Most people don't really think much about
how they learn.
Generally you assume learning comes naturally. You listen to someone
speak either in conversation or in a lecture and you simply absorb what
they are saying, right? Not really. In fact, I find as I get older that
real learning takes more work. The more I fill my brain with facts,
figures, and experience, the less room I have for new ideas and new
thoughts. Plus, now I have all sorts of opinions that may refute the
ideas being pushed at me. Like many people I consider myself a lifelong
learner, but more and more I have to work hard to stay open minded.
But
the need for learning never ends, so your desire to do so should always
outweigh your desire to be right. The world is changing and new ideas
pop up everyday; incorporating them into your life will keep you engaged
and relevant. The following are the methods I use to stay open and
impressionable. They'll work for you too. No matter how old you get.
1. Quiet Your Inner Voice
You
know the one I am talking about. It's the little voice that offers a
running commentary when you are listening to someone. It's the voice
that brings up your own opinion about the information being provided. It
is too easy to pay more attention to the inner voice than the actual
speaker. That voice often keeps you from listening openly for good
information and can often make you shut down before you have heard the
entire premise. Focus less on what your brain has to say and more on the
speaker. You may be surprised at what you hear.
2. Argue With Yourself
If
you can't quiet the inner voice, then at least use it to your
advantage. Every time you hear yourself contradicting the speaker, stop
and take the other point of view. Suggest to your brain all the reasons
why the speaker may be correct and you may be wrong. In the best case
you may open yourself to the information being provided. Failing that,
you will at least strengthen your own argument.
3. Act Like You Are Curious
Some people are naturally curious and others are not. No matter which category you are in you can benefit from behaving like a
curious person.
Next time you are listening to information, make up and write down
three to five relevant questions. If you are in a lecture, Google them
after for answers. If you are in a conversation you can ask the other
person. Either way you'll likely learn more, and the action of thinking
up questions will help encode the concepts in your brain. As long as
you're not a cat you should benefit from these actions of curiosity.
4. Find the Kernel of Truth
No concept or theory comes out of thin air. Somewhere in the elaborate concept that sounds like complete malarkey there
is some aspect that is based upon fact. Even if you don't buy into the
idea, you should at least identify the little bit of truth from whence
it came. Play like a detective and build your own extrapolation. You'll
enhance your skills of deduction and may even improve the concept beyond
the speaker's original idea.
5. Focus on the Message Not the Messenger
Often
people shut out learning due to the person delivering the material.
Whether it's a boring lecturer, someone physically unappealing, or a
member of the opposite political party, the communicator can impact your
learning. Even friends can disrupt the learning process since there may
be too much history and familiarity to see them as an authority on a
topic. Separate the material from the provider. Pretend you don't know
the person or their beliefs so you can hear the information objectively.
As for the boring person, focus on tip two, three, or four as if it
were a game, thereby creating your own entertainment.
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