Being Unfocused, Procrastinating, Quitting and Forgetting are Powerful Learning Strategies
I was wrong about everything
I’ve been learning wrong my whole life.
I always thought that learning was about finding a quiet study space, turning off all distractions, focusing on the practice exercises in my textbooks, and using sheer willpower and discipline to overcome any obstacle.
I was wrong, wrong, and wrong again.
“How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens” by Benedict Carey explores decades of education research in psychology and neuroscience. It identifies how the brain can be exploited to learn better.
This book is one of the most recommended books on the internet about learning. I think it’s got great ideas and theories, but not many practical tips. The book is roughly 95% theory, 5% practical application.
If I were only interested in learning the theory and background behind today’s education research, then this book would be one of the best books on learning ever.
Unfortunately, I’m a language teacher and learner. I care more about how I can apply the research in the classroom and in my daily life.
In terms of books on learning, the best book I’ve ever read on the subject may be “The Art of Learning” by Josh Waitzkin and “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Nevertheless, there’s juicy stuff here!
Varied practice is more effective than focused practice
I used to think that learning was linear — I had to focus 100% of my time and effort on one task. I thought that I had to master one skill before moving on to the next one.
I was wrong.
Studies have shown that varying practice (practicing different skills) actually results in better learning than practicing one skill at a time. The reasons why are speculative, but they’re great food for thought:
- The problem with “focused practice” is that it doesn’t replicate real-life.
- Real-life isn’t linear. In the real world, I will have to use a variety of skills at the same time to solve one task, rather than be told which skill to use.
- By using varied practice, I train my brain to decide which skill is the most appropriate for the current situation.
- Varied practice allows me to internalize general rules and to see the connections between theory and practice.
- I don’t have to memorize rules or patterns. By using varied practice, I will learn to “feel” the rules and patterns in future, unseen problems.
- If I only use focused practice, my brain will become lazy. For example, if I’m doing algebra math homework and it says “Linear equations with variables on both sides”, I will expect that every problem will require a similar solution. I will not need to consciously choose which problem-solving technique is the most appropriate.
- However, in a real algebra math test, I might be given a mix of different types of problems that require different solutions. Such as “Linear equations with parentheses, Analyzing the number of solutions to linear equations: Solving equations & inequalities, Linear equations with unknown coefficients, Multi-step inequalities, Compound inequalities…etc.”
- Learning how to choose the correct solution is a skill in and of itself. By varying practice, I become better at real-life problem-solving.
- One strategy I can use is to surround new material with old stuff that I already know but haven’t revisited in a while. This is the same principle behind Spaced Repetition Systems (SRS) used by polyglot language learners like Benny Lewis.
“The brain is exquisitely tuned to pick up incongruities, all of our work tells us that,” said Michael Inzlicht, a neuroscientist at the University of Toronto.
“Seeing something that’s out of order or out of place wakes the brain up, in effect, and prompts the subconscious to process the information more deeply: ‘Why is this here?’”
— Benedict Carey, “How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens”
Procrastination is a powerful friend — Do the hard stuff first. Oh, and quitting is ok.
In “How We Learn”, Mr. Carey explains that doing hard things first and quitting when it's too frustrating is a normal part of successful learning. He calls this learning strategy “percolation”. It is a way to use procrastination to succeed.
Like nature, ideas take time to marinate and mature.
“What does this mean for a learning strategy? It suggests that we should start work on large projects as soon as possible and stop when we get stuck, with the confidence that we are initiating percolation, not quitting.
My tendency as a student was always to procrastinate on big research papers and take care of the smaller stuff first. Do the easy reading. Clean the kitchen. Check some things off the to-do list. Then, once I finally sat down to face the big beast, I’d push myself frantically toward the finish line and despair if I didn’t make it.
Wrong.
Quatting before I’m ahead doesn’t put the project to sleep; it keeps it awake.”
— Benedict Carey, “How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens”
- It’s ok to be stuck and not know the answer.
- It’s ok to step away from the problem and do something else, like take a shower, go to the bathroom, take a walk… All of this actually helps the brain think and remember better!
- The brain is always working. Even when it is not consciously thinking, it is still (subconsciously) working.
Forgetting is great for learning. No memory is lost forever
“It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.”
— Climbing Proverb
When I was little, I was scared that if I forgot something, it was gone forever. I kept trying to repeat new information to myself and I would be frustrated when it would go in one ear and out the other.
In “How We Learn”, Mr. Carey reveals that forgetting is normal and actually a feature of the human brain, not a defect.
Instead of thinking of it as “forgetting”, I should change my perspective and think of it as “filtering”.
My brain is working so hard every day to process huge chunks of information. I don’t ever lose my memories — these memories just become harder to access over time.
- I learn best when I forget something and try to remember it from memory.
- Every time I retrieve a memory, it alters the memory forever, because I have now created a new memory of myself retrieving the memory.
- Retrieving a memory changes that memory’s accessibility and its content.
- No memory is ever “lost”. Its “retrieval strength” may just be low.
- Forgetting is normal and healthy brain activity.
- Using my memory changes it for the better. My memories become stronger memories when I actively try to remember/retrieve them.
- The spacing effect is powerful.
- It takes time to learn something. I can’t expect to learn it once and have it stuck in my head forever. I will probably forget it… remember it… forget it again…It’s a process!
“There is no such thing as memorizing.
We can think, we can repeat, we can recall and we can imagine, but we aren’t built to memorize.
Rather our brains are designed to think and automatically hold onto what’s important.
While running away from our friendly neighborhood tiger, we don’t think “You need to remember this! Tigers are bad! Don’t forget! They’re bad!”
We simply run away, and our brain remembers for us.”
— Gabriel Wyner, “Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language and Never Forget It”
Beware of the fluency illusion
“The only thing I know, is that I know nothing.”
— Socrates
When I think I know something, I probably don’t.
That’s it.
If it’s too easy and I’m confident that I know it 100% — I’m probably wrong.
Testing is a form of learning. Getting everything wrong is fine
“In school, we learn things then take the test.
In everyday life we take the test then we learn things.”
— Gabriel Wyner, “Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language and Never Forget It”
I used to hate tests. I thought they were stupid because I didn’t understand their purpose. I thought that tests existed to make me feel bad about myself. I thought they were just about memorizing a bunch of facts and spitting them back out.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong again.
Testing is a great way to learn something because it shows me what I don’t know.
The problem as a beginner is that I don’t even know what I don’t know.
After my first test, I’ll realize — wow. I know this. Wow. I don’t know that.
Tests allow me to take control of my learning. It instantly gives me feedback on my strengths and weaknesses. It allows me to tailor my learning toward the subjects and areas which I am not confident in.
Tests exist to help me, not hurt me.
Another idea: guessing wrong is a powerful study aid. Studies show that when I guess something wrong the first time, I actually have a higher chance of getting the answer right in the future.
Final thoughts
- Sleep is super important and crucial to learning.
- Most people will read the research on learning and refuse to believe it — Why? Because it is easier to stick to old habits, even when they’re not effective.
- Stop worrying so much and just enjoy the process.
“Ultimately, though, this book is not about some golden future. The persistent, annoying, amusing, ear-scratching present is the space we want to occupy.
The tools in this book are solid, they work in real time, and using them will bring you more in tune with the beautiful, if eccentric, learning machine that is your brain. Let go of what you feel you should be doing, all that repetitives, overscheduled, driven, focused ritual.
Let go, and watch how the presumed enemies of learning — ignorance, distraction, interruption, restlessness, even quitting — can work in your favor.
Learning is after all, what you do.”
— Benedict Carey, “How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens”
