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Super Learning:

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Advanced Strategies for Quicker Comprehension,

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Greater Retention,

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and Systematic Expertise

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Written by

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Peter Hollins,  narrated by russell newton.

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Learning has never come easy for me,

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which explains my standing as a

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mediocre student from kindergarten to

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twelfth grade and through college.

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Even my parents seemed to intuitively

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know how learning challenged me,

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as they started to tell me about my

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“street smarts” and how good I was

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with my hands.

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I assumed this was just so they could

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find something to praise me about,

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because they didn’t have the

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opportunity to do so with my grades.

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It was never something I struggled with

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or felt bad about like other kids might.

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I suppose some might have seen other

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people at the top of the class and

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become frustrated and jealous.

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I just felt that everyone had something

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to contribute in their own way and that

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grades weren’t necessarily a measure

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of my worth.

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I know,

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that’s pretty insightful for a child.

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But in many ways,

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it was also incredibly misguided.

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It turns out I was right about grades

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not being important.

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Life is partially about whom you know,

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but once you get there,

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it starts becoming a meritocracy.

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The concept of learning—the ability

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to understand,

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recall,

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and use new knowledge—well,

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that’s something that truly begins to

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matter and can make all the difference

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in your career,

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relationships,

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and happiness.

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In fact,

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it becomes the backbone of where you

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end up,

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though you might get a leg up on where

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you start.

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If you can learn quickly,

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you can effectively walk the walk

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before anyone catches on that you were

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bluffing the entire time.

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You can discover opportunities you

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would never see if you were stuck

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unable to understand something.

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And you generally have the ability to

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steer your life in whatever direction

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you want because your ability to learn

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is your only barrier to entry!

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This was never more apparent to me than

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at my first job.

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I had a coworker named John,

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and I started a few weeks before he did.

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It soon become clear that he had lied

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on his resume and faked his way through

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his interview,

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because he had no idea what his duties

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were supposed to be or how to use the

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industry-standard software that we were

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all supposed to be proficient in.

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At first,

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I was angry and wanted to see justice

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done.

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But then a funny thing happened—he

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was an immensely fast learner.

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He had Post-it notes all over his desk,

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had notepads full of notes,

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and he always seemed to be writing sets

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of three-step instructions for himself.

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It was impressive to see his drive

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toward learning,

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and within months,

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he was performing at right about my own

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level of proficiency with everything he

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had lacked before.

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Sure,

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he may have faked his way in,

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but at this point,

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there was no practical difference

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between me and him.

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He had learned how to do our job in

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record time and stayed at the company

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for years afterward.

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You could call this a sobering epiphany

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for how I thought about the processes

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and value of learning.

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Processes .- It can’t be that hard,

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and there must be tried and true

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systems people use to learn better.

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After all,

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the kids that had better grades than I

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did definitely weren’t all smarter

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than me,

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right?

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Value .- Wow,

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learning can unlock so many doors.

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I had no idea.

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It applies to way more than work and

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probably to my hobbies and daily life,

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too.

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Learning will get me where I want to be.

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So what exactly is learning (not a

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technical definition)?

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Learning is how you create the life you

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want.

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Learning is the only way to create a

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better version of yourself.

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Learning is one of the most fundamental

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skills you can possess because if you

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don’t have it,

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how will your existence change or

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improve?

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Welcome to accelerated learning,

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where you can finally learn how to

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learn.

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Chapter 1.

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Fertile Conditions To Learning.

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How do we learn?

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It seems like such a simple question,

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but decades of scientific literature

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tend to disagree with that notion.

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We may simply consider learning an

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activity we just started engaging in as

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babies with no preparation.

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In our school years,

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we were the receptacles for a constant

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flow of information and experiences.

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And in most traditional settings,

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instructors measured how well we

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learned by how well we repeated the

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information back to them.

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We had no choice in the matter and

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simply went along with what was

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presented to us.

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This data accumulation and

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regurgitation almost suggest that

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learning is an automated process that

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we can only monitor,

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not control.

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In truth,

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there are factors,

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limitations,

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and conditions that affect our ability

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to learn.

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Understanding these elements can help

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you avoid mistakes and accelerate your

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learning.

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This book uses scientific principles

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and methods that will help you learn in

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a way that works best for you.

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All mental activities,

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including learning,

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are influenced by internal and external

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factors and conditions.

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Some factors we can control;

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others we have to overcome or work

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around.

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This first chapter discusses the

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scientific principles that drive our

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learning abilities and some of the best

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practices we can use to expand learning

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capacity.

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In other words,

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we must create fertile conditions for

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learning;

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otherwise,

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we are sabotaging ourselves.

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You wouldn’t try to learn to ski in a

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desert,

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would you?

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The Human Attention Span.

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One of the first conditions to learning

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you must take into account is your

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attention span.

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Since 2006,

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the nonprofit group Technology,

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Entertainment and Design—universally

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known as Ted—has produced a series of

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online videos featuring influential

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speakers and leaders from all walks of

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business and life.

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Ted Talks have become a viral source of

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sharing ideas and spreading inspiration.

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A big key to the success of Ted Talks

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is their brevity - all of them are

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capped at 18 minutes.

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Ted curator Chris Anderson explained,

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“It is long enough to be serious and

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short enough to hold people’s

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attention....

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By forcing speakers who are used to

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going on for 45 minutes to bring it

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down to 18,

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you get them to really think about what

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they want to say.

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What is the key point they want to

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communicate?"

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The overwhelming majority of Hollywood

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movies run no longer than 150 minutes;

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in 2016,

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half of them ran two hours or less.

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Movies are easier to sit through

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because they’re essentially passive -

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with the visuals taken care of,

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we don’t have to use extra brain

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energy to imagine them.

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Ted Talks,

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on the other hand,

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are more active,

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participatory,

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and dense,

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with few visual stimulants besides one

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person moving around on a stage.

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They have to be shorter.

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There are no accidents here;

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these stipulations are all intentional

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to cater to the human attention span

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and be as impactful as possible.

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But Ted Talks and movies both consume

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brainpower,

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though at different rates.

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At some point in the brain gets

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fatigued and has to take a break to

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recharge,

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whether it’s through distraction or

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relaxation.

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Whether it’s a one-hour lecture or a

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three-hour film,

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that mental weariness eventually sets

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in.

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Studies have suggested that the

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attention span of a healthy adult is,

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on average,

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15 minutes long.

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Other studies (Microsoft Corporation)

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assert that our immediate attention

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span—a single block of

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concentration—has fallen to an

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average of 8.25 seconds.

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That’s less than that of a goldfish,

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which have been shown to be able to

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maintain focus for a near-eternity of

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nine seconds.

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When we think about learning,

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we can’t help but think about

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attention,

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and memory.

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You can only learn as much as you can

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pay attention to;

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therefore,

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much research in the area of learning

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and retention focuses on the aspect of

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time.

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So,

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how long can you focus for?

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What’s the optimal time to structure

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a study session,

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for example?

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Ellen Dunn of Louisiana State

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University’s Center for Academic

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Success suggests between 30 and 50

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minutes is the ideal length for

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learning new material.

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“Anything less than 30 is just not

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enough,” Dunn said,

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“but anything more than 50 is too

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much information for your brain to take

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in at one time."

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After the completion of one session,

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you should take a five-to-ten-minute

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break before starting another.

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In the 1950s,

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researchers William Dement and

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Nathaniel Kleitman found that the human

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body generally operates in 90-minute

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cycles,

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whether awake or asleep.

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This pattern is called the “ultradian

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00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:36,040
rhythm."

293
00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:38,560
The start of each cycle is defined as a

294
00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:40,920
period of “arousal,” ramping up to

295
00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,400
a mid-period of high performance before

296
00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,560
finally decelerating in a period of

297
00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:46,080
“stress."

298
00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,280
Understanding how the 90-minute rhythm

299
00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:51,400
cycle works in the context of the

300
00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,040
greater 24-hour rhythm—the

301
00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,520
“circadian rhythm”—can help us

302
00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:57,480
predict how we’ll function over the

303
00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,840
course of a day and how we can plan

304
00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:01,600
around it for peak performance.

305
00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,040
All these examples and studies point to

306
00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,640
one primary strategy for improving our

307
00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,360
learning - breaking it down into

308
00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:11,800
smaller chunks of time because a flood

309
00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,080
of information will simply not make it

310
00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:14,920
into our heads.

311
00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,120
When you learn to work with your own

312
00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,320
in-built abilities and limitations,

313
00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:21,920
you not only learn better,

314
00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,440
but you also save yourself a lot of

315
00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:25,480
wasted energy,

316
00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,400
time and effort that wouldn’t have

317
00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,360
brought you any closer to your goal.

318
00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:34,160
Learning Over Short Bursts Of Time.

319
00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,760
When you train your body’s muscles,

320
00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,640
you put then under a load and make them

321
00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:40,960
work;

322
00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:42,800
they undergo tiny,

323
00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,640
microscopic tears and damage at the

324
00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:46,600
cellular level,

325
00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:47,600
but then,

326
00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:48,480
once they repair,

327
00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,040
they are much stronger than they were

328
00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:50,480
before.

329
00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,640
The brain is not a muscle,

330
00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:54,680
but we can think of attention as a

331
00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:57,400
muscle that can be trained—we need to

332
00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:58,280
pace ourselves.

333
00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,440
Overtraining only exhausts us,

334
00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:03,840
but building in periods of rest

335
00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:05,360
actually makes us stronger.

336
00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,880
By segmenting our learning activities

337
00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:10,040
according to blocks of time,

338
00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,120
we give the brain enough time off to

339
00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,840
reset and reenergize and enable

340
00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:17,840
ourselves to retain more information

341
00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:19,440
over longer periods.

342
00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,520
It’s therefore a good idea to start a

343
00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,280
new learning routine by simply setting

344
00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:25,800
up a schedule.

345
00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,080
Long-term planning.

346
00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,160
At the beginning of a semester,

347
00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:33,720
online course,

348
00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:34,720
or research project,

349
00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,240
block out your schedule to set up a

350
00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:38,520
studying regimen.

351
00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,480
You can do this easily with a free

352
00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,680
online calendar program from virtually

353
00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:46,520
all Internet providers or with a paper

354
00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:47,840
calendar or whiteboard.

355
00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,720
Consider what times of day you tend to

356
00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,000
get the most accomplished—some of us

357
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:55,600
start the day in high-performance mode,

358
00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,160
while others are classic night owls.

359
00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,560
Just make sure to leave ample time for

360
00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:02,080
sleep and eating.

361
00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:03,200
In fact,

362
00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,560
there is a scientific basis for whether

363
00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:06,960
you are more productive at night or in

364
00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:07,400
the morning,

365
00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,760
summed up by the terms “morning

366
00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:11,440
larks” and “night owls."

367
00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,800
If you’re really tuned in to your

368
00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:15,560
brain and body,

369
00:12:15,560 --> 00:12:17,800
you can get a bit more granular with

370
00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:19,840
your scheduling by applying the

371
00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,040
90-minute cycle to the calendar—for

372
00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:23,320
instance,

373
00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,960
90-minute blocks that account for

374
00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:27,040
breaks and fatigue.

375
00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,760
This requires a little more careful

376
00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:32,720
introspection and monitoring,

377
00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:36,120
but if you can narrow down an even more

378
00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:37,920
specific time when your performance

379
00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:38,720
abilities are higher,

380
00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,720
you can fine-tune your learning agenda

381
00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:42,720
even further.

382
00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,240
Learning blocks.

383
00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:51,080
You can adapt the 30–50-minute study

384
00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:52,600
session as dictated by the L. S. U.

385
00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:54,000
study for your own purposes.

386
00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,560
Remember that 30 minutes is enough to

387
00:12:56,560 --> 00:12:58,680
make the study session substantial and

388
00:12:58,680 --> 00:13:02,240
that going over 50 puts undue pressure

389
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:02,840
on your brain.

390
00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,360
So within your weekly time block,

391
00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,920
make sure to schedule an attendant

392
00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,240
break after your core learning time.

393
00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:11,360
Again,

394
00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:13,520
adjust to what you know your system can

395
00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,200
handle - maybe it’s 50 minutes with a

396
00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,840
10-minute break or 45 minutes with a

397
00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:19,480
15-minute break.

398
00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,360
The study session can go down all the

399
00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:23,840
way to 30 minutes if absolutely

400
00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:24,440
necessary.

401
00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,080
You can use the renowned Pomodoro

402
00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:28,400
clock,

403
00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,320
which is commonly used for work

404
00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,720
productivity—25 minutes of activity

405
00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:34,960
followed by five minutes of total

406
00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:36,720
removal from that activity.

407
00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,960
The specific amount of time is not set

408
00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:41,960
hard and fast;

409
00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:43,440
whatever it is,

410
00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,240
it just needs to be a time frame easy

411
00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:47,560
enough for you to stick through on a

412
00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:48,440
regular basis.

413
00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,640
Just ask yourself how you might cater

414
00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,000
to the attention span of a goldfish or

415
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,040
even a child.

416
00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,680
Our adult minds are not so different as

417
00:13:58,680 --> 00:13:59,680
we might like to think.

418
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,960
Concepts Before Facts,

419
00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,120
Understanding Before Memory.

420
00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:11,040
Researcher Roger Säljö found in 1979

421
00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:12,760
that we tend to view the act of

422
00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:13,960
learning in several ways,

423
00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,520
but it can generally be boiled down

424
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,360
into two rough categories - surface

425
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,080
learning and deep learning.

426
00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,920
Surface learning relates to gaining

427
00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:24,400
knowledge,

428
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:25,400
facts,

429
00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:26,440
and memorization;

430
00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,800
deep learning refers to abstracting

431
00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:31,600
meaning and understanding reality.

432
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,800
We’ll be returning to this

433
00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,000
distinction throughout this book,

434
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,360
as we explore different learning

435
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:38,520
approaches and techniques.

436
00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,160
The use of the words “surface” and

437
00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,360
“deep” might imply that the latter

438
00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:46,360
is better in all situations than the

439
00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:46,800
former,

440
00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:48,600
but that’s not always true.

441
00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,400
Some subjects are best learned by

442
00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,480
memorization rather than additionally

443
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:54,920
searching for some “meaning” to

444
00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:56,640
contextualize those concepts.

445
00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:58,000
In fact,

446
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,480
your brain naturally uses both

447
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:01,160
processes.

448
00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,960
If I gave you a list of 30 random items

449
00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,240
and asked you to remember them,

450
00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,360
it probably wouldn’t help to ransack

451
00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,440
your brain trying to find a pattern or

452
00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,320
relationship between each item.

453
00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,000
It would waste your time when the task

454
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,680
at hand is simple information retention.

455
00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,080
But more often than not,

456
00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,120
rote memorization serves to isolate

457
00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:25,800
facts rather than connect them.

458
00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,320
It establishes facts as single pieces

459
00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:29,920
of information,

460
00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,720
and without a grounding context or

461
00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:34,400
relationship to a greater concept,

462
00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,800
it doesn’t anchor what you learn.

463
00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,320
Sometimes this is fine,

464
00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,040
but as a consequence,

465
00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:43,160
what you learn slips out of your

466
00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:44,920
short-term memory quite easily.

467
00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,920
The overwhelming majority of things

468
00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:49,920
that can be learned have some kind of

469
00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,080
pattern—hidden or obvious.

470
00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:53,400
These patterns,

471
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:53,960
typically,

472
00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:55,760
are what you most care about learning.

473
00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:57,960
Without these patterns,

474
00:15:57,960 --> 00:15:58,680
frankly,

475
00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:00,520
what you learn wouldn’t be useful

476
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:00,880
anyway.

477
00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,360
Patterns make concepts useful.

478
00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:05,120
Without them,

479
00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,440
facts have very limited or temporary

480
00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:10,280
relevance and would therefore not be

481
00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:11,680
important to study in the first place.

482
00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:12,560
After all,

483
00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,320
this is the exact way that the human

484
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:17,400
brain has evolved over thousands of

485
00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:19,960
years—only data that is meaningful

486
00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,400
and relevant to survival is absorbed,

487
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,480
retained and understood.

488
00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,720
A typical course of study contains a

489
00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,440
mix of big ideas with a few details.

490
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:32,000
In that setting,

491
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,320
it’s always the best idea to start

492
00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,000
with the big ideas—the overarching

493
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,200
concepts that link the little details

494
00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:39,520
together.

495
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,920
The primary reason is that many small

496
00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:45,120
details take on a random quality at

497
00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:45,440
first,

498
00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,480
but when seen through the lens of the

499
00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:48,480
larger concept,

500
00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,640
they fit together and form a context.

501
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,480
That makes them easier for the brain to

502
00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:54,680
recognize and remember.

503
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,080
What you are essentially doing is

504
00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:59,200
laying out a map of the entire

505
00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:00,120
conceptual area,

506
00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,600
so that you can better navigate a path

507
00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,520
though it without getting lost.

508
00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:05,600
In fact,

509
00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,240
you can often forgo a lot of

510
00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:09,040
memorization,

511
00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:11,600
because the concepts themselves

512
00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,000
frequently serve to explain the facts.

513
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,560
Instead of attempting to memorize by

514
00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:18,200
rote means,

515
00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,560
following the concept through to its

516
00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,240
conclusion will reveal the facts as you

517
00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:23,720
go along.

518
00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,680
Like subheadings in an outline,

519
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:28,680
they fall into place under the

520
00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:30,720
appropriate headings—it’s a logical

521
00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:31,360
progression.

522
00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:34,240
If you understand the governing

523
00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:35,440
principles around something,

524
00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:38,200
the facts follow organically.

525
00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:39,160
In this way,

526
00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,760
understanding and deep comprehension

527
00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,480
are always going to yield a better

528
00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,600
quality of learning than simply

529
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,600
memorizing the superficial details

530
00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:49,160
without ever connecting them to one

531
00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:49,720
another.

532
00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,240
For example,

533
00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,120
if you were studying the history of

534
00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:55,920
Miranda rights in the United States,

535
00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,360
you could memorize all the key players

536
00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:00,320
- the Supreme Court Justices,

537
00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:01,040
the lawyers,

538
00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:02,800
and the names of the plaintiffs and

539
00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:03,480
defendants.

540
00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,520
You could memorize the dates in the

541
00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:06,120
case.

542
00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:08,520
You could memorize the vote counts from

543
00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:10,680
all the courts involved in the suit and

544
00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:11,920
the appeals.

545
00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,400
You could memorize the names of cases

546
00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:15,320
that came afterward.

547
00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:18,120
You could even write down the contents

548
00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:20,080
of the Miranda rights (“You have the

549
00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:22,160
right to remain silent,” etc.).

550
00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,280
Sounds a bit boring,

551
00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:25,560
right?

552
00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,120
None of those facts would have any

553
00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:29,360
relevance by themselves,

554
00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:31,640
and we’d have no reason to keep them

555
00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:32,040
in memory.

556
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:33,360
(In fact,

557
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:35,440
I’m sure you’ve already forgotten

558
00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:35,960
some of them,

559
00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:37,400
even though you’ve just read them!)

560
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,600
Emphasizing the larger concepts

561
00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:41,920
surrounding the Miranda

562
00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:43,840
rule—defendants’ rights,

563
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:45,080
police procedure,

564
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,200
or landmark Supreme Court cases—help

565
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,080
to funnel the facts as they come up.

566
00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,680
A bigger narrative helps contextualize

567
00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:55,280
these facts and makes them mean

568
00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:55,760
something.

569
00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:57,480
In this context,

570
00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,920
the brain is more likely to retain the

571
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:02,960
information it actually needs to know

572
00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:03,640
about the subject.

573
00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,040
You would be able to essentially

574
00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,120
predict the facts with a reasonable

575
00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:10,320
degree of accuracy once you understand

576
00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,840
the underlying concepts and how they

577
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:13,360
interact.

578
00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:15,040
True,

579
00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:16,480
you may not have “memorized”

580
00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:17,360
certain information,

581
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:18,800
but when necessary,

582
00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,320
you can logically work your way through

583
00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,600
the question and arrive at the same

584
00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:25,200
answer as if you had memorized it.

585
00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,840
This is known as concept learning.

586
00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,680
It shows us how to categorize and

587
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:32,840
discriminate items according to certain

588
00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:34,000
critical attributes.

589
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,960
It entails pattern recall and

590
00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,520
integration of new examples and ideas.

591
00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,600
And rather than being a mechanical

592
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,640
technique of grinding memorization,

593
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,720
concept learning is something that must

594
00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:49,640
be constructed and cultivated.

595
00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:54,400
Using Concept Learning in Daily Life.

596
00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,560
Applying the concept method to learning

597
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:00,160
and developing new skills,

598
00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,360
even outside of the classroom or study

599
00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:02,920
hall environment,

600
00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,400
can help derive new meaning and,

601
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,160
by logical extension,

602
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,000
even improve how we perform certain

603
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,480
tasks or jobs.

604
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,040
Cooking is an easy example.

605
00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,800
Standard practice is that learning a

606
00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,400
new recipe involves following a list of

607
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,200
ingredients and a set of instructions.

608
00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,160
If you’re making a tomato sauce for

609
00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:24,600
pasta,

610
00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:26,960
you can look up a popular recipe on the

611
00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:28,760
Internet and have it nearby as you

612
00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,440
prepare it.

613
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:32,760
You can repeat this exercise as often

614
00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:33,320
as you like,

615
00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,080
and eventually you’ll probably know

616
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,480
the steps well enough to repeat it

617
00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:38,480
without a guide.

618
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,920
But understanding the point of each

619
00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:43,400
step isn’t something that comes

620
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:44,480
through in the instructions.

621
00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,040
They generally don’t say why you

622
00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:48,920
sweat onions and garlic first,

623
00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:51,000
why you bring the sauce to a boil,

624
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,280
or why you let it simmer for a time.

625
00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,600
Understanding that sweating the onions

626
00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,120
and garlic builds a flavor base,

627
00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:00,840
that boiling the sauce distributes the

628
00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:01,240
ingredients,

629
00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,360
and that simmering them bonds the

630
00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:05,200
flavors together gives you a better

631
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:06,680
handle on the process of your

632
00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:07,280
preparation.

633
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,320
Most importantly,

634
00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:12,400
understanding those concepts makes it

635
00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,000
easier to recognize and use the

636
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:15,360
techniques in other,

637
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:17,680
completely different dishes - soups,

638
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:18,240
chili,

639
00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:18,840
gravy,

640
00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,000
and even basic broth and stock.

641
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,200
Going even further,

642
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,680
learning the particulars of the exact

643
00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:27,480
scientific processes could open the

644
00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:28,960
door to cooking entirely different

645
00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,640
foods that aren’t liquid-based—in

646
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:32,040
other words,

647
00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:33,960
any food you can think of.

648
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,160
If you simply know which flavors tend

649
00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:38,600
to conflict and which tend to

650
00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:39,040
complement,

651
00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,360
you’ll be way ahead of the chef who

652
00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:42,840
memorizes recipes.

653
00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,200
You can also adapt and adjust if things

654
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:47,560
don’t go according to plan;

655
00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,200
because you understand why a certain

656
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:51,040
step exists,

657
00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,280
you can come up with an alternative if

658
00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:53,760
necessary,

659
00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,040
get creative,

660
00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:56,880
or troubleshoot a problem.

661
00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,040
You become one of those people that

662
00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:00,000
doesn’t need a recipe,

663
00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,360
because you know more than how to read

664
00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:05,280
a recipe—you understand what it means

665
00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:06,320
to make good food.

666
00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:10,440
This template is sneakily easy to

667
00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:11,080
replicate.

668
00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,480
A small business owner figuring a tax

669
00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,240
budget is better served knowing the

670
00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,320
concepts of taxation and how they’re

671
00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:18,840
distributed.

672
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,720
A musician who understands how rhythm

673
00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,200
works in the context of a song better

674
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,080
knows how to program a drum machine.

675
00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,120
A chess player gets more mileage from

676
00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:30,920
comprehending the differences between

677
00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,480
overall strategies rather than learning

678
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:34,840
where each piece can move.

679
00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,360
Even a clothes launderer makes fewer

680
00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:39,520
mistakes and ruins less clothing by

681
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,440
learning how cold and hot water affect

682
00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,320
colors in variant ways.

683
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:45,760
You get the idea.

684
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:47,040
In fact,

685
00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,080
certain kinds of education and ways of

686
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:51,960
learning are so general and

687
00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,320
transferrable that you could be

688
00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:55,880
proficient in a skill you’ve never

689
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:56,560
encountered before,

690
00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,600
simply because you know how to learn.

691
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,720
You can learn the particulars of any

692
00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,760
task and even perform it suitably a few

693
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:06,240
times.

694
00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:08,400
But knowing the principles and ideas

695
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,320
that link them together is a more

696
00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:12,880
effective way to retain those facts or

697
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:13,600
skills.

698
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:17,240
When the time comes to learn something

699
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:18,400
new,

700
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,640
you may very well be able to frame that

701
00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:22,680
new knowledge with concepts you’ve

702
00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:24,000
already nailed down.

703
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,240
Learning heuristics is very similar to

704
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,040
the act of concept learning (Barsalou,

705
00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:32,320
1991,

706
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:33,520
1992).

707
00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,440
Heuristics describes a pattern of

708
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,120
thought or behavior that organizes

709
00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:41,000
categories of information and the

710
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,560
relationships among them.

711
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,760
It takes our preconceived notions or

712
00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,440
ideas of the world and uses them as a

713
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,600
means for interpreting and classifying

714
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:52,280
new information.

715
00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:53,920
For example,

716
00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,400
there are ways you might act at a

717
00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,480
birthday party that you wouldn’t at a

718
00:23:58,480 --> 00:23:59,680
funeral (and,

719
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:00,560
we’d hope,

720
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:01,720
the other way around).

721
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,120
The “codes” you follow for how

722
00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:05,920
you’d handle and behave in each

723
00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:06,600
situation,

724
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:08,400
and any other occasions,

725
00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,480
are ordered within a heuristic.

726
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,240
Establishing and understanding the

727
00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:14,920
heuristic rules for whatever you’re

728
00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:16,800
about to learn is always helpful.

729
00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:20,320
Another great way to learn concepts is

730
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:21,600
the Feynman technique,

731
00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,080
which we’ll discuss in a later

732
00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:23,600
chapter.

733
00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:28,680
Aim To Be Frustrated (Yes,

734
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:29,160
Really).

735
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:32,080
In competitive situations,

736
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,920
we tie accomplishment with success -

737
00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:35,720
winning,

738
00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:37,000
positive outcomes,

739
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,440
and finding solutions.

740
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:39,720
But in learning,

741
00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,360
a key component in achievement is

742
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:42,920
failing.

743
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,360
It’s counterintuitive,

744
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:47,880
but embracing the right kind of failure

745
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:49,480
may be one of the key elements to

746
00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,880
taking your learning to the next level.

747
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,160
“Productive failure” is an idea

748
00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:56,760
identified by Manu Kapur,

749
00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,680
a researcher at the National Institute

750
00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,440
of Education in Singapore.

751
00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,400
The philosophy builds on the learning

752
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:05,000
paradox,

753
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,920
wherein not arriving at the desired

754
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,080
effect is as valuable as prevailing,

755
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:10,920
if not more.

756
00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,880
Kapur said that the accepted model of

757
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,240
instilling knowledge—giving students

758
00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:17,640
structure and guidance early and

759
00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,080
continuing support until the students

760
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,440
can get it on their own—might not be

761
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:24,120
the best way to actually promote

762
00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:24,480
learning.

763
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,920
Although that model intuitively makes

764
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:29,000
sense,

765
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,160
according to Kapur it’s best to let

766
00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:34,040
students flounder by themselves without

767
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,480
outside help.

768
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,440
Kapur conducted a trial with two groups

769
00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:39,400
of students.

770
00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:40,560
In one group,

771
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,480
students were given a set of problems

772
00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,280
with “scaffolding”—full

773
00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:45,960
instructional support from teachers

774
00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:46,760
on-site.

775
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,520
The second group was given the same

776
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,000
problems but received no teacher help

777
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:52,720
whatsoever.

778
00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,080
Instead,

779
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,200
the second group of students had to

780
00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:57,960
collaborate to find the solutions.

781
00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,320
The “scaffolded” group was able to

782
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:01,800
solve the problems correctly,

783
00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,680
while the group left to itself was not.

784
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:06,960
But without instructional support,

785
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,480
this second group was forced to do

786
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,880
deeper dives into the concepts by

787
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:13,000
working together.

788
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,160
They generated ideas about the nature

789
00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,680
of the problems and speculated on what

790
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,360
potential solutions might look like.

791
00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:22,760
They tried to understand the root of

792
00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:24,720
the problems and what methods were

793
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:25,800
available to solve them.

794
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:29,040
The two groups were then tested on what

795
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:29,800
they had just learned,

796
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,720
and the results weren’t even close.

797
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,400
The group without teacher assistance

798
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,160
significantly outperformed the other

799
00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:38,480
group.

800
00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:41,080
The group that did not solve the

801
00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:43,160
problems discovered what Kapur deemed a

802
00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:46,520
“hidden efficacy” in failure - they

803
00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:48,400
nurtured a deeper understanding of the

804
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,600
structure of the problems through group

805
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,360
investigation and process.

806
00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:55,600
The second group may not have solved

807
00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:56,440
the problem itself,

808
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,720
but it learned more about the aspects

809
00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,320
of the problem and the ideas behind it.

810
00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:02,680
Going forward,

811
00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,080
when those students encounter a new

812
00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:06,280
problem on another test,

813
00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,640
they’re able to use the knowledge

814
00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,240
they generated through their trial more

815
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,440
effectively than the passive recipients

816
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,040
of an instructor’s expertise.

817
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:16,960
Consequently,

818
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,080
Kapur asserted that the important parts

819
00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,720
of the second group’s process were

820
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:23,680
their miscues,

821
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:24,600
mistakes,

822
00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:25,920
and fumbling.

823
00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:30,040
When that group made the active effort

824
00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:31,160
to learn by itself,

825
00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,520
it retained more knowledge needed for

826
00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:34,560
future problems.

827
00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:36,960
Three conditions,

828
00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:37,960
Kapur said,

829
00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,320
make productive failure an effective

830
00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:40,880
process -

831
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:44,320
•Choose problems that “challenge,

832
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:45,360
but do not frustrate."

833
00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:48,640
•Give learners the chance to explain

834
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:50,040
and elaborate their processes.

835
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:53,040
•Allow learners to compare and

836
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,680
contrast good and bad solutions.

837
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,400
Struggling with something is a definite

838
00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:01,360
condition that leads to learning,

839
00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:04,360
though it requires discipline and a

840
00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:06,640
sense of delayed gratification.

841
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:12,040
Helping Children to ...Fail?

842
00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:15,680
The notion of productive failure can

843
00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:17,280
also be seen in strategies for

844
00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:18,000
child-raising.

845
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,760
Does intentionally letting our children

846
00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,240
fail actually make learning easier for

847
00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:24,880
them?

848
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:26,880
Judith Locke of the Queensland

849
00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:28,600
University of Technology said that

850
00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:30,800
“over-parenting” might keep our

851
00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,360
children safe and supported but could

852
00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:35,040
impede their growing processes.

853
00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,160
Locke observed that children raised in

854
00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,120
a state of helplessness were destined

855
00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:42,360
to lead anxiety-ridden adulthoods.

856
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,160
Parents who were overly responsive to

857
00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,480
their children’s needs restricted

858
00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,040
their children’s ability to solve

859
00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:51,280
problems on their own and hampered the

860
00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:53,200
development of emotions they need to

861
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,120
cope with future setbacks and failures.

862
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:56,920
In a way,

863
00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,920
we over-parent ourselves.

864
00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:02,400
We push ourselves not to fail,

865
00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,160
work too hard to achieve the desired

866
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:05,480
outcome,

867
00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:07,560
and get frustrated when we get stuck or

868
00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:08,400
fall short.

869
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,480
How can we,

870
00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:11,680
so to speak,

871
00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:13,800
let failing work for us?

872
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:18,000
Get your brain into “growth” mode.

873
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,640
When we believe that we have all we

874
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:23,480
need to accomplish whatever we want,

875
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:25,640
we’re setting ourselves up for

876
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:27,360
disappointment when our process goes

877
00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:27,720
awry.

878
00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,960
This is because we think our abilities

879
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,440
are fixed—if we can’t succeed based

880
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,240
on what we already know or can do,

881
00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:36,600
we never will.

882
00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:39,680
That makes our disappointments more

883
00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:41,360
profound and corrosive.

884
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,600
So at the beginning of a project that

885
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:44,240
seems unfamiliar,

886
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,040
we need to tell our brain that we’re

887
00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:48,280
in learning mode.

888
00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,200
We need to establish that one of our

889
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,240
main takeaways will be new knowledge,

890
00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,320
not just an immediately successful

891
00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:56,960
outcome.

892
00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,520
Reframe your expectations to make the

893
00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,480
learning as important as the

894
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:04,400
result—more important,

895
00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:05,240
if possible.

896
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,800
Document your process.

897
00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,840
Companies use “paper trails”

898
00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:13,240
(literally or digitally)

899
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:15,600
to determine points or events that

900
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:16,480
altered an outcome.

901
00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,520
When you’re in the weeds of a new

902
00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:19,040
project,

903
00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,120
keeping your own trail will help you

904
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,200
learn new knowledge and refine your

905
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,000
processes for future efforts.

906
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,640
In addition to whatever tools you’re

907
00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:28,480
using for a project,

908
00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,840
set up a diary or journal for what you

909
00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:32,240
discover on the way.

910
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,680
Set this diary up any way you want,

911
00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,160
whether it’s a paper notepad,

912
00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,320
word processing or text software,

913
00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,400
the audio recorder on your smartphone,

914
00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:42,120
or whatever your preference.

915
00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,200
Document your process the way a chef

916
00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:46,960
would write down the steps of a recipe

917
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,360
or a detective would remark upon

918
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,040
evidence in an investigation.

919
00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:54,160
These notes can be the kernels of

920
00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:55,720
knowledge that will come in handy in

921
00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:57,760
future situations—even if what

922
00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,760
you’re using them for now ends in

923
00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:00,080
failure.

924
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,680
The ideas they generate might seem

925
00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:03,040
small,

926
00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:05,360
especially if they end up not working.

927
00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,000
But when we use these kernels to solve

928
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:08,720
future problems,

929
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,280
their value increases.

930
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,320
You may not notice any insight on a

931
00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:13,960
day-to-day basis,

932
00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,240
but when you compare weeks or months of

933
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:16,680
progress,

934
00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:19,080
the difference may be startling.

935
00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:23,720
Use your failures to plan next steps.

936
00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,360
If you’ve documented your process and

937
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:28,800
diagnosed where something went wrong,

938
00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,360
then turn those evaluations into plans

939
00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:33,800
apart from your project.

940
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:34,560
For example,

941
00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:36,240
let’s say you’re planting a

942
00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:37,760
vegetable garden for the first time,

943
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,120
noting the steps and techniques you use

944
00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:40,600
along the way,

945
00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:42,080
and when it’s time to harvest,

946
00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:43,960
some of your plants didn’t come out

947
00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:45,160
the way they were supposed to.

948
00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,600
Was it because you used the wrong soil?

949
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,760
Use your resources to find out why that

950
00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:52,640
soil was wrong and what it needs to

951
00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:53,120
look like.

952
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,000
Was the failed plant too close to

953
00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:56,320
another?

954
00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,400
Learn techniques for maximizing

955
00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:01,160
placement within a small space.

956
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:04,400
Or in a slightly more common situation,

957
00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:06,960
let’s say your sales results fell

958
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:08,200
short of projections.

959
00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,800
If you found a mistake that led to an

960
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:11,440
over-estimate,

961
00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,920
locate online information on how to set

962
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:16,440
up your spreadsheet to avoid those

963
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:16,840
errors.

964
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,480
If your sales “game” was off,

965
00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,000
seek out workshops that can help

966
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,120
improve your pitch or increase your

967
00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:26,960
interpersonal skills with clients.

968
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,200
If you just didn’t have enough

969
00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:29,640
clients,

970
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,720
learn how to make your professional

971
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:33,480
network broader and more potent.

972
00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,080
Expect,

973
00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:37,680
but don’t succumb to,

974
00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:38,600
frustration.

975
00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:42,000
Chances are you’ll come across a

976
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,560
moment or two of defeat in your

977
00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:44,000
process,

978
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,080
along with the temptation to give up.

979
00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,520
You may even sense this before you

980
00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:48,760
start,

981
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,280
which can lead to crippling anxiety

982
00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:52,600
that can hover over your work.

983
00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,720
Anticipating frustration in advance is

984
00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,560
just good planning—but you also have

985
00:32:58,560 --> 00:32:59,840
to plan how to deal with it.

986
00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:03,440
Sketch out an idea on how to alleviate

987
00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,120
frustration when it happens—most

988
00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:06,320
often,

989
00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,400
this will be taking a break from the

990
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,160
situation to recharge and getting some

991
00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:13,280
momentary distance from the problem.

992
00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:14,840
Quite often,

993
00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,720
the mere act of pausing allows for

994
00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:18,920
objectivity to seep in,

995
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:20,880
letting you see the hang-up more

996
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:21,280
clearly.

997
00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:22,120
But in any case,

998
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,400
it will abate the most immediate

999
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:26,440
anxieties you’re feeling and give you

1000
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:28,440
the chance to approach the issue from a

1001
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:29,880
more relaxed frame of mind.

1002
00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:33,440
Why are we even bothering to tackle

1003
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,360
preconditions to effective learning?

1004
00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,400
Because many people dive right into

1005
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,400
learning without understanding what

1006
00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:42,560
works on a psychological and even

1007
00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:43,400
physical level.

1008
00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,240
Many others think that effective

1009
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:47,520
learning is measured by the number of

1010
00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,000
hours spent on a task,

1011
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,800
but we all have our limitations,

1012
00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,400
and working within those bounds will

1013
00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:55,000
only accelerate your learning.

1014
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,840
You can’t outwork your attention span

1015
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,080
or commitment to rote memorization.

1016
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,360
Takeaways.

1017
00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:05,960
•Accelerating learning means working

1018
00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:07,080
with the pre-existing,

1019
00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:10,200
inbuilt mechanisms we all already

1020
00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:10,600
possess.

1021
00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,080
When we work with rather than against

1022
00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:13,480
the brain,

1023
00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,560
we can get the most from our learning

1024
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:16,120
experiences,

1025
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:17,800
and enjoy learning more.

1026
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:20,680
•An unavoidable fact is that the

1027
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:22,800
human attention span is limited.

1028
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,320
We need to respect the limits of our

1029
00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:27,240
attention and plan learning

1030
00:34:27,240 --> 00:34:29,840
accordingly—i.e. by digesting new

1031
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:31,360
information is smaller,

1032
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:32,960
more manageable chunks.

1033
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:36,160
•A good length of time for any

1034
00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,400
learning period is more than 30

1035
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:38,680
minutes,

1036
00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:39,760
less than 50.

1037
00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:41,640
Too short and you won’t be able to

1038
00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:42,160
get into any depth,

1039
00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,480
and too long and your cognitive powers

1040
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:45,720
will begin to fatigue.

1041
00:34:45,720 --> 00:34:48,800
•To use your time wisely,

1042
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,080
plan ahead and designate times in your

1043
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,560
schedule for specific learning blocks.

1044
00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,800
•Use concept learning to guide you -

1045
00:34:57,800 --> 00:34:59,200
as you learn,

1046
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:01,120
prioritize understanding and

1047
00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,680
comprehension over rote memorization,

1048
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,800
i.e. concepts before facts.

1049
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:10,120
When you have a deep rather than

1050
00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:11,840
surface appreciation of information,

1051
00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,680
you anchor new ideas in context and

1052
00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:16,640
make it easier to remember and apply

1053
00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:17,000
them.

1054
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,680
•Deliberately engage in productive

1055
00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:21,600
failure.

1056
00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,600
Know that failure can actually be a

1057
00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,120
valuable source of information,

1058
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:27,400
if embraced correctly.

1059
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,680
•Challenge yourself without

1060
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:31,600
frustrating yourself,

1061
00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,360
and make sure that when you work (and

1062
00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:34,200
fail)

1063
00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:35,840
you give yourself the chance to look

1064
00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:37,800
closely at why things happened as they

1065
00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:37,960
did.

1066
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,920
Ask yourself why you failed and think

1067
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:42,240
about how you could have done better.

1068
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:45,600
•Cultivate a growth mindset,

1069
00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:48,320
where you set ego aside and assume that

1070
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,360
learning is uncomfortable sometimes.

1071
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:52,480
Failure is a part of learning,

1072
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,960
so embrace it when it happens.

1073
00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:57,280
Use your failure to inspire you to make

1074
00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:58,640
new plans for going forward,

1075
00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:00,440
and shape your next steps.

1076
00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:03,680
•“Expect frustration,

1077
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:05,480
but don’t succumb to it."

1078
00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,000
With the right mindset,

1079
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,040
“failure” is something that brings

1080
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:09,920
you closer to success,

1081
00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:10,960
not further from it.

1082
00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:15,080
This has been

1083
00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:16,400
Super Learning:

1084
00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:19,520
Advanced Strategies for Quicker Comprehension,

1085
00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:20,880
Greater Retention,

1086
00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,320
and Systematic Expertise

1087
00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:24,760
Written by

1088
00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:36,680
Peter Hollins,  narrated by russell newton.