We all know that laziness is contagious; we also know that when people get together, more and more people in that group become similar. It seems that the human species is capable of changing itself and its psychology to get along with others in large groups, this has been proven. In fact, studies have shown that people in the same group become fatter or thinner, more motivated or less motivated, and even healthier or less healthy.

We all know that when groups of women of childbearing age come together, their menstrual cycles will slowly begin to coincide. Therefore, it seems that there is much more to the psychology and physiology of human groups, tribes, and societies. I’d like you to go to YouTube right now and watch a very interesting video by Nicholas Christakis called: “The Hidden Influence of Social Media.”

Although he doesn’t go out and say it, it seems to me that intelligence is also contagious. Depression, motivation, and even political persuasion tend to freeze in groups. And it has often been said that any given individual is the average of his five closest friends. And we know that children imitate their parents, with the same mannerisms and often with similar personalities. You don’t have to be a child development psychologist to figure this out.

As the coordinator of an Internet think tank, I can tell you that intelligence is really contagious, and if you hang out with smart people, you will actually get smarter. And if you hang out with people who don’t value intelligence, intellectual conversation, or deep thought, you’ll become less intelligent. Although the “contagious intelligence theory” that I just invented has not been proven by science, I think it has.

In fact, considering the number of observations and experience I’ve had with this, I could almost say it’s a foregone conclusion and fact. If you want to get smarter, then you need to hang out with smart people and have smart friends. You need to turn your mind back on and be constantly thinking, reasoning, and coming up with solutions. You need to think of new and interesting innovative ideas, and think outside the box. That is if you want to get smarter.

You must engage in intellectual discourse, watch intellectual programs on television (such as the Discovery Channel), and read intellectually challenging books. I hope you will please consider all this.