4 Kinds of Texts Enhancing Intelligence I. Introduction A. Reading for information, hoping to —improve our minds with the inform

4 Kinds of Texts Enhancing Intelligence
    Good evening. This lecture is going to introduce 4 kinds of texts that can enhance intelligence. As you know, we read for information, hoping that it will improve our minds, giving us the means to improve our lives. In the modern Age of Information, more reading material is at hand, making it more and more demanding to allocate our reading time in an efficient manner. All texts are not created equal, and it follows that all readers are not equal either. (1) To read prodigiously and to read profitably are two different things. A great amount of time is wasted reading texts that are forgotten a short time after they’re finished. But time spent reading texts that cultivate intelligence and wisdom is a labor that yields continuous benefit over a lifetime. Despite its necessity, for the purposes of business and everyday life, to read about the latest news and trends, that type of reading is outside the scope of this article. My aim is to encourage the reading of books that permanently increase intelligence and, as a result, improve our chances of leading a prosperous and fulfilling life.
    (2) The first choice is texts about science. It includes all books that increase our understanding of the natural world. (3) The great value of them comes, not from the theories they prove which will likely be disproved in the future, but from the development of curiosity and (4) the methods of learning. (5) Scientific texts teach us how to investigate our intuition and validate it with evidence. (6)They also inspire wonder and respect for the physical world and for our own intellect.
    Then, philosophy comes as our second choice. In ancient times, science and philosophy grew from the seed of analytical thought. (7) If science teaches us to understand the outside world, philosophy teaches us to understand ourselves. It could very well be called the science of human life. (8) In addition to the classic philosophical works, this category also includes the great religious texts.
    The third one is serious fiction. I’d like to permanently discredit the belief that fictional works are inferior because they are made up. Only a person completely devoid of imagination could believe that. Great works of fiction contain more truth than any other literary genre because they allow the reader to experience a new reality. (9) Fiction creates experiences that elevate your level of consciousness. Serious fiction also contains a great deal of philosophy, psychology and history.
    Moreover, history texts are also included. History feels boring because as children it meant memorizing dates, and tedious lectures. And who can blame us? The public schools have done their best to take the humanity out of history. But at its best, history is fascinating anecdotes, remarkable characters, and the evolution of ideas that have shaped civilization. (10) By learning about the past, we are more able to interpret our own times and ourselves.