Advice On Having General Knowledge

by JohnEconomy

posted on 02/04/2009

Have you ever had a friend or relative that no matter what you are talking about he or she seems know a lot about it? He or she really doesn't know A LOT about everything, they just know A LITTLE about A LOT of things. To be this kind of person is not difficult, by following these few tips you will be able to up your general knowledge on multiple subjects.

Be Curious
Did you hear something on the radio that you didn't quite understand or couldn't remember? Did you see something on TV you want to know more about? Did your friend explain something to you that just didn't sound quite right? Look it up! The days of needing a set of encyclopedias are over, jump on your PDA or laptop when you get a chance and Google what you were curious about. Sure enough, I bet you find that there is a Wikipedia article about it or some sort of published work on what you're curious about. Spend the 5 extra minutes to increase your knowledge and before you know it your friends will think you have gotten a lot smarter.

Change the Conversation
Are you always talking about the same things…is it the new JT song or how many kids Angelina Jolie has now? If this is the case, try changing the topic with your friends. Nobody is going to call you an idiot for talking about the news or the new president. They might not have much to offer, but you'd be surprised on what hearing someone else's point of view on a new topic can do for your general knowledge.

Get Some News
Most PDAs and cell phones have the ability to receive scrolling news from a variety of sources. Pick a random set of sources (maybe something in current events, science, technology, medicine, sports, etc.) and get them streamed to your phone. That way when you're on the toilet, standing in line, waiting in an elevator, or doing whatever you can brush up on some random news. You'd be really surprised on how reading a few small paragraphs here and there (when you aren't doing anything anyway) can really increase what you know about the world.

On another note, don't be afraid to pick up a newspaper or go to a news website. If time is an issue, you don't even have to read the articles, just read the headlines and at least you'll have an general idea of what's going on. When you see something you like read the whole article and watch as your horizons broaden.

Podcasts
Services like iTunes offer FREE podcasts for your iPod or other music player. Pick what might interest you and sign up, that way you can get a 10 minute lesson on something when you're in a plane, sitting in traffic, or have nothing else to do. My personal favorite is the "How Stuff Works" podcasts, they're really interesting and the categories are wide ranging, also it's good to note that newly elected President Obama gives an weekly web video address to the American public talking about the state of the country. This is a first for our nation, so why not be a part of it?

Read a Book
Maybe it's been a while and I can sympathize with you, but by reading a book, regardless of whether it's the third installment of the Twilight series or War and Peace, you will become smarter. Not only does it open you to new ideas, new ways of writing, and new literature, but it also stimulates and trains your brain to read more efficiently. After a reading a novel or two, you'd be surprised on how quickly you can take in a magazine article.

Diversify
While some things may really interest you, try reading something that is totally different from your routine. While it may be a new experience and hard to adjust, seeing different points of view will really round out your view on the world. For example, if you're a staunch Republican try to scarf down some Michael Moore, or if you're a Democrat see if you can listen to or read anything from Rush Limbaugh. Obviously, these are extreme examples, but knowing where the other side is coming from is always a good thing and can give you the upper hand if you get into a tense discussion.

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