Cognitive Fitness: How and Why to Train It
Is human intelligence in decline? Here is how and why you may want to create more cognitive fitness habits.
Hello Bar-Setters!
This will be the third and final part of this series on the forms of fitness required to thrive in the modern world. In case you missed them, I’ll link the previous two here:
Cognitive Fitness
In a recent Financial Times article, columnist John Burn-Murdoch asked a provocative question: Has human intelligence peaked?
Any guesses about what may have caused this?
On his podcast, Cal Newport recently argued that smartphones, social media, and other modern technologies are eroding our cognitive fitness. Modern people are far less likely to navigate without map apps, to read books and newspapers, or to allow time for silence. And this reduction in mental strain has resulted in a decline in overall cognitive ability. We are becoming less.
So, just as we can train our bodies to offset the effects of abundance and sedentarism—and just as we can add social fitness habits to avoid the pull towards isolation—we can also intentionally cultivate cognitive fitness to counteract the distractions of the modern world.
Newport suggests the following strategies:
Go on a phone-free walk every day
Avoid dopamine stacking (e.g. watching TV while scrolling your phone); think: one source of stimulation at a time
Read actual books, every day
Find a hobby that requires concentration (learning to play a musical instrument, carpentry, photography, etc.)
Bringing It All Together
There’s a natural overlap between physical, social, and cognitive fitness.
Some of the most powerful habits—like joining a book club, playing team sports, or taking regular walks with friends—strengthen all three domains at once.
And just like physical exercise, building your social and cognitive muscles will feel uncomfortable at first. That discomfort means you’re stretching yourself.
The key? Start small. Stay consistent.
With reps, our ability to focus, connect, and think deeply will grow—just like our muscles do under progressive resistance.
Unlike the majority of human history, modern life doesn’t automatically build these core capacities. If anything, it actively undermines them.
When it comes to youth development, helping young people navigate that mismatch may be the most essential skill of a 21st century education.
It’s up to us to give ourselves what we need.
It’s up to us to equip the next generation with the habits that will allow them to thrive.
With intention, we can all build the physical, social, and cognitive fitness required to meet this moment.
Thank you for reading and sharing with anyone who would find this interesting!
If you enjoyed this, you’ll like this podcast:
Getting Smarter in a Dumb World
Also, Josh Bertolotti just released another one of our conversations in our Character Lab Series. It is on the Perennial Wisdom podcast, available below or in any podcast app. Skip to just past the 25 minute mark for an explanation of how and why we should train our mind.
Shane