How to Be an Intelligent and Refined Teenager or Young Adult
Consider what being intelligent and refined means to you., Read a lot and read widely on all subjects., Learn more languages., Keep up with current affairs and news., Read critically., Speak carefully and use words well., Join a few clubs and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider what being intelligent and refined means to you.
Are you merely trying to impress others, or are you making a conscious effort to make positive decisions and actions for yourself? Understanding your motivations, whatever they are, can help you achieve your goals. -
Step 2: Read a lot and read widely on all subjects.
For example, if you like a certain crime novel, read other works in the genre, by the author, and from the same time period or culture.
Then expand your scope to encompass a wide variety of time periods and cultures, genres and subgenres.
This will help you achieve a greater sense of the scale and variety of works available to you. , Learning a second or third language will impress others, but it also says a lot about the type of person you are.
It shows you care about the world on a global scale, and it proves that you are committed, intelligent, culturally literate, and appreciative of other cultures.
It is also a useful asset when applying for a job or traveling and is good for your brain. , Keep up with a wide range of news types and sources.
Follow political, global, economic, social, sport, finance, and tabloid news to stay abreast of what's going on in the world.
This will keep you engaged and interested in the world around you so that you can be an active and productive citizen, even before you can vote. , There is a massive amount of misinformation out there, especially on the internet, and so many supposed news stories or reports are designed to be sensational and dramatic, rather than to report events accurately.
And even sources with the best intentions can't fully escape biases when reporting controversial stories.
Think critically about everything you read, discuss its merits and weaknesses with your teachers and friends, do plenty of background research on every issue you consider, and consciously decide how much to trust each source you come across. , Don't rely too heavily on words such as "like" or "yeah" or "stuff".
It doesn't show a high level of knowledge or interest in what you're saying.
Instead, take advantage of the more specific, powerful words you know, and read a lot to expose yourself to an even wider vocabulary. , Join clubs or sports teams after school or in your community, based on your interests and hobbies.
Make sure to get involved in a wide variety of activities
- for example, join your French club, be part of the hockey team, and do debating.
This will introduce you to many very different people and ideas, and it will help make you more well-rounded and socially aware. , Volunteer in your community, become a youth ambassador, help out at the local retirement village.
It will teach you compassion and the value of service, and it will put you in close contact with people with very different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. , Whether high school or university, make sure you work hard and study for all your exams.
Work consistently and always do your best.
School is the best way to prepare yourself for a career or life in the world at large, so work to learn as much as possible while you have the chance. , It will show off your refined knowledge, and listening to arguments and perspectives from different adults can teach you more about the issues at hand.
In these conversations, defend your opinions with facts and research, but don't claim to know more than you do and always be ready to admit your mistakes. , Don't get influenced by your friends and even adults.
Don't support causes or issues in society until you look at both sides of the picture.
Just because everyone has Instagram or Facebook doesn't mean you need it.
However, you can use these social media sites cleverly to reach a large audience for issues you support, and get connected with the news and important ideas by leaders in our world. -
Step 3: Learn more languages.
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Step 4: Keep up with current affairs and news.
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Step 5: Read critically.
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Step 6: Speak carefully and use words well.
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Step 7: Join a few clubs and societies.
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Step 8: Take advantage of opportunities at school or out of school.
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Step 9: Work hard
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Step 10: study hard.
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Step 11: Find intelligent issues to talk about with adults.
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Step 12: Form your own opinions.
Detailed Guide
Are you merely trying to impress others, or are you making a conscious effort to make positive decisions and actions for yourself? Understanding your motivations, whatever they are, can help you achieve your goals.
For example, if you like a certain crime novel, read other works in the genre, by the author, and from the same time period or culture.
Then expand your scope to encompass a wide variety of time periods and cultures, genres and subgenres.
This will help you achieve a greater sense of the scale and variety of works available to you. , Learning a second or third language will impress others, but it also says a lot about the type of person you are.
It shows you care about the world on a global scale, and it proves that you are committed, intelligent, culturally literate, and appreciative of other cultures.
It is also a useful asset when applying for a job or traveling and is good for your brain. , Keep up with a wide range of news types and sources.
Follow political, global, economic, social, sport, finance, and tabloid news to stay abreast of what's going on in the world.
This will keep you engaged and interested in the world around you so that you can be an active and productive citizen, even before you can vote. , There is a massive amount of misinformation out there, especially on the internet, and so many supposed news stories or reports are designed to be sensational and dramatic, rather than to report events accurately.
And even sources with the best intentions can't fully escape biases when reporting controversial stories.
Think critically about everything you read, discuss its merits and weaknesses with your teachers and friends, do plenty of background research on every issue you consider, and consciously decide how much to trust each source you come across. , Don't rely too heavily on words such as "like" or "yeah" or "stuff".
It doesn't show a high level of knowledge or interest in what you're saying.
Instead, take advantage of the more specific, powerful words you know, and read a lot to expose yourself to an even wider vocabulary. , Join clubs or sports teams after school or in your community, based on your interests and hobbies.
Make sure to get involved in a wide variety of activities
- for example, join your French club, be part of the hockey team, and do debating.
This will introduce you to many very different people and ideas, and it will help make you more well-rounded and socially aware. , Volunteer in your community, become a youth ambassador, help out at the local retirement village.
It will teach you compassion and the value of service, and it will put you in close contact with people with very different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. , Whether high school or university, make sure you work hard and study for all your exams.
Work consistently and always do your best.
School is the best way to prepare yourself for a career or life in the world at large, so work to learn as much as possible while you have the chance. , It will show off your refined knowledge, and listening to arguments and perspectives from different adults can teach you more about the issues at hand.
In these conversations, defend your opinions with facts and research, but don't claim to know more than you do and always be ready to admit your mistakes. , Don't get influenced by your friends and even adults.
Don't support causes or issues in society until you look at both sides of the picture.
Just because everyone has Instagram or Facebook doesn't mean you need it.
However, you can use these social media sites cleverly to reach a large audience for issues you support, and get connected with the news and important ideas by leaders in our world.
About the Author
Nicholas Thompson
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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