Openness & Intelligence

A Massive Study Reveals the Only Habit You Can Adopt That's Linked to Intelligence and Cognitive Ability - Fortunately, the key isn't who you are, or how you're wired. The key is what you do.

[ Selected Excerpts ]

According to a meta-analysis of over 1,300 studies that involved millions of people, openness -- not "I'll tell you all my secrets" but a willingness to engage and explore new experiences, ideas, information, etc. -- is the only personality trait with a substantial correlation to intelligence.

Wisdom isn't found in certainty. Wisdom is knowing that while you might know a lot, there's also a lot you don't know. Wisdom is trying to find out what is right rather than trying to be right.

Want to be more open? Don't be afraid to be wrong. Don't be afraid to admit you don't have all the answers. Don't be afraid to say "I think" instead of "I know."

As Adam Grant writes in Think Again, "Arrogance leaves us blind to our weaknesses. Humility is a reflective lens: it helps us see them clearly. Confident humility is a corrective lens: it enables us to overcome those weaknesses."