>>12098012My view on training the brain is that it should come naturally. There are a lot of situations that force you to solve problems and make connections, whether from jobs, a social life, education, or games.
Obviously, education is one of the better means, since it's designed to train you mentally.
The humanities are good for that, since they force you to make connections and defend your positions. Just reading and talking about subjects is good, though actual classes and high-level interactions would be good as well. Though, the liberal arts have become a very incestuous field in Western academia.
Mathematics can probably do this, too.
I think games can be good, too, but I don't see much point in playing a game solely to train your mind. There are games that train you in a specific way of thinking (e.g. chess with strategic thinking) that are still fun.
Of course, there's probably no right way to become smarter, and you only stop becoming smarter when you think there's no need to become smarter.
[spoiler:lit]Or I'm just a massive pseud[/spoiler:lit]
