Suppose we generated enough time each day to read something meaningful. This is in no way a small achievement, and if you can read every day you are probably one step ahead of 90% of your peers. Now, what do we read to make the most of this time? The answer is probably quite complex… …
Physical switches in our brain
Our brain is a physical object, and its reactions are physical. We may attribute our memories and experiences to some spiritual and intellectual domain, which is perfectly fine. Sometimes, however, it is best to attribute our experiences to misinterpreted physical experiences. For example, if you have a bad gut feeling, it is probably a heartburn …
Iterative reading of complex documents
Suppose we are doing a research project, and find a patent or a complex article. The document contains text, tables, graphs, names, numbers, formulas… Where do we even start reading? How do we know we understand what needs to be understood? Occasionally it makes sense to read a document more than once or twice, but …
Journal of markers for complex subjects
Sometimes coming up with visualizations is easy, and sometimes it is very hard. When we deal with abstract and professional terms, names and languages the visualization process suddenly become complex. There is only so much time we can allocate to visualize and remember everything while reading. How do we deal with such situations? The easiest …
Dealing with emotional texts
Reading is a sort of conversation, and like any conversation, it can be stressful. If you disagree with the author and his arguments, will you be able to consider them openly? If reading the text strikes some old wound in your soul, will you focus on the text or your own pain? If you are …
Noticing your progress vs measuring it
To which extent can we notice our progress and to which extent do we need to monitor it? Our mind is full of biases and not to be trusted, however if we focus entirely on measurements we may loose something precious that forgot to measure. I will tell tales of two students and then we …
Physiology of flow
The enigmatic state of “flow” enables us to achieve a lot in a very short timeframe. There are many discussions regarding getting into the flow state: prepare yourself to emerge in work, match the task at hand with your personal skill, anticipate the work, remove whatever blocks your creativity. However, it is very seldom that …
Back to school tips: prepare for learning
This is another “back to school” article with a twist. Most of our content is focused on how to read faster and remember everything. Today I want to talk about a slightly different subject: how to organize things and prepare self for learning. I am using this article as a starting point. Read syllabus. Before …
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Creative training vs grit
When we discuss superlearning training we emphasize two elements: creativity and determination. Both are necessary and supplement each other quite nicely. Our students are expected to do some computer training ~30 min per day and some reading for at least 60 min a day. After finishing the course the computer training is no longer required, …
Accepting myself
We often proclaim that our students need to find their own way. What do we mean and what is the main obstacle? People are different. This is what makes us more interesting and valuable. Jewish wisdom proclaims “He who saves one soul it’s as if he saved the entire world”. Yet we are continuously conditioned …