How to become smarter in a world where they want to leave us an idiot

Published on October 25, 2016


    When humorous programs are interrupted by an "emergency" news release, I understand that we are being manipulated. When, after many years of preparation for exams, no one looks at their results, I understand that our brains are powdered. When thousands of graduates enter the labor exchange, I understand that something needs to be changed.



    Their exaggerated importance absorbs students. They are nervous, give up hobbies, because they sincerely believe that several exams will determine future life. It was the same with me. I stopped writing and was only concerned with solving tests. In youth, just believe that everything around you, including the media, inspires you. In youth, it is so easy to believe that all games are over and it is time to suffer.

    Higher education

    After school, we are given to understand that this is only the beginning of suffering. People we never want to be like teach students to be successful. They say “urgent”, “obligatory” and we obey, because we believe that this is how they succeed, because this is the path that has been inspired by us and our parents for decades.


    Business courses are no longer a guarantee of success. The founders of one of the most famous business schools in Russia recognize that the main value of these courses is new contacts. An MBA course costs hundreds of thousands. Wouldn't it be wiser to spend this money on the best business conferences?

    A year and a half ago, at the conference, I met businessman and investor Sergei Belousov. Six months ago, Radislav Gandapas and Pavel Kuryanov.


    Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes aroused interest in intelligence. Many began to read, and that’s good. But in order to seem smarter, most people lock themselves on the Internet and subscribe to blogs such as life hackers and publics for smart ones. Young people feel busy, but remain in the same place where they were before.

    What to do with it?

    one.No need to give up the hobbies of youth. Wealthy people often recall how in childhood they were great at any kind of activity. They think they would be no less happy if they took them more seriously. This is true, I asked.

    2. From the age of 18 I started attending conferences and I believe that it was this step that helped me develop much faster than my peers. My main activity is design. I first met him at the UX-Wednesday conference in the office of Mail.Ru Group. At such events, you find yourself around professionals from whom you are charged with enthusiasm. It evaporates quickly, but after being in this atmosphere repeatedly, something inside you changes.

    3.Remove social apps. networks from the phone. I did this a long time ago and did not regret it. If I need to, I will use a browser. In 99% of cases, nothing interesting happens there.

    mass media

    Politics will never come in handy to the vast majority of the population, although they like to talk about it like that. We don’t understand anything about this, but they try to convince us of the opposite and make us even more stupid.

    Vkontakte, YouTube, Lifehacker groups ... by and large are useless not because they present useless content. No, it’s quite the opposite. They just take so much time that you can spend on useful things. A huge stream of information overshadows their own opinion and what remains after that?

    The instagram star lives only within the framework of the phone screen, while the personality lives in the real world. Instagram «therock» has almost 70 million subscribers not because Scala posts interesting photos. Not. But because he has an interesting life in which social. the network acts as a keyhole, into which the others look.

    TV is dying. Why watch what they show you, and with advertising? I'm not talking about Internet piracy. Interesting show or football match? You are welcome. All major channels have online broadcasting.

    What to do with it?

    1. Filter the news. Do not consume everything. I limited myself to business. Choose what is important to you.

    2. Use SelfControl, which restricts access to selected sites. Activate it for a while.

    3. Exit the social. networks in the browser on the computer. Even out of habit going to a popular site, you will remember that this is not worth it.

    4. But! Use social. Networks to promote a personal brand. Choose several channels, decide on a personal message and do not forget that you live in the real world.


    At the age of 18, I dreamed of working for a large IT company. Now, I understand that I was wrong. Bureaucracy, the inability to influence the product do not contribute to rapid growth. At the start, it is better to choose a small company in which the volume of work will grow every day, as well as your professional level. Once you become a professional, you can move to top companies in leading positions and influence the product. If you want it.

    We all believed that work is an exchange of hours of life for money. Formally, this is so, but there is one more point. Working 80 hours a week, your salary will not increase, while by devoting a third-party project several hours a day, you can get financial and personal freedom.

    We were convinced that career growth is not a quick process. Most simply did not try to come up and reasonably ask for a raise. Most have not tried to assume the responsibilities of an entrepreneur and make the product better.

    At first we were told that working in a stable company is profitable. A little later, praised by entrepreneurs. We are confused, rushing about, and all because in the world, there is no 1 and 0, that is, good and evil, good and bad. There is only your personal path and only in your power to make it right.

    What to do with it?

    1. Money does not determine success. If you do not spend part of your earnings on development, you slow down progress. By development, I mean not only reading books. Quality of life, comfort and the environment affect development no less.

    2.To be better, you need to do more. More than they entrust to you in the company, or more than competitors do.

    What is the result

    Having rid ourselves of mental husks, we gain an opinion. People who change the world have an opinion and a personal vision that denies impossibility and recognizes only the pursuit of a goal.

    Happy end

    Achievement service SmartProgress is used daily by thousands of people. It’s nice to know that people began to think about the future. Users set goals for writing a book, creating a business. Not everyone shoots, but the support of the same ambitious users of the service creates a positive mental attitude and belief that everything is possible.