed and forgotten.

But Erickson went even further. He suggested that this process could be reversed. That is, to emphasize with a gesture or intonation some especially important words. And then the therapist will be able to send hidden unconscious messages to the client. Here is such a theory.

A marked message is transmitted to the client in the form of any message that is emotionally neutral and, as it were, in no way connected with some topic that is traumatic or painful for the client. However, there are nested words in this message that are marked in one way or another.

For example, a simplified verbal message to a client suffering from a headache: "Our mayor decided that this light color would look very good if the fence was painted, especially when the weather is clear." In this case, we have an inserted message head bright clear, which can be underlined either with gestures, or intonation, or even in a different font, if it is, let's say, written.

Head is clear

Thus, the client receives not one message, but two. The first is consciousness-oriented – it is realized and understood by the client. The second message is addressed exclusively to the subconscious, and remains unnoticed by the attention (consciousness) of the client.

In psychotherapy, this provides an invaluable opportunity to communicate directly with the subconscious on a very deep level, without any trance, and at a time when the client and the therapist talk sweetly about flowers or the advantages of one car over another.

Therefore, insert message therapy can take place absolutely anywhere, and not just in the psychologist's office. And this amazing opportunity did not pass by the views of advertisers. If it works anywhere, it will work in advertising.

And to tell the consciousness that “Titkin’s cast-iron batteries are very reliable,” and to tell the subconscious that “Titkin’s cast-iron batteries are very reliable,” you see, are far from the same thing. I would like to immediately in the subconscious. And, preferably, without the knowledge of the client.

Therefore, today, when you open any advertising guide, newspaper or magazine, you will find advertising texts with obvious signs of an interstitial message. It is implemented by the method of color, font or any other difference that is visible to the eye in certain words of the advertising message.

For example? For example, here.

We produce

Supply of components

Collect all the words (bold, italic and written capital letters) and you will get the second text. Quite meaningful.

Addressed to the client's subconscious.

Psychotherapists confirm: this technique works.

Erickson, when the secretary complained of a headache, asked her to urgently type the letter. He dictated, she typed it. When the secretary finished typing the letter, her head no longer hurt.

Special words addressed to the subconscious were inserted into the text of the letter. "Lightening", "it will soon pass", "dissipates", "feel good". And the head goes. The real thing.

Does this technique work in advertising? No. And if you haven't figured out why yet, read this article again. Key words: Jung's patients (who were tested), a woman with a fear of pregnancy, Erickson's secretary with a headache. Why does it work in the cases listed but not in ads? Any ideas?

Bomb for the subconscious

Remember the phone call tracking system?

If words such as "bomb", "bin Laden" or "jihad" are spoken, the system automatically starts the recording. The system has a certain set of words to which it reacts. Something similar happens in Young's test.

Each person has a set of "painful" words to which he subconsciously reacts. The only problem is that each person has a unique set of words. For a woman who is afraid of pregnancy, these words are "sick", "operation", "disease", "baby" and "stomach".

But turn this situation to the opposite, and see what we get. The FBI agent hears the word "belly" and the woman hears the word "jihad".

And then what? And nothing. The FBI agent will not hear this conversation, and the woman will not pay attention to this advertisement. Because these words are emotionally neutral for them.

The difference between a psychotherapist's client and an advertising audience is that in the first case there is always one client, and in the second case there are always many of them. And everyone has their own list in the subconscious. One has a cat, another has a stomach, the third has a poker. And this list will be equal to the volume of the largest explanatory dictionary in the world.

How many times will a recording device go off to record a conversation with the word "jihad"? Let's say once in a million conversations. And how many times the subconscious will "work" for the word we produce (see the advertising example above) or chairs. Also about one time per million readers of this advertisement.

Does it make sense? No point.

Accents in text and accent proportions

Why do you suppose the manufacturer put a box of Tide in your new automatic?

So your automatic will give you the cleanest clothes possible!

We produce reliable Russian FURNITURE FOR YOUR OFFICE.

Chairs, armchairs, cabinet furniture. Supply of components

to assemble chairs. We carry out delivery and assembly.

Flexible system of discounts, low prices.

I do not seek to set you up in a mystical way, but count the number of words in each text.

There will be exactly 25 of them.

Now look at the proportions of the accents. Tide has 25/1, and ours has 25/12, that is, almost every second word is highlighted in the text, and besides, three types of accent are used: this is the text in capital letters, italic and bold.

If Tyler (" Fight club") began to paste the 25th frames into Cinderella, based on such a proportion (25/12), then it would not be so much a cartoon as a porn film.

I'm not saying that frame 25 exists, but that the number of amplifications in the text should not be excessive, otherwise they begin to "crawl into the eyes" and annoy. Yes, and it becomes more difficult to read such a text. It acquires a semantic fragmentation, like a hairstyle after the work of a bad hairdresser: instead of a beautiful smoothness, we get "steps".

The normal proportions of accents for homogeneous text are 25/3, well, a maximum of 25/5 (although this is already a bit too much). In the Russian ad I cited above, normal development events - select two last words(low prices), marginal - highlight the last offer.

Ideal: acentate a single word reliable.

In the words "we produce", "furniture for your office", and the items of production (chairs, armchairs, cabinet furniture) there are no emotions and no value, so it is not worth highlighting them. published by econet.ru

What gives a person reading books? What are the advantages of reading over other available leisure activities?

Surely, many of us have learned the unshakable truth since childhood - it is useful to read books. But to whom and why is not entirely clear. What does reading books give a person? What is their advantage over other sources of information? And, if it really exists, then why do people read so little now?

The modern world and the desire to go (and sometimes run) in step with the times and fashion make their own adjustments to our lives. Whether we like it or not. And now, quite often, an evening in front of the TV or a computer “shooter” is preferred to a dear heart of a volume of world classics. Yes, and the necessary information can be "fished out" from other sources - audio casts, films, media, various webinars, and just notes from the World Wide Web. In addition, reading books, even with a great desire, may simply not be enough time. So it turns out that in our time, more and more often people answer the question: “What book are you reading now?” They say, "I don't read books." This is especially true of the younger generation, which literally from the maternity hospital is surrounded by many convenient gadgets.

Of course, it is not for us to judge whether this is good or bad. Time does not stand still, and, rather, it can be argued that all changes are quite expected and natural. Agree, it is rather strange to expect from modern student that he will sit and write an essay (by hand!) in the library, shoveling a mountain of literature. No, of course, he would rather enter the topic into the search engine, and a good Google will give him a few almost finished works- take, choose, compose, and you're done! Yes and world literature, most likely, he will read it from the digest - there the same "War and Peace" was briefly interpreted in eight to ten pages, and it is immediately clear who is who and why. Read it - and go ahead, take the exam. And, if it “rolled” once, the second, the third ... Do you think the child will see the point in reading the “originals”, will he enjoy the very process of reading books?

The question is moot. On the one hand, positive illustrative examples"Reading" relatives and friends will certainly be able to awaken an interest in reading in anyone. And especially in a developing person. But what to do if in the library of the parental home there are only “ Russian-English dictionary"and" How to hammer a nail correctly? Yes, and the child sees mom and dad reading maximum glossy magazines and yellow press? It is unlikely that he will show interest in the world classics of literature, right?

And the phrase: “He should be taught at school!” is not an excuse. They will teach you something, not a single student has yet received a certificate without being able to read in principle. That's just "be able" and "actively use" - things are frankly different. And especially for books.

The older generation has its own legitimate "excuses". First and foremost is the lack of time. Undoubtedly, the employment of modern man is very high. But only here there is one “but” - according to statistics, the most successful people read a lot. Always. Are you saying they are less busy than everyone else? This question is not here to offend or provoke anyone - no, it's just food for thought. And, as always, only you have the right to decide what to do with it.

What is it about reading books? Let's take a closer look..

Scientists identify 10 main reasons why reading books for a person is a very useful and important activity:

1. Improving imagination and boosting creativity. When we read books, we ourselves draw a picture of everything that happens in the plot. Words take on new life, transforming in our imagination. Sounds, images, smells of the story being read are “drawn” in our head. Such exercises miraculously train the brain, namely its “creative muscles”.

In addition, reading "foreign" works can provoke us to generate new ideas. It is not so important whether it will be the idea to write some work yourself or invent something new, or simply an idea-an impetus will come to solve a long-standing problem. The main thing is that these ideas can help change your life. And, perhaps, the lives of other people too.

2. Good mental health. According to scientists, reading can slow down and even prevent such serious problems like dementia and Alzheimer's. And all because when reading, the brain is constantly in good shape, it is active, that is, in fact, this is the same exercise for it as for the body - physical training. Those people who read a lot in their lives, later begin to notice age-related deterioration. mental capacity and memory in comparison with "non-reading" peers.

In addition, the rhythm and richness of the book can calm the psyche and help the body get rid of stress. Now this is especially true, because a huge number of people experience stressful situations every day.

3. Confidence in yourself and your abilities. Researchers' observations have shown that reading books helps people become more confident. It is not surprising, because a well-read person is usually erudite, able to demonstrate fundamental knowledge in a particular area in a conversation, as a result of which he involuntarily begins to behave more collected and confident, his self-esteem is at an adequate level.

4. Increase vocabulary and raising general level literacy. It probably doesn't take long to explain here. When reading works of various genres, a person often encounters unfamiliar words, terminology not commonly used in everyday communication. You can look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary, or you can simply understand it from the context.

5. Good dream. According to researchers, systematic reading of pleasant literature before bedtime can improve sleep. And this is understandable, because the body gets used to such a regime, and soon reading becomes a signal for the body - going to bed is nearing. In addition, after such a soft falling asleep, you will be much more cheerful in the morning.

6. Improving attention and ability to concentrate. AT modern world we are used to constantly combining several things, dividing attention between the Internet, telephone, communication with other people and a host of other things. But due to such a division, the quality of a particular process is often lost, the ability to concentrate on a single particularly important matter is lost. When reading, we are obliged to focus on the content of the book, not being distracted by everything else. In addition, reading books helps develop objectivity, the ability to make informed decisions.

7. The development of memory and thinking. According to scientists, people who read books regularly, at least for one hour a day, train and improve their memory. Naturally, every day they remember some new information for themselves. Those who “boil” every day in the same environment, information and ideas do not train their memory, and, therefore, are not able to remember more.

In addition, in order to understand the book and further unfold the plot, you need to remember many things: the characters of the characters, their relationships, and other details. This greatly trains both memory and thinking. When reading a book, we tend to reason more, to imagine a lot of details: the appearance of the characters, their clothes, the surrounding stop. All this helps us to fully understand the very idea of ​​the work, to feel it “taste”. Reading books develops analytical thinking. Reading people see and identify patterns many times faster than non-readers. Thanks to reading books, our mind becomes sharper, stronger and faster, brain connections are strengthened, and intelligence in general increases.

8. Development of sociability and empathy. Reading books also improves our speech skills, the ability to beautifully, clearly and clearly express our thoughts in words appears. The talent of the storyteller increases, communication becomes easier and easier. People who read are much more likely to become interesting interlocutor and impress people than those who don't put reading on their to-do list. Of course, because the first always have a lot of new topics for conversation, gleaned from literature.

In addition, reading can cultivate in a person a tendency to empathize with other people. There is a unique chance, as it were, to "be in the shoes" of another person, to look at the world through his eyes, to see his feelings and thoughts. Even (and even more so) if his world is very different from yours. A reading person stops looking at everything that happens from one point - he becomes able to better feel others and empathize with them.

9. Expanding horizons. Of course, books can give a person a huge amount of new knowledge! The world of a non-reader is usually small. After all, any other sources of information, even more popular ones, are capable of providing small grains of all the knowledge that is around you. Reading books reveals to a person all the greatness of the world, such as it really is.

People who do not like to read books live only one life - their own. Book lovers have free access to a huge number lives of real and fictional characters, can live with them their feelings and experience everything that they experienced. There is a unique chance to draw life experience and lessons from other people. This in no way interferes with the purchase. own experience- on the contrary, by observing causal relationships in a particular work, you can warn yourself against making mistakes.

Also, reading books is the second most informative way (after traveling) to learn the culture and life of other peoples and countries. Reading literature about different countries helps to open, in fact, new world, here, in your cozy chair, without crossing the threshold of the house.

10. Self improvement. Among other things, reading books can help a person understand himself, learn a lot about himself. He can find unexpected solutions, take a fresh look at his life. Putting yourself in the place of the hero of the work, and asking yourself the question: “What would I do in the place of this character?”, You can get an unexpected answer. And often even get a hint on practical aspects of behavior.

Reading books, a person eventually forms his own worldview, his view of the world deepens and expands, values, beliefs and principles are revised and formed. Many books are able to motivate and inspire self-realization, self-improvement, and increasing your results. In addition, a reading person remains young for a long time - after all, old age begins with aging of the brain, and this does not threaten an enthusiastic reader!

Of course, here we have named only the most popular reasons that encourage a person to read books. Surely you have your own secrets about this. Maybe you just love this meditative state, close to weightlessness, when you are consumed by interesting work. Or you're looking for story ideas for your new book. Everyone finds his own reasons that are important for him. The main thing is that the book should bring joy and pleasure, give strength and taste of magic. Is this not a miracle invented for the benefit of all mankind?

Anna Kutyavina

1. Read more

The more complex and unusual the books, the better. Complex constructions, long, detailed sentences, rare words, abstruse articles from our magazine, and especially poetry - a real "Rastishka" for your brain.

2. Drum on the table

Better yet, make it a rule to accompany the music you hear: on your knee, on the tabletop or on a freshly bought tom-tom - it doesn't matter. Palms or chopsticks. Neuroscientist Anirud Patel from San Diego believes that the sense of rhythm plays important role in learning. After all, the basal ganglia are responsible for it - the parts of the brain involved in motor functions.

3. Listen to classical music

Especially Mozart. In 1995, psychologist Frances Rauscher tricked thirty rats into a room. For two months, the Sonata for two pianos in C major was periodically performed there. After the experiment, it turned out that the animals began not only to dance better, but also to run the maze faster and with fewer errors than the other group of rats who lived these two months in silence.

4. Train your memory

London taxi drivers, for example, have an enlarged hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for emotions and memory. What are you worse? ■ Bookmark brainscale.ru. There you will find one of the variants of the "N back" task, developed in 1958 to explore and stimulate the activity of certain areas of the brain, the development of working memory, logical thinking and the ability to concentrate. Try to take the test every day, set aside a few minutes for this at the beginning of the day and the same amount at the end. According to a 2008 study by Suzanne Yeggi, regular training in this task can significantly develop fluid intelligence, expand a person’s working memory, improve logical thinking and the ability to concentrate. ■ After making a list of products that you need to buy, reread it several times and try to remember not their names, but your future path through different departments in the store. Having collected everything in a cart and standing in line, try to calculate in your mind total amount. If she later turns out to be true, you can buy yourself a bush of spinach as a reward: it is good for memory.

■ Set aside half an hour each day to memorize poetry. The last time you did this was kindergarten, but all the words flew out of your head at the moment when the official part of the holiday ended and the coffin was lowered into the ground. The content of the poems does not matter.

5. Drink coffee

Caffeine stimulates the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, which help you stay energized and focused longer. It is important not to overdo it: from a very large dose of caffeine, you will get overexcited and will not be able to think rationally. Caffeine in doses of more than 300 mg (four cups of natural coffee) per day will cause anxiety, headache, tremor, arrhythmia.

6. Albert Einstein

Theoretical physicist, Nobel laureate:
“Intellectual growth should begin at birth and stop only at death. Knowing where to find information and how to use it is the secret to success. The mind, once expanded its boundaries, will never return to the former. Prominent figures not formed through beautiful speeches but by their own work and its results.

7. Mark Porcius Cato

Senior statesman, writer:
"A wise man learns more from fools than fools from a wise man."

8. Play chess, checkers and poker

These games can not only make you richer, but also perfectly develop your thinking. If you think you're too good at chess, try playing against the clock as well, so that it doesn't take more than a minute to make a decision.

9. Develop your numerical sense

Yes, you already have it. Take a handful of small change out of your pocket, take a quick look at it and try to calculate the total amount from memory. Véronique Izgård, a cognitive psychologist at Harvard, has found that ancient brain structures, something like a quasi-lion years old (is there such a number? We are bad at it), are responsible for expense, but they can develop throughout a lifetime. To check how your HH is developed at the moment, take a short test or a large-scale test, the results of which will even be preserved in the annals of an American university and help advance science. Well, then - develop the CH. The easiest way is to pack things in a bag. When you figure out how best to fit them, your brain decides the most difficult tasks and trains.

10. Feed your brain right!

Especially if you still cannot fully tell a single poem from school curriculum, and Facebook reminds you of the birthdays of your friends. ■ Walnuts. Almost the main food for an erudite! They even look like a brain. Five nuts a day - and you will be provided with lecithin, which improves brain function and activates memory. Nuts are also useful if you suddenly live in conditions of high radiation. ■ Fish. Laconic and cold, it is rich in iodine, its meat contains omega-3 fatty acids, which provide a quick influx of energy necessary for the transmission of impulses in brain cells. They also regulate the level of cholesterol in the blood and improve the functioning of blood vessels. If you eat at least 100 grams of fish a day, you will increase the reaction rate and you will reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. ■ Pumpkin seeds. Pour half a glass into your jacket pocket and during office scandals improve your memory and make your brain think faster. All thanks to zinc. ■ Spinach. Add it to your morning omelette two to three times a week. The lutein contained in spinach will protect brain cells from premature aging. ■ Sage. Johns Hopkins University found that sage inhibits the action of amino acids responsible for memory impairment. Now they drink tea with sage every day and everyone remembers everyone.

11. Try to guess the next phrase of the interlocutor

Rebecca Saxe of Massachusetts Institute of Technology I am sure that with proper training, people will be able to understand others without words at all - by facial expression, look and other similar signs. The section of the brain that is located behind the right ear and is responsible for intuition is responsible for this.

12. Start a blog

Telling about the events of the day in it, you will not only learn to articulate thoughts clearly, but you will also constantly think about new topics and sharp answers to questions from loyal readers.

13. Koichi Tohei

Writer, aikido master, 10th dan, founder of the Ki-Aikido Style Kii Society “Reading is the cornerstone of intellect. Fill in your free time reading all kinds of books. Read novels, non-fiction, biographies. Skim the book first to make up your mind about it. general idea. If you think it makes sense, read it again. As a result, your brain's ability to adapt to different circumstances and organize a wide variety of data.

14. Solve crosswords

Surprisingly, it works: the work of the brain is greatly spurred on by serious crossword puzzles.

15. Konstantin Sheremetiev

Researcher, author of the "Intelligence" project (), author of the books "Perfect Brain: How to control the subconscious" and "How to become smarter":
“Someone thinks that if at school he was good at solving problems in mathematics or something like that, then he is smart and will remain so forever. This is utter nonsense. If you pump up your muscles at the age of 18, and then lie down on the sofa and forget about them, then very soon they will atrophy. And the same thing happens with the efficiency of the brain.”

To the answer!

Konstantin Sheremetyev cleverly answers our stupid questions.

Who can be considered smart?
A person who uses his brain to solve everyday problems. Main mental activity takes place in the subconscious. They don’t teach him how to handle it at school, so the brain of most people is idle. He doesn't help them in any way. And the main purpose of intelligence is to ensure survival. Therefore, in order to evaluate the mind of a person, remember the rule: the result of the work of the intellect is a change in the material world. Survival? Then who is smarter - an office worker or a hunter in the wild?
Oddly enough, the brain does not distinguish between these types of activity. Both need to explore what surrounds them and learn how to act effectively in this environment. How many minutes or hours per day should be devoted to brain training?
The brain works around the clock. The only question is how much load you give him. If you take a critical look at life, look for what you want to do, realize yourself, then the brain starts to work to its fullest. If there is no mental load, he will atrophy and is only capable of thinking according to a pattern. You developed an emergency response program for astronauts. Are they smarter than those who have not been in space?
I entered knowledge in different areas into the system artificial intelligence to in dangerous situation she made the right decision. But you can save helpful tips for all occasions in the phone. Then, for example, in the event of an accident, you will know exactly what to do.

16. Learn a foreign language

Andrea Macelli, PhD in neurology from the University of London, proves that people who know a few foreign languages, it is easier to switch between different mental tasks. An additional impetus in the development of your brain will give new way learning unfamiliar foreign words. ■ Let's say learning a language through parallel translations. On getparalleltranslations.com you will find books with both English and Russian texts on their pages. In fact, these are the same titles with which you love to watch the latest TV shows so much. ■ Vojtek Rinik, a Slovak web developer, believes that words should be learned before they appear in a book. Surprised by his advice, you should feed the unfamiliar text to the wordsfromtext.com service, in response, it will generate a list of the most used words and prompt you to mark unfamiliar ones in it. If desired, they can be printed out with a translation, memorized and already fully armed pounce on unsuspecting literature.

17. Get yourself a smart app

Feeling an unpleasant pulsation in the too rapidly growing brain, we buried ourselves in screens mobile phones hoping to find salvation in some mind-numbing game. But what is it? And on mobile devices, do not step a step away from the dominance of developing programs! Memory trainer. Consistently remember pressing multi-colored buttons and repeat them. In fact, this is still the same "N back" task, disguised as a game.
Einstein. Mind training. HD-collection of 30 exercises for the development of logic, memory, counting and attention.
Brain of Genius. Variation on a famous theme logical task, created, according to legend, by Einstein from his reluctance to go to kindergarten.

18. Don't waste time

If you have a free minute at work and you want to see a couple of meters funny pictures, better open Wikipedia and read a "random" article.

19. Walk

It is enough to defile around the house three times a week for half an hour in order to concentrate, learn and think abstractly by 15% better. And it's not just about the flow of oxygen to your neurons withered in the stuffiness of the office: scientists from the Salk Institute have proven that moderate physical activity on fresh air causes the brain to grow new cells.

20. Give your brain a rest

No matter how busy you are, in the process of mental activity, you must definitely rest every hour and a half. For example, doing simple physical exercises or just walking down the hallway and having a cup of coffee. Consider it a necessity. So the analytical centers of the brain better digest the accumulated information and no, no, yes, and come to some unexpected conclusion.

21. Boost your brain

If you ignored all our advice, and tomorrow is the final of the championship “What? Where? When?" League of classmates, there is another way to shake the fat on the cerebral convolutions. ■ Neurometabolic stimulants, they are also nootropics, will help to urgently increase IQ, - agents that have an activating effect on memory and mental activity. Note: completely legal. Words for searching in a pharmacy are: phenotropil, allertec, deprenyl. You can still try Phenibut, but, unlike previous drugs, it is drunk in a course of 2-3 weeks, a single use will not give the proper result. And it should be like this: lack of desire to quit everything and go to sleep, increased reaction speed, slight irritability and the feeling that you are smarter than everyone around. There is, however, a small problem. “The effect of nootropics on the brain has not yet been fully studied,” says the head of the memory neurobiology laboratory of the Institute normal physiology RAMS Konstantin Anokhin. And one more thing: do not confuse nootropics with dietary supplements. These will also make you smarter for a while, but they act differently and have a weaker effect. These are, say, ginkgo biloba, guarana, eleutherococcus and ginseng root.

22. Play Tetris

A study by American scientists has shown that this classic puzzle can have positive impact on the development of the human brain. Testing has confirmed that regular practice of playing Tetris can increase the amount of gray matter in the player's brain and improve their thinking abilities. The brains of people who played this puzzle for half an hour a day during the experiment for three months underwent changes in areas associated with movement, critical thinking, reasoning, language and information processing.

23. Leonardo da Vinci

Artist, inventor, scientist, writer:
“Iron rusts, not finding a use for itself, Still water rots or freezes in the cold, and the human mind languishes.”

24. Anatoly Wasserman

Journalist, political consultant:
“Read and watch more, try to find connections and analogies between different knowledge- and pretty soon you will feel what other gaps you need to fill in order to understand more. Without intelligence, everything else is simply useless. Being smart is not only fashionable, but also very pleasant. In my experience, it is better to remember what interests you. Be curious - and without special efforts memorize everything that turns out to be curious. But in order to preserve the memory, you need to work actively, have diverse interests. Then much will be remembered, and memory will be a reliable support.

25. Get good sleep

It is during sleep that the brain processes the information collected during the day and forms memories. How do employees count? University of California at Berkeley, a typical adult needs 6 to 8 hours of sleep.

26. Read in new ways

You, of course, have already skimmed through this tip and moved on to the next one. Try to go back and do this. ■ Take a pencil and, leading it under the line, read the text. The eye, having caught the movement, will run after the pointer, while reading everything that you slipped into it. Each time you move the pencil faster - this way your eyes will get used to the increased load, the reading speed will increase, and you will be able to absorb information faster. ■ 80% of people mentally pronounce words while reading. This bad habit you acquired by learning to read: you spelled out the text letter by letter, then by syllables, then put them into words. But this is not necessary for understanding. To combat the inner voice, learn to read the text while simultaneously counting to thirty or singing (you can without words) a song. For a week or two you will not understand the content of the text, but gradually everything will return to normal. ■ According to physiologists, in a person who sees something exciting, the pupils expand reflexively. When you reach interesting place in the text, the same thing is observed: the pupil expands, more light enters the eye, which means that it can catch more information. The only problem is how to make yourself believe that the investigation protocol before you is as interesting as an interview with a cover girl. From a neurophysiological point of view, interest arises when the brain compares new information with what is already in memory. So just guess what exactly can be written in the text. The brain will be forced to compare the information with the real and, willy-nilly, show interest.

27. Get yourself an unusual hobby

(ideas will be thrown to you by our heading "Idea!").
New activities, according to the Institute biological research Salk in the suburbs of San Diego, firstly, perfectly help to escape from the routine, and secondly, they will force your brain to adapt to activities unfamiliar to it and, as a result, to train.

28. Alan Weiss

President of the NCH Health Alliance:
“When you are completely immersed in the game world, your brain is focused on solving actual problems. He is looking for unusual solutions and ways out of the unusual in Everyday life situations. Later, these same ideas may be useful to you in real life, at work or in social situations.

29. Try new ways to get information

Are you prevented from reading books at a rock concert? Check out audiobooks and audiopodcasts. And sign up online free courses on knowledgestream.ru (coursera.org for English speakers).

30. Stop watching TV

The contemplation of flickering pictures, supposedly designed to give rest to the brain, which has been strained during the day, loads it in the same way as reading or proving theorems. But at the same time it does not develop at all. Conclusion? Throw the TV out the window and put a pot of sage in its place.

The rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Saratov, Abbot Pakhomiy, answers questions on the personal prayer rule of a Christian (Bruskov)

Prayer is the free appeal of the human soul to God. How to correlate this freedom with the obligation to read the rule even when you clearly do not want to do this?

Freedom is not permissiveness. A person is so arranged that if he allows himself an indulgence, it can be very difficult to return to the previous state. AT hagiographic literature there are many examples when ascetics left their prayer rule for the sake of showing love to the brothers who came. Thus, they put the commandment of love above their own. prayer rule. But it should be remembered that these people reached extraordinary heights of spiritual life, they were unceasingly in prayer. When we feel that we do not want to pray, this is a banal temptation, not a manifestation of freedom.

The rule keeps a person in a spiritually developed state; it should not depend on a momentary mood. If a person leaves the prayer rule, he very quickly comes to relaxation.

In addition, it should be remembered that when a person communicates with God, an enemy of our salvation always strives to stand between them. And not allowing him to do this is not a restriction on the freedom of the individual.

This is clearly and clearly written in any Orthodox prayer book: “Awakening from sleep, before any other work, stand reverently before the All-Seeing God and, making the sign of the cross, say ...”. In addition, the very meaning of prayers tells us that morning prayers are read at the very beginning of the day, when a person’s mind is not yet occupied with any thoughts. BUT evening prayers should be read for a dream to come, after all sorts of things. In these prayers, sleep is compared with death, the bed with a deathbed. And it is strange, after talking about death, to go to watch TV or communicate with relatives.

Any prayer rule is based on the experience of the Church, to which we must listen. These rules do not violate human freedom, but help to get the maximum spiritual benefit. Of course, there can be exceptions to any rule based on some unforeseen circumstances.

What else, besides morning and evening prayers, can be included in the prayer rule of a layman?

The rule of a layman may include quite a variety of prayers and rites. It can be various canons, akathists, reading Holy Scripture or the Psalms, prostrations, the Jesus Prayer. In addition, the rule should include a brief or more detailed commemoration of the health and repose of loved ones. In monastic practice, there is a custom to include in the rule the reading of patristic literature. But before you add something to your prayer rule, you need to think carefully, consult with the priest, evaluate your strengths. After all, the rule is read regardless of mood, fatigue, other heart movements. And if a person has promised something to God, it must be fulfilled. The Holy Fathers say: let the rule be small, but constant. At the same time, you need to pray with all your heart.

Can a person himself, without blessing, begin to read the canons, akathists in addition to the prayer rule?

Of course it can. But if he did not just read a prayer according to the aspiration of his heart, but thereby increases his constant prayer rule, it is better to ask a blessing from the confessor. A priest with a glance from the outside will assess his condition correctly: whether such an increase will be beneficial to him. If a Christian goes to confession regularly, watches over his inner life, such a change in his rule, one way or another, will be reflected in his spiritual life.

But this is possible when a person has a confessor. If there is no confessor, and he himself decided to add something to his rule, it is still better to consult at the next confession.

On days when the service lasts all night and Christians do not sleep, is it necessary to read evening and morning prayers?

We do not tie the morning and evening rule to a specific time. However, it would be wrong to read evening prayers in the morning, and morning prayers in the evening. We should not be hypocritical about the rule and read it at all costs, ignoring the meaning of the prayers. If you are not going to sleep, why ask God's blessing to sleep? You can replace the morning or evening rule with other prayers or reading the Gospel.

I think that it is better for a woman to make a prayer rule in a headscarf. This brings up humility in her and shows her obedience to the Church. Indeed, from the Holy Scriptures we learn that the wife covers her head not for those around her, but for the Angels (1 Cor. 11:10). This is a matter of personal piety. Of course, God does not care whether you stand up for prayer with or without a headscarf, but this is important for you.

How are the canons and the following to Holy Communion read: on the same day the day before, or can their reading be divided over several days?

It is impossible to approach the fulfillment of the prayer rule formally. A person must build his relationship with God himself, based on prayer preparation, health, free time, and the practice of communicating with a confessor.

Today, a tradition has developed in preparation for Communion to read three canons: to the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, an akathist to the Savior or the Mother of God, the following to Holy Communion. I think it's best to read the whole rule on the same day before Communion. But if it's hard, you can spread it over three days.

Often friends and acquaintances ask how to prepare for Communion, how to read the Psalter? What should they say to us laymen?

You need to answer what you know for sure. You can not take responsibility for something strictly obligatory to prescribe to another or say something that you are not sure about. When answering, you need to be guided by the common tradition of church life. today. If not personal experience, you need to resort to the experience of the Church, the holy fathers. And if you were asked a question, the answer to which you do not know, you should be advised to turn to a priest or patristic creations.

I read the translation of some prayers into Russian. It turns out that I used to put a completely different meaning into them. Should we strive for common understanding, read translations or can you understand prayers as your heart tells you?

Prayers should be understood as they are written. An analogy can be drawn with conventional literature. We read the work, we understand it in our own way. But it is always interesting to know what meaning the author himself put into this work. Also the text of the prayer. The author put a special meaning into each of them. After all, we do not read a conspiracy, but turn to God with a certain petition or doxology. One can recall the words of the Apostle Paul that it is better to say five words in an understandable dialect than a thousand in an incomprehensible one (1 Cor. 14:19). In addition, the authors of most Orthodox prayers are holy ascetics glorified by the Church.

How to relate to modern prayers? Is it possible to read everything that is written in the prayer books, or do you prefer the more ancient ones?

Personally, I am more touched by the words of more ancient canons, the stichera. They seem deeper and more penetrating to me. But many people also like modern akathists for their simplicity.

If the Church has accepted prayers, you need to treat them with reverence, reverence and try to find some benefit for yourself. But understand that some modern prayers are not of such high quality in their content as prayers composed by ancient ascetics.

When a person writes a prayer for public use, he must understand what responsibility he takes on. He must have experience in prayer, but also be well educated. All texts that are offered by modern prayer creators must be edited and undergo a strict selection.

Go to service. If a person has gathered in a temple, then in the first place should be public prayer. Although the fathers compared public and domestic prayer with the two wings of a bird. Just as a bird cannot fly with one wing, so can a man. If he does not pray at home, but only goes to the temple, then, most likely, prayer will not go with him in the temple either. After all, he has no experience of personal communion with God. If a person prays only at home, but does not go to church, it means that he does not have an understanding of what the Church is. And without the Church there is no salvation.

How can a layman replace service at home if necessary?

Published today a large number of liturgical literature, various prayer books. If a layman cannot be present at the service, he can read the morning and evening services, as well as the mass, according to the canon.

The Apostle Paul writes: “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial” (1 Cor. 6:12). Tired or sick - you can sit down in the Church, while reading house rule. But you should understand what you are guided by: pain that prevents you from praying, or laziness. If the alternative to reading a prayer while sitting is its complete absence, of course, it is better to read sitting. If a person is seriously ill, you can even lie down. But if he is just tired or laziness fights him, you need to overcome yourself and get up. During worship, the Charter regulates when you can stand or sit. For example, we listen to the reading of the Gospel, akathists while standing, and while reading kathismas, sedals, and teachings, we sit down.