Last updated on April 25th, 2025 at 02:49 am
Learn how to become a smart person every day with practical tips and strategies to enhance your critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
In a world that values intelligence and adaptability, the quest to become smarter every day is a noble pursuit.
By adopting specific habits and mindsets, you can enhance your cognitive abilities and become a more astute individual.
This article will explore practical strategies for continuous learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving, empowering you to embark on a journey of daily self-improvement and intellectual growth.
Also Read: Primal Instincts – Your Natural Informant
Table of Contents
- Who is a Smart Person?
- How to Identify a Smart Person in 3 Minutes
- What a Smart Person is not
- Characteristics and Signs of a Smart Person
- How to be a Smart Person Every Day
- Watch this Video on Tips to Becoming a Smart Person (11mins 6sec)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Application and Integration of All of the Above
Who is a Smart Person?
A smart person is someone who possesses a high level of intellectual ability, critical thinking skills, and a thirst for knowledge.
The smart person excels in problem-solving, logical reasoning, and creative thinking.
He is not limited to academic achievements but also demonstrates emotional intelligence and social awareness.
If you are smart, you are adaptable and open-minded, continuously seeking to expand your horizons and challenge yourself.
Someone smart is a lifelong learner, constantly seeking new information and experiences to enhance their understanding and contribute positively to society.
They may not know everything, but they can analyze, learn, and apply knowledge effectively.
A brilliant person is not just defined by his high scores on IQ tests. There is much more to smartness that is exhibited in the everyday conduct of curious minds and brilliant personalities.
How to Identify a Smart Person in 3 Minutes
Identifying a smart person in just three minutes can be a challenging task, but certain traits and behaviors can give valuable insights.
Firstly, observe their communication skills, looking for concise and articulate speaking with accurate use of vocabulary.
Intelligent individuals also tend to listen actively and ask thoughtful questions.
Pay attention to their problem-solving abilities, as intelligent people often exhibit quick thinking, creativity, and adaptability when faced with challenges.
Lastly, notice their curiosity and openness to different ideas, as intelligent individuals have a thirst for knowledge and demonstrate a willingness to explore new perspectives.
These qualities, even within a brief interaction, can provide clues to identify a smart person.
What a Smart Person is not
A smart person is not defined solely by their intelligence or academic achievements. It is not dependent on the ability to memorize facts or solve complex problems.
Being smart does not mean lacking emotions, empathy, or social skills. It is not about having all the answers or never making mistakes.
An astute person is not someone who is closed-minded or refuses to learn from others.
True intelligence involves being open-minded, adaptable, and able to think critically.
It is about having a growth mindset, continuously seeking knowledge, and applying it to navigate life’s challenges effectively.
ALSO READ: Beliefs you won’t need as your life progresses
Characteristics and Signs of a Smart Person
Signs of a smart person are often subjective and can vary depending on individual perspectives.
Nonetheless, some common indicators that people often associate with intelligence might include:
1. Curiosity: If you are smart, you tend to be naturally curious and have a strong desire to learn and explore new ideas, concepts, and topics. You are often inquisitive and eager to expand your knowledge.
2. Critical Thinking: Intelligent people display strong critical thinking skills, which involve analyzing information, questioning assumptions, and making logical connections. They can evaluate situations from different perspectives and are open to changing their views based on evidence and reasoning.
3. Adaptability: If you are smart, you are often adaptable and can quickly learn and adjust to new situations or challenges. You can think on your feet and find creative solutions to problems.
4. Good Memory and Retention: While intelligence is not solely measured by memory capabilities, clever individuals often have an excellent memory and the ability to retain a wide range of information.
5. Analytical Skills: Astute persons have strong analytical skills and can break down complex problems or situations into smaller, manageable parts. They can identify patterns, make connections, and draw logical conclusions.
6. Effective Communication: Sharp people can articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively. They have good verbal and written communication skills, making it easier for them to convey complex concepts to others clearly and concisely.
7. Open-mindedness: Bright individuals are typically open-minded and receptive to new ideas or perspectives. They actively seek out different viewpoints and are willing to consider alternative opinions rather than adhere rigidly to their own.
8. Emotional Intelligence: Smart people often possess high emotional intelligence, allowing them to understand and manage their own emotions effectively while also being empathetic towards others. This allows for better interpersonal relationships and effective collaboration.
Related: Why it’s Difficult Winning an Argument with a Smart Person
How to be a Smart Person Every Day
I deliberately wanted to be smart and worked towards it by looking for information about being smart and applying it judiciously.
The more you apply the following strategies, the more you are better at being brilliant.
One good thing is you will be commended by those around you as you become likable.
Being a smart person every day is a combination of various factors, including intelligence, knowledge, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and continuous self-improvement.
While innate intelligence plays a role, being smart is not limited to your natural abilities.
Let’s examine practical ways that help me to become an astute person:
1. Insatiable Curiosity
Curiosity is the first step towards gaining knowledge.
Be eager to learn and ask questions about the things that interest you. Explore various subjects and fields to broaden your knowledge base.
Smartness could be natural to some people, however, you have to be curious to become a smarter person.
Curiosity is the strong desire to know more, to be better, to unravel, to achieve more, and to keep going. It is the drive you need in many areas of your life to be a smart person.
When a particular curiosity is satisfied, another would take position because there must be always something to be curious about and that means something new to learn.
Learning new things adds to your wealth of knowledge which in turn makes you smarter.
Below are ways to develop or sharpen your curiosity to be a smart person:
- Reading is the closest way to acquire knowledge and know more
- Let your mind interact with like minds
- Do not be afraid to ask questions
- Be an expert who is interested in everything
2. Be Flexible in your Thoughts
A brilliant personality is not rigid in its thoughts. This means they have open minds at all times and their thought pattern is not fixated on culture or religion.
The ordinary personality could be fixated on certain conditions or beliefs and tend to be active or do better in such conditions but become docile outside that.
Brilliant personalities express dynamism in all situations and this explains why they are not intimidated by the environment, other personalities, or any situation.
When in group tasks, they seek other people’s opinions to see how further they can explore and not obtrude their own opinions even if they are leaders.
3. Self-control
Self-control is the ability to keep your feelings in check and not be overwhelmed by emotions.
It takes self-awareness and a strong will to be in control of your feelings and emotions.
Emotions and motivation are the drivers of cognitive processes in human beings like perception, learning, memory, attention, reasoning, including problem-solving.
Smart people tame the influence of negative emotions through self-control, especially as it concerns the modulating of motivation and behaviour.
Having insatiable curiosity needs self-control to harness other needed self-development skills to be smarter
4. Question Everything
Do not swallow everything you hear or are told hook, line, and sinker. Ask questions, and go on a fact-finding mission on things you are curious about to have first-hand information. This eliminates confusion, and bias and you have strong conviction when you share the information. Smart people keep their eyes and minds open to absorb information and then filter out what is not necessary.
5. Read as Much as you Can and be a Smart Person
Being a smart person can never be interesting when you don’t seek information through reading.
In other words, if you are not an avid reader, you hardly can be as smart as you can be.
Smart people savour information through reading and they are not apologetic about it.
Since knowing more and more is key to improving your smartness tremendously, then reading should be one of your strategies.
You cannot imagine the wealth of knowledge you can amass through reading. You improve your knowledge, vocabulary, and confidence, and you become a better teacher. Just as they say, ‘You travel to many places through reading.’
It takes curiosity, self-control, questioning everything, and seeking knowledge to become a smart personality.
6. Think of New Ways to do Things
Smart individuals excel by finding innovative approaches to tasks, often surprising others.
While this may seem like taking shortcuts, as long as it’s within ethical boundaries, it’s acceptable to save time and enhance productivity.
Many modern inventions aim to streamline processes and reduce human effort.
This demands diverse thinking styles and a focused, inquisitive mindset, driven by curiosity, self-discipline, and a thirst for knowledge.
7. Filter Contents you Absorb, Filter your Friends
The content you consume both online, in books, and from friends has either detrimental or uplifting effects on you.
They either increase or decrease you. Experience has shown that smart people have fewer friends and so have less garbage to deal with.
They have fewer friends because they love quality and are selective in choosing their friends.
The people you spend your time with, people you can call confidants say a lot about you and determine to an extent how smart you can be.
8. Keep Diaries of Your Life
A diary is a record of daily life, often with a yearly calendar, while a journal focuses on thoughts and reflections. Both serve to document experiences and memories.
Witnessing his father’s meticulous diaries, the speaker learned the value of such records for referencing past events and avoiding mistakes.
Diaries preserve details that memory might lose, providing a rich, unaltered account for future reflection and reference.
9. Be Creative and Exercise your Brain
Regular mental exercise is crucial for a sharp mind. Those who neglect it often rely solely on emotions and instincts.
Problem-solving activities, such as games and creative writing, stimulate the brain, fostering better and faster thinking.
Writing enhances vocabulary and communication skills, vital for effective expression.
Engaging in such activities not only sharpens the mind but also nurtures creativity and cognitive agility.
10. Learn to Enjoy Solitude
Solitude, the state of being alone, is embraced by some due to shyness, a desire for focus, or introverted tendencies.
Importantly, it’s a choice, not a forced circumstance. Those unaccustomed to it should consider its mental benefits.
Solitude fosters introspection, deep thinking, and self-discovery, akin to meditation.
Embracing it can accelerate personal growth and intellectual development, making it a valuable practice for anyone seeking to become smarter.
11. Continue to Have All-round Learning and Education
People think learning has to do with only formal education at school, college, and university.
We all were told as early as we can remember to go to school and get good grades so we could become a doctor, engineers, or lawyers to get good jobs.
However, this type of education acquired in schools is just one type of learning. There are many more avenues to learn and acquire knowledge and develop skills that are needed throughout your life.
People always think intelligence or smartness could not be improved on as it was believed to be a gift, which it is anyway but can also be acquired.
Somebody who is not smart can acquire smartness to some degree as long as he puts effort into learning and acquiring knowledge.
12. Identify and Follow your Passion
Through continuous learning, you will be able to identify your passion. When you discover your passion, it becomes fun and you will fit in easily, focus, and learn to have in-depth knowledge about it and not struggle.
It is better to be a smart person in a few areas than to have a shallow knowledge of a broad range of areas.
You identify your passion when you continue to learn. Chances are you might stumble on something that resonates with you naturally.
You don’t struggle to be successful in it, it comes to you as fun and you are fulfilled as a person doing it.
When you narrow your passion and interest, you become smart and competent in the area.
Explore, delve in, and give it all your energy and you will see the desired results.
13. Master Metacognition
Metacognition is thinking about your thoughts. It is an appraisal of one’s thinking and the process of monitoring, understanding, and assessing your performance as it regards learning and growth.
It is a critical awareness approach that can help you know when you are slacking and how to intensify your effort to figure out your life.
For instance, you can gauge your learning progress and pattern or how a particular factor is affecting your learning process and how to improve.
14. Be Current with the News
No matter the industry you might have an interest in, an intending smart person should constantly look out for current news, if not for your career, at least to be in the know. You do not know where your next opportunity might come from.
If you are not a friend of the latest trends, then you are prone to miss out on important opportunities you might not get back.
Keep up with current events both in your locality and the world over. It will increase your intellectual ability and make you current and smart.
Also, being current lets you have an opinion, or suggestion and let your voice be heard about the current situations in the locality which is an attribute of a smart person.
15. Put the Technology Aside Sometimes
During his time running a pharmacy, the speaker’s father refused to use a calculator, opting for manual calculations.
Despite the availability of technology, he insisted on mental arithmetic, which, while time-consuming, exercised his brain and contributed to his sharpness.
This anecdote highlights the potential downside of excessive reliance on technology, emphasizing the importance of engaging in mentally challenging tasks to maintain cognitive agility and intelligence.
16. It’s Okay to Look Stupid Sometimes
Sometimes, to be smart, you need to be dumb or appear dumb especially when you are not sure of the people around you and not familiar with the environment.
Smart people assume stupidity on a required occasion to extract information, ask relevant questions, and acquire knowledge.
Your ego might come in the way of this and you would be like “How can I of all people take that?”. Put down your guard and be smart.
Investigative journalists sometimes spend days or even months in prison to extract information.
When you have your focus on something worth it, you don’t mind if the process is rigorous or lowly, you lean in for the sake of it.
17. Be Receptive and Open-minded
Being receptive is how willing you are to consider other views or try out new experiences.
Do not put away information or an idea because it is unattractive, confusing, scary, or intimidating the usual way you think and process information.
Avoid cognitive dissonance, the natural hesitation of the mind to ignore or avoid opposing information.
Cognitive dissonance is detrimental to being a smart person because you might shut out information that is capable of changing your life.
An open mind would have more information to consider, and the more information and ideas you have, the more chances of stumbling upon a good one and becoming a smart person.
18. Improve your Vocabulary
Having a rich vocabulary conveys rich meaning and beautifies communication and at the same time, puts you on the pedestal of an intellectual.
Smart people know this and that is why they are good communicators.
They boycott the usual employ the unusual words appropriately and score enviable communication points.
It does not take much to enrich your vocabulary. Read, jot down, and look up words, and put them to use.
Again, put them to use. If you have a really good vocabulary and you don’t use them, it’s as good as not having them. Remember, practice makes perfect.
19. Modesty is a Virtue, Practice it
Modesty is the quality of moderation, not being too proud of yourself or obtruding in an unwelcome way.
In the world of today, some too many attention-seeking people can go overboard to get noticed.
A smart person who is modest and confident wields all the charms there could be in seduction. People are comfortable around you because you identify with them.
Immodest behaviours most times are triggered by an inferiority complex because it wants to measure up, feel among, and get noticed.
However, a smart person would readily see through it eventually.
20. Be Adaptable
Adaptability is the ability to be able to adjust to new conditions or situations. It also means learning new skills and ways of doing things in response to changing dynamics and circumstances.
Intelligent and smart people can thrive outside their comfort zones without many lapses.
They adapt quickly because they have conditioned their mind to focus on the most important things and be resilient when the odds are against them.
Becoming a smart person demands you develop tough skin for situations that might not otherwise be soothing for you.
Some people find it difficult to cope in unfavourable situations while smart people cope and thrive.
21. Visit New Places
It is said that a traveler is more knowledgeable than an old man. Traveling to new places, having new experiences, and enriching your knowledge is a smart thing to do.
Apart from giving you a fulfilling feeling, it gives you first-hand information and knowledge about a particular place, people, and culture.
You will be fascinated at how much you do not know about humans, animals, weather, architecture, etc. Travel and see.
22. Apply Emotional Smartness
Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in becoming a smart person. This is the ability to know your emotions, have a grip on them, and use them to navigate properly in social circles and society at large.
Being aware of situations with a deep thought of how to navigate them clearly and not merely drifting along is important.
23. Be Intuitive
People who are high in intelligence traits can understand things instinctively without conscious reasoning.
Every human and animal of course has instincts with which they navigate the course of life, but processing intuition and applying it in situations properly sets smart people aside.
Having the inner insight into situations without conscious reasoning is a gift that eludes many.
Smart people are aware that there is more to this world than we see. There are subtle but consistent messages conveyed by the universe through our surroundings and people.
24. Don’t be Afraid to Fail
Smart people are not afraid to fail. They carry this air of confidence with them and seem to infect people around them.
They have the habit of embarking on tasks not minding if they fail or not. They believe there is something to learn from every venture.
Brilliant people are kept on their toes by failure.
This however does not rob the energy they inject into whatever task they engage in. Failure for them is only another opportunity to get it right.
I always believe that when I try something new and fail, that’s because I am new to it and probably don’t know all the tricks in it. It challenges me to be painstaking when trying again.
25. Be Objective to be a Smart Person
Being objective means being free from bias, and sentiments and being true irrespective of who might be offended. Objectivity is essential for the accuracy of how things work around us.
You do not behave in ways that suggest you are after your interest, but the interest of whatever the collective target is; shoving all sentiments aside in pursuit of excellence.
Objectivity is another area where the smart person is selfless and considers others in his dealings.
Instead of influencing change in the next person, objectivity demands that you accept people the way they are, their beliefs, or whatever they hold dear and instead work your way around them to harness whatever importance they have.
26. Be Practical
Dwelling only on theory and word of mouth is not for smart people. They accept the challenge and get to work.
One of my mentor’s slogans is “If you never try, you will never know.”
I always keep this close to my heart in my conduct in life. It helps me not to write every task off as bigger than me or not enough.
This is the opposite of putting things over the next day which might as well be put over the next day.
Procrastination is the enemy that steals and keeps stealing successes from people who are too lazy to get down to work.
Due to their wealth of experience smart persons have, they apply knowledge to situations instead of ideas and guesswork.
27. Do not Seek Validation
The speaker believes seeking validation from others indicates weakness, contrasting it with the confidence of smart individuals comfortable in their own company.
They recount a roommate who constantly sought the company of others, becoming despondent when alone.
This behavior, driven by a need for validation, led to distress when others sought privacy.
The speaker highlights the detrimental impact of seeking external validation on one’s emotional well-being and independence.
Watch this Video on Tips to Becoming a Smart Person (11mins 6sec)
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I become smarter in everyday life?
To become smarter in everyday life, engage in continuous learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving, and embrace new experiences and challenges.
How can I be very intelligent?
To be very intelligent, cultivate a growth mindset, seek knowledge actively, and develop strong analytical and creative thinking skills through regular practice.
How can I train my brain to be smarter?
To train your brain to be smarter, engage in activities that challenge your intellect, such as puzzles, reading, and learning new skills, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
How can I look smart in my daily life?
To look smart in daily life, dress neatly and appropriately, maintain good posture, speak confidently, and engage in meaningful conversations while demonstrating empathy and understanding.
Application and Integration of All of the Above
Some are born smart people, while some learn how to be smart. It all depends on the strength of your interests and what you want to achieve.
Smart people are not the only successful people in the world.
Becoming a smart, intelligent person would not be achieved if only what you do is wish and wish.
All the above should be applied, tweaked, and integrated into your everyday life so they can stick and become a part of you.
Though you might not be able to apply all to the latter covering a greater number of them is in good taste and you will see the tremendous improvement and confidence you will record in no time.
Don’t hesitate to write me a comment and let me know how you feel about this post or your progress in becoming a smart person.
REFERENCES:
7 Ways To Become Smarter Every Week
Pyo Merez (PsyD) is a distinguished adolescent and adult psychologist at the forefront of mental health advocacy.
With expertise in cognitive and developmental psychology, focusing on social relationships, cultural contexts, and individual differences, Pyo has dedicated his career to empowering adolescents and adults.
As a sought-after speaker and panelist, Pyo shares invaluable insights on issues affecting young people, contributing to a deeper understanding of mental health and well-being in today's society.
Such an insightful article. I like the idea of not seeking validation – I struggle with this!