How to Improve Crystallized Intelligence: 10 Simple Steps

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If you want to know how to improve crystallized intelligence, you definitely can do that.

In fact, I’m going to share five simple steps to walk you through giving this specific type of intelligence a boost.

But it’s important to first make sure you understand what crystallized intelligence is and how it interacts with fluid intelligence.

To get started on understanding the tricky nature of the difference, imagine the following dialogue:

Jane: “Did you hear Jonas’ speech? He spoke so well! Expressive and kept the audience enthralled. Very intelligent!” 

Amanda: “Yeah, he was great! Creative, definitely! But intelligent?”

Jane: “It’s the same. You don’t need to be a mathematician or scientist to be intelligent.”

Is Jane right?

And what does she mean by intelligence? Is she talking about fluid intelligence, crystal intelligence, or both?

Let’s delve into these two types of intelligence (Fluid Intelligence and Crystallized Intelligence). Once you know how they work together, you’ll learn how to improve your crystallized intelligence in just 5 steps.

And later I’ll give you an additional 5 steps so you can also boost your fluid intelligence at the same time.

With all of this is mind, here’s what you’ll discover on this page:

• What is Intelligence? 
• What is Fluid Intelligence?
• How to improve Crystallized Intelligence
• Can Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence Work Together?
• Is Fluid Intelligence More Important Than Crystallized?
• 5 Magnetic Ways to Keep Your Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence Sharp?

What is Intelligence?

It’s a tough question.

Many of the world’s most ‘intelligent’ scientists, researchers, and psychologists have been debating ad infinitum over a standard definition of intelligence.

For our understanding, intelligence is your ability to learn new information and use that knowledge to identify and solve problems. 

You are deemed intelligent (read: smart) if you can use logic, reasoning, quick thinking, and planning to conduct daily activities effectively. 

The good news?

You are not born with finite intelligence. You can boost your intelligence and thereby your social capital by using a proper memory method. (More about this later).

Are There Different Types of Intelligence?

Yes. Intelligence is subdivided into two distinct types — fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. They also go by the nicknames of gf and gc, where “g” stands for general intelligence.

The theory of fluid and crystal intelligence was first proposed by psychologist Raymond Cattell in 1963. He referred to the ability to reason as fluid intelligence, and the capacity to acquire knowledge as crystallized intelligence.

The concept was further developed by his student, John L. Horn, in the 1970s and 1980s. Their findings came to be known as the Cattell-Horn Theory of Intelligence. 

The natural intelligence displayed by humans is very different from artificial intelligence (AI), which is intelligence demonstrated by machines. Our intelligence also differs in its cognitive capabilities from that demonstrated by open-source intelligence, which uses information collected from publicly available data sources. That’s not to mention our intelligence for developing concentration and memory through meditation. 

A Fun Definition of Fluid Intelligence

Once, at a Paris hotel, my shower wasn’t working. I had checked in late at night, so there was no possibility of calling the plumber.

But I did manage to take a quick bath.

I used the Indian bucket bath method: where instead of a bucket and jug, I filled the drinking glass with water from the tap to pour over my body.

Genius, or what? 

It was my fluid intelligence hard at work to come up with a novel solution to a unique problem.

Fluid intelligence is your ability to analyze, reason, and think out-of-the-box to find original solutions to new problems.

Your fluid intelligence uses logic in new situations or tasks, recognizes patterns, and incorporates abstract reasoning towards problem-solving. 

Often, fluid intelligence is used when you solve math problems or jigsaw puzzles. You also use fluid intelligence when you start plucking on a guitar without prior training.

Your fluid intelligence does not depend on previously acquired knowledge. A person who is ‘street smart’ uses his fluid intelligence very effectively.

Fluid intelligence depends on your working memory, which is stored in the prefrontal cortex of your brain. It is governed by the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex — regions of the brain responsible for attention and short-term memory.

More Examples of Fluid Intelligence

You use your fluid intelligence when you:

• Identify patterns in logical reasoning questions,
• Assemble a complex jigsaw puzzle using a picture,
• Develop strategies or a game plan to solve problems,
• Think outside the box when solving problems, or
• Eliminate unwanted information when you conduct research.

There is bad news, though.

Fluid intelligence starts to decline with age, sometimes even as early as your 20s or young adulthood. Therefore, cognitive functions in elderly people may be reduced.

However, there are ways to keep it sharper and stronger even as you age. (We’ll come to that soon!) 

Next, let’s look at crystal intelligence.

How to Improve Crystallized Intelligence

First things first, let’s define this term:

Crystal intelligence or crystallized intelligence is your ability to use knowledge and information previously learned over the years.

This type of intelligence is what you acquire through education and experience. Crystal intelligence gets cemented in the hippocampus, neocortex, and amygdala — parts of the brain that store and use long-term memories. 

You use crystal intelligence when you do long division, or learn a new language. These tasks also require focused attention.

Ultimately, these terms are measurable. You can literally test and measure it through your grasp of vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, and your competence in quizzes and game shows.

Both internal and external factors impact the development of crystallized intelligence. 

Internal factors include your innate curiosity and motivation to learn new things. External factors are the surroundings that you grew up in — your family, educational institutions, and society in general.

Examples of Crystallized Intelligence

Crystal intellect is at work when you:

• Answer questions related to history or geography in a quiz. (For example, when did Columbus first arrive in America?)
• Learn and speak different languages.
• Know the exact ingredients used to prepare your favorite dishes.
• Learn new words in your native language.
• Memorize new maths formulae or facts
• Conduct a surgery on a patient.
• Remember the demographic statistics of a country you’re reading about.

The good news is: since crystal intelligence relies on the accumulation of knowledge, it is usually maintained with age. It peaks and declines much later in life as compared to fluid intelligence.

Interestingly, research shows that elderly people are valuable as workers as they make up for a decline in fluid intelligence with crystallized intelligence.

Cautionary note: While stronger intelligence may give you a head start in life, it may not prevent you from being affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Now let’s look at seven specific ways you can improve crystallized intelligence.

One: Engage in Constant Learning

One reason people fail to develop any kind of intelligence is that they fall into stasis.

That’s why for years I’ve tried to inspire people by sharing one of my favorite personal mantras: “Stop stopping.”

In addition to getting rusty if you don’t practice continual learning, this scientific study shows that crystallized intelligence is higher for older adults, especially those who continually learn new things.

You might even consider practicing polymathy. That’s what I’ve done for decades and it has helped me continually learn new things to positive effect.

Two: Specialize in Particular Topics

Although you want to rotate through as many learning projects as possible, focus is also important.

As this study shows, people who specialize ultimately become much more knowledgable in multiple domains.

I have a PhD in Humanities, which means that I did a lot of interdisciplinary study. But not at the expense of specializing in what the “Humanities” are at their core.

Three: Practice What You Learn

One problem many people face when developing their intelligence is what I think of as a “hunter/gatherer” issue.

The Internet has turned seeking and gathering information into a kind of sport. But far too often, this happens at the expense of actually implementing the ideas and knowledge people discover.

As we’ve seen before with continual learning, these scientists have discovered that the earlier you start practicing what you’ve discovered, the more likely your intelligence will develop in these areas.

I can share a personal anecdote around this: When I was in grade four, computers were quite new in Canadian classrooms.

Back then, I had behavorial problems, so the teacher would put me in front of the only computer in the classroom. I learned to type and wrote many stories.

I’ve practiced writing ever since, and this skill has become my career. It was central to my PhD and many millions of people have read this blog, or watched my YouTube videos, most of which are written first.

As a result, if I’m asked to write an article for another publication, I’m able to produce quality writing quickly.

That’s the power of practice.

Four: Enrich Your Cultural Knowledge

We all know that it’s valuable to speak at least one other language. But as this study shows, bilingualism also improves your ability to correct yourself when you make mistakes.

Another study shows that self-control increases in individuals who speak more than one tongue.

And it probably goes without saying that reading will make you smarter, especially if you can immerse yourself in at least one other culture through their language.

So, if you want to outperform yourself and others, learn another language and read books from the culture of that language. Your future self will thank you for it.

Five: Interact Socially

Part of having solid crystallized intelligence involves autobiographical memory.

In order to exercise this type of memory, it is essential to speak with other people frequently. As this study shows, your ability to perceive everything from time and complexity in the world stem from the exercise your brain gets while socializing.

I remember Tony Buzan mentioning something similar to me when he discussed how he was influenced by the theory of multiple intelligences.

In fact, he hints at what you can do if you’re not able to socialize: Read widely and mind map about the content.

These days, on social media, you can easily post your mind maps. Although this kind of socializing isn’t quite the same, it’s better than nothing.

Now that you have all these tips under your belt, you might be wondering: Do crystal and fluid intelligence work together in any specific way?

Can Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence Work Together?

Turns out, fluid and crystallized intelligence are great team players. 

Even though they are two distinct types of intelligence that cover different cognitive abilities of the brain, they work together more often than you might imagine.

For example, when you DIY a table, you use the woodworking skills your dad taught you years ago. This is your crystal intelligence. You figure out which raw materials to use, which tools to use, and how to follow a detailed design.

You also use fluid intelligence to reason and find solutions to any hurdles you face — for example, maybe a certain tool is not available and you need to find a substitute.

This solution is then transferred to long-term memory and becomes part of your crystal intelligence. If you face the same problem in the distant future, the solution would be retrieved from your long term crystal memory.

Use of Fluid and Crystal Intelligence When Cooking

Here’s another example of the interwovenness of fluid and crystallized intelligence:

When you cook a meal, which actually provides a decent brain workout), you utilize your crystallized intelligence to understand and follow the recipe. However, if you modify the spices or find substitutes for some ingredients according to your tastes and dietary requirements, you are utilizing your fluid intelligence. 

These forms of intelligence seem quite different, but is one more important than the other?

Is Fluid Intelligence More Important Than Crystallized?

Not at all.

Both types of intelligence are equally important to function well in everyday life.

As I discussed earlier, fluid intelligence is directly related to being creative and innovative (i.e., your street smarts). Crystal intelligence, on the other hand, relies on being book smart.

However, today’s education system and our dependence on technology may deprive our brain of developing its natural aptitude for creative problem-solving. 

Educational institutes even resort to the Wechsler Intelligence Test or other IQ tests to determine the cognitive skills in students based only on crystal intelligence. Many cognitive training tasks also give more importance to developing crystallized intelligence.

However, I believe the goal should be to strengthen your overall intelligence — be it crystal or fluid.

Crystal intelligence is closely linked to long-term memories. Fluid intelligence is, however, associated with short-term memory or working memory.

Research says that if working memory is deficient, the ability to acquire knowledge and related skills will be limited. A study by Susan Gathercole and Tracy Alloway showed that “working memory functions as a bottleneck for learning in individual learning episodes required to improve knowledge.”

But what does that mean?

In simple terms: you need to develop your fluid intelligence to enable your crystal intelligence to work well!

Let’s look at how you can do just that.

5 More Ways to Sharpen Your Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence

Here are five great ways to improve both types of intelligence.

Six: Create Memory Palaces

When you build memory palaces using the Magnetic Memory Method, you are using both fluid and crystal intelligence in ways that enable you to improve them.

The Magnetic Memory Method Memory Palace is a powerful way to train the brain regions that govern your fluid and crystal intelligence.

It’s also a better method for remembering and learning information than using other techniques like mind mapping on its own because you’re innovating and drawing upon existing mental content at the same time.

Plus, any time you can combine intelligence and memory strengthening, you get holistic improvement of all levels of memory. You can move short-term memory into long-term memory faster (and permanently) with a minimum amount of practice.

Seven: Get Creative 

It is believed that to be creative, you don’t have to come up with original ideas all the time. You’re creative just by finding new connections between existing ideas.

This could be as simple as finding a new route to go to work, starting new eating habits, or adding new ingredients to a pasta recipe you’ve stuck to for years. 

Or, if you’re an artist, simply abandon your tools for a while and wander outside or travel to a new place. Inspiration for your next masterpiece may strike you from unexpected places. 

And sometimes constraints fuel creativity, so set yourself time and space limits to complete a project.

Eight: Challenge Your Brain

Technology has made everyday life so easy for all of us — so switching off is a great way to challenge your brain. 

Remember the saying “use it or lose it” and unplug from your devices every once in a while. For instance, navigate to a new landmark in your city without a GPS.

Seeking new experiences, learning new skills, and staying busy with hobbies and people are great ways to keep your fluid and crystal intelligence sharp. 

You might also learn a new language, watch a new genre of movies, play memory games, read on a topic that is alien to you, or just try using your non-dominant hand for a few everyday activities.

Nine: Meditate Regularly

Mindfulness meditation is a way to engage new neural pathways in your brain. Research has proven that this neurostimulation can transform your body and brain positively.

This form of active brain training can improve your focused attention, long term retention and recall, and your working memory capacity, which are all important aspects of your fluid and crystallized intelligence.

10: Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Want to get a sharper memory? Get more sleep.

As counterintuitive as this may sound, sleep can sharpen your intellect. In fact, sleep is one of nature’s most ignored memory-boosters. 

If you’re well-rested, you stay alert and attentive throughout the day — which positively affects your ability to retain more and learn new things like riding a car or learning a new language.

Boost Your Intelligence, Magnetically

Memory science is important and worth reading, but you are the ultimate scientist in the laboratory of your own memory and intelligence.

Why not get cracking at a new intelligence-boosting experiment with me today? Register for my free course, and I’ll send you my free memory improvement worksheets and videos: