Notes from 5 Elements of Effective Thinking
A short, effective book I restarted immediately after the first read
Do you or don’t you truly know the basics?
Write a detailed outline about the subject you’re trying to learn or become an expert on. Can you come up with something coherent and in-depth? Where does your knowledge have gaps? Compare your effort to external sources. Then methodically learn the fundamentals.
What everybody believes is not always what is actually true.
Commonly held opinions could be false. Often, we are persuaded by authority and repetition rather than evidence of reality. Aristotle thought that heavy objects fell faster than lighter objects. People accepted this for two thousand years because it seemed convincing and because Aristotle said it. If you believe something just because someone you respect said so, then you should not view your understanding as rock solid. Search for evidence instead. Regularly consider your opinions and subject them to the “how do I know?” test.
Become aware about the sources of your opinions. Keep an open mind about novel and different ideas.
Effective failure: Allow mistakes to lead the way.
The attitude that mistakes should be avoided is wrong. Failure is a potent teacher and can help us move forward sooner. Mistakes are actions we can definitely take at any time. If you’re stuck, they can be the thing to unstick you. Failure is a critical element of learning. If you can’t get it right, then get it wrong. And when you do make the mistake, ask why it’s wrong. Start with failure, end with success. Give yourself the permission to fail by saying, “I will fail 9 times, but on the 10th attempt, I will be successful.”
Never pretend to know more than you do. Ask the basic questions.
When you don’t know something, admit it as quickly as possible and immediately take action. Ask a question. Paradoxically, you’re likely to be perceived as smarter when you ask the basic questions — and you’ll end up knowing far more over time.
Actively challenge your assumptions.
Argue the opposite stance. Be brutally honest about the solidity of your ideas and conjectures. Get in the habit of asking, do I really know? Challenge everything and everyone.
It’s when you teach something that you actually learn.
When you have to teach a topic, you need to know it from the inside out and be ready to answer questions.
Author’s capstone argument:
It is true that not everybody is capable of being a world champion marathon runner, no matter what effort he/she invests into that goal. But what is most impressive is the difference between what people could potentially achieve and what they do actually achieve.
Differences in innate ability are dwarfed by habits and methods. Those individuals who may appear to be the brightest are rarely the most productive, imaginative or effective.
R.L Moore was one of the most famous math teachers of the 20th century. Instead of lecturing, he would always choose the weakest student to answer questions. If that student could not answer, he would ask the next weakest student. Sam Y was a student who was often seen as the weakest. He’d never answer the questions correctly. During a winter vacation, he isolated himself in his room and thought. By looking back at the material from the term, he re-learned it and was gradually able to tackle even the more advanced questions. Prof. Moore was not surprised — he gave his students the challenge to find answers proactively. Sam Y went on to earn a PhD in math and become a math professor at a major university. All of this started with his initiative to become an effective learner.
