Six things affect our ability to learn
When we encounter brand new ideas, our brain goes into reptile mode—it is either fascinated by the idea and falls for it hook, line, and sinker. Or it rejects the idea without scrutiny.
As with most things, there are six factors affecting ability to understand something.
- Familiarity
- Interest
- Timing
- Our state
- Messenger
- a
Familiarity with the concept
Our ability to understand something is higher if we can relate new information to something we already know. That’s why using storytelling and analogies~ parable, illustration, metaphor ~ a simple story used to illustrate a point or a moral or spiritual lesson. Because no analogy can describe all the details of a complex… Discover more… helps with understanding and retention of a new information.
Interest in the topic
We are more likely to engage with new ideas when they relate to our interests.
Timing
If we are in a hurry, we don’t want to think about new things. Our brain is focused on the task in hand and does not have the bandwidth to process new information. Thus, creating a buffer time beforehand increase a likelihood of engaging with the new information in a meaningful way.
The rule of thumb is, don’t try to do or discuss new things in a hurry.
State of our mind and body
When we are tired or our minds are focused on a pressing problem, we are more likely to reject
Who is the messenger matters
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When to use analogy?
Anytime you want to break down complex topic into
How to use metaphors?
List of terms
- analogies