## Highlights - Knowledge is like a tree. In the trunk, you have the core beliefs, the most basic ways you understand the world. Many of these things are even subconscious, such as the desire to survive, an understanding of gravity, or knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. From this trunk come branches, from branches come twigs, and from twigs come leaves. Each layer builds on the knowledge from the layers below. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784553)) - This sort of rote memorization is useful, but it’s just highlighting the same leaf over and over again. A better way to learn is to add a cluster of leaves, exploring slight variants on the same topic. By thinking about all these slight variations, you understand what drives the core concept. This is what engineers do in machine learning when they train algorithms with reinforcement learning. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784564)) - Sheer repetition is so powerful that it can make a belief seem true, even if it isn’t. The mere exposure to a thought over and over again will make you think it’s true ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784567)) - This is one reason why it’s disastrous when a student falls behind. It means they were not able to incorporate new leaves into their branch system. The further the class moves ahead, the bigger the distance between the student’s branch system and the new leaves. Eventually, there comes a point when the new leaves all fall to the ground because the student can’t figure out how to connect them at all. At that point, the student disengages completely and questions whether their inability to learn is their fault (“I’m dumb, that’s why I can’t make sense of this”). This is such an uncomfortable feeling that the student will try to avoid it by thinking about something else. Sometimes, their self-image of failure will be unacceptable, so they will create an alternative identity they can hang on to. For example, think of the rebel who decides they don’t want to engage in class. If this is true, the way to help students who fall behind requires two interventions: one about knowledge, and one about identity. Their more basic knowledge is too flimsy. They need to reinforce it. So they must go back, identify all their knowledge holes, and rebuild and reinforce them. Their identity must be shifted again. They must believe that they’re good at learning. Their learning must be celebrated, and their identity as learners must be celebrated. The celebration should not be about them knowing, but about them learning. If you celebrate somebody knowing something, they will build an identity about knowing things, and it will be harder to prove them wrong. But if instead you praise their learning ability and effort, they will develop a growth mindset. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784576)) - An old tree might not add much height, but it adds volume, and it strengthens the existing trunk and branches every year, adding one ring after another. Just like giant sequoias, older people can add new knowledge across lots of disciplines they are already familiar with, and every time they do, they strengthen what they already know. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787077)) - When you innovate, you need a balance with familiarity. Too much familiarity, and you don’t innovate. But too much innovation, and you don’t relate. People don’t know how to react to something too new.” ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787125)) - Why can’t people agree on religion and politics? Because their knowledge structure is fundamentally different. Each side is focused on replicating their own knowledge structure in the other person’s brain. A much better way to influence others is to understand them first, to see things from their side, and then bring them back to yours from there ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787131))  ## Highlights - Knowledge is like a tree. In the trunk, you have the core beliefs, the most basic ways you understand the world. Many of these things are even subconscious, such as the desire to survive, an understanding of gravity, or knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. From this trunk come branches, from branches come twigs, and from twigs come leaves. Each layer builds on the knowledge from the layers below. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784553)) - This sort of rote memorization is useful, but it’s just highlighting the same leaf over and over again. A better way to learn is to add a cluster of leaves, exploring slight variants on the same topic. By thinking about all these slight variations, you understand what drives the core concept. This is what engineers do in machine learning when they train algorithms with reinforcement learning. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784564)) - Sheer repetition is so powerful that it can make a belief seem true, even if it isn’t. The mere exposure to a thought over and over again will make you think it’s true ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784567)) - This is one reason why it’s disastrous when a student falls behind. It means they were not able to incorporate new leaves into their branch system. The further the class moves ahead, the bigger the distance between the student’s branch system and the new leaves. Eventually, there comes a point when the new leaves all fall to the ground because the student can’t figure out how to connect them at all. At that point, the student disengages completely and questions whether their inability to learn is their fault (“I’m dumb, that’s why I can’t make sense of this”). This is such an uncomfortable feeling that the student will try to avoid it by thinking about something else. Sometimes, their self-image of failure will be unacceptable, so they will create an alternative identity they can hang on to. For example, think of the rebel who decides they don’t want to engage in class. If this is true, the way to help students who fall behind requires two interventions: one about knowledge, and one about identity. Their more basic knowledge is too flimsy. They need to reinforce it. So they must go back, identify all their knowledge holes, and rebuild and reinforce them. Their identity must be shifted again. They must believe that they’re good at learning. Their learning must be celebrated, and their identity as learners must be celebrated. The celebration should not be about them knowing, but about them learning. If you celebrate somebody knowing something, they will build an identity about knowing things, and it will be harder to prove them wrong. But if instead you praise their learning ability and effort, they will develop a growth mindset. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784576)) - An old tree might not add much height, but it adds volume, and it strengthens the existing trunk and branches every year, adding one ring after another. Just like giant sequoias, older people can add new knowledge across lots of disciplines they are already familiar with, and every time they do, they strengthen what they already know. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787077)) - When you innovate, you need a balance with familiarity. Too much familiarity, and you don’t innovate. But too much innovation, and you don’t relate. People don’t know how to react to something too new.” ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787125)) - Why can’t people agree on religion and politics? Because their knowledge structure is fundamentally different. Each side is focused on replicating their own knowledge structure in the other person’s brain. A much better way to influence others is to understand them first, to see things from their side, and then bring them back to yours from there ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787131))  ## Highlights - Knowledge is like a tree. In the trunk, you have the core beliefs, the most basic ways you understand the world. Many of these things are even subconscious, such as the desire to survive, an understanding of gravity, or knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. From this trunk come branches, from branches come twigs, and from twigs come leaves. Each layer builds on the knowledge from the layers below. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784553)) - This sort of rote memorization is useful, but it’s just highlighting the same leaf over and over again. A better way to learn is to add a cluster of leaves, exploring slight variants on the same topic. By thinking about all these slight variations, you understand what drives the core concept. This is what engineers do in machine learning when they train algorithms with reinforcement learning. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784564)) - Sheer repetition is so powerful that it can make a belief seem true, even if it isn’t. The mere exposure to a thought over and over again will make you think it’s true ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784567)) - This is one reason why it’s disastrous when a student falls behind. It means they were not able to incorporate new leaves into their branch system. The further the class moves ahead, the bigger the distance between the student’s branch system and the new leaves. Eventually, there comes a point when the new leaves all fall to the ground because the student can’t figure out how to connect them at all. At that point, the student disengages completely and questions whether their inability to learn is their fault (“I’m dumb, that’s why I can’t make sense of this”). This is such an uncomfortable feeling that the student will try to avoid it by thinking about something else. Sometimes, their self-image of failure will be unacceptable, so they will create an alternative identity they can hang on to. For example, think of the rebel who decides they don’t want to engage in class. If this is true, the way to help students who fall behind requires two interventions: one about knowledge, and one about identity. Their more basic knowledge is too flimsy. They need to reinforce it. So they must go back, identify all their knowledge holes, and rebuild and reinforce them. Their identity must be shifted again. They must believe that they’re good at learning. Their learning must be celebrated, and their identity as learners must be celebrated. The celebration should not be about them knowing, but about them learning. If you celebrate somebody knowing something, they will build an identity about knowing things, and it will be harder to prove them wrong. But if instead you praise their learning ability and effort, they will develop a growth mindset. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784576)) - An old tree might not add much height, but it adds volume, and it strengthens the existing trunk and branches every year, adding one ring after another. Just like giant sequoias, older people can add new knowledge across lots of disciplines they are already familiar with, and every time they do, they strengthen what they already know. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787077)) - When you innovate, you need a balance with familiarity. Too much familiarity, and you don’t innovate. But too much innovation, and you don’t relate. People don’t know how to react to something too new.” ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787125)) - Why can’t people agree on religion and politics? Because their knowledge structure is fundamentally different. Each side is focused on replicating their own knowledge structure in the other person’s brain. A much better way to influence others is to understand them first, to see things from their side, and then bring them back to yours from there ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787131))  ## Highlights - Knowledge is like a tree. In the trunk, you have the core beliefs, the most basic ways you understand the world. Many of these things are even subconscious, such as the desire to survive, an understanding of gravity, or knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. From this trunk come branches, from branches come twigs, and from twigs come leaves. Each layer builds on the knowledge from the layers below. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784553)) - This sort of rote memorization is useful, but it’s just highlighting the same leaf over and over again. A better way to learn is to add a cluster of leaves, exploring slight variants on the same topic. By thinking about all these slight variations, you understand what drives the core concept. This is what engineers do in machine learning when they train algorithms with reinforcement learning. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784564)) - Sheer repetition is so powerful that it can make a belief seem true, even if it isn’t. The mere exposure to a thought over and over again will make you think it’s true ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784567)) - This is one reason why it’s disastrous when a student falls behind. It means they were not able to incorporate new leaves into their branch system. The further the class moves ahead, the bigger the distance between the student’s branch system and the new leaves. Eventually, there comes a point when the new leaves all fall to the ground because the student can’t figure out how to connect them at all. At that point, the student disengages completely and questions whether their inability to learn is their fault (“I’m dumb, that’s why I can’t make sense of this”). This is such an uncomfortable feeling that the student will try to avoid it by thinking about something else. Sometimes, their self-image of failure will be unacceptable, so they will create an alternative identity they can hang on to. For example, think of the rebel who decides they don’t want to engage in class. If this is true, the way to help students who fall behind requires two interventions: one about knowledge, and one about identity. Their more basic knowledge is too flimsy. They need to reinforce it. So they must go back, identify all their knowledge holes, and rebuild and reinforce them. Their identity must be shifted again. They must believe that they’re good at learning. Their learning must be celebrated, and their identity as learners must be celebrated. The celebration should not be about them knowing, but about them learning. If you celebrate somebody knowing something, they will build an identity about knowing things, and it will be harder to prove them wrong. But if instead you praise their learning ability and effort, they will develop a growth mindset. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17784576)) - An old tree might not add much height, but it adds volume, and it strengthens the existing trunk and branches every year, adding one ring after another. Just like giant sequoias, older people can add new knowledge across lots of disciplines they are already familiar with, and every time they do, they strengthen what they already know. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787077)) - When you innovate, you need a balance with familiarity. Too much familiarity, and you don’t innovate. But too much innovation, and you don’t relate. People don’t know how to react to something too new.” ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787125)) - Why can’t people agree on religion and politics? Because their knowledge structure is fundamentally different. Each side is focused on replicating their own knowledge structure in the other person’s brain. A much better way to influence others is to understand them first, to see things from their side, and then bring them back to yours from there ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1454170589/17787131))