"You
do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your
grandmother."—Albert Einstein
One of my
old friends boastfully told me he knew someone who had finished the Oxford
Advanced Learner’s dictionary, cover to cover. Instantly, my eyelids rose. Why?
You may ask. This is because of his extravagant assumption that finishing the
dictionary is about the same thing as knowing every word it contains; or that
is it about the same thing as understanding the details of what those words
mean.
It is relatively
easier to read a lot, even though many people in the world are averse to
reading. However, the real challenge of learning is not the in the readings but
in the understanding of what we have read. If you are a good reader, I say to
you: bravo! But bear in mind that you still need to apply your knowledge in the
real world, which only comes after a good grasp of your chosen genre of literature.
And this is the focus of our study today.
What we
want to learn here is to move beyond being a mere reader to becoming a true
student. According to Encarta dictionary, to read is to learn something by
reading, but to study is to investigate knowledge; it is about processing learning
itself. And it takes diligent study to discover the hidden treasures in any
form of knowledge. This is what differentiates the creative mind from
countless superficial readers of books and casual observers of nature.
Think about
it. As humans, we tend to keep our precious items in very secure (and often
obscure) places. No sane human being will leave a highly valuable pearl in a spot, where it can
be effortlessly stolen. This explains the need for locks,
passwords, codes, safety boxes in security companies and big banks. The same way
is true with nature and really great works of art.
To get the
gem of anything, you will have to get close and to get close; you need to pay
rapt attention, you need to investigate, to dig, and to explore. Likewise, to gain
thorough comprehension, you will need to study, to ponder and to fixate your
mind on the essential pieces of your subject. And you don’t achieve that in a
hurry. It takes patient and thoughtful study to get close; it takes even a
little more effort to keep close after you get there.
This is why the German
composer, Robert Schumann asks us you the following simple question:
“Can that which has
cost the artist days, weeks, months and even years of reflection be understood
in a flash by a dilettante?”
Answer that question
for yourself before we move on to the crux of this article.
Questioning is a Crucial Element in Seeking Understanding.
Just like our
one-time-dictionary-devouring guy up there, some buffs also brag about reading up to 50
new books per year. While I admire their desire to learn, something is a little off
with that mentality. They can easily misconstrue reading wide with gaining thorough
understanding. Whereas understanding is what uncovers the great secrets or
subtleties of knowledge that tend escape most people, not just mere reading. Noah Webster, the editor
of Webster’s dictionary said he preferred to thoroughly master a few good books
than to read too many books.
Certainly, gaining
mastery entails repetition; that is, reading the same book over and over again
until it is fully absorbed. But the key element of that process is asking relevant
questions to explore knowledge deeply and unlock the gates of profound understanding.
While returning to
the same book at regular intervals is necessary for mastery, you still need
something more for thorough comprehension as the Canadian author, Brian Tracy says, “Never assume you
understand. Ask the questions.”
So ask
yourself important questions any time you read anything worthwhile.
For example:
What are
the essential lessons in this book?
Can I summarize
those essentials in a single page or a single paragraph?
What is the
most important point of all?
Can I
explain it to my grandmother?
How can I
use it to make my life better?
How can I
use it to make life better for others?
If I were
to rewrite this book, how can I improve it a little bit?
You see, the
questioning is endless as long as you can think and use your imagination. This
is the process that will unleash the unlimited potentials in you as a would-be inventor
and able problem solver. This is the approach that gave birth to the likes of Thomas
Edison, Henry Ford, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
Even though, none
of these men completed formal university education as we know it, but their legendary
successes prove to the entire world that they were some of the best students of
knowledge and life. The Canadian self-made millionaire, Bob Proctor enlightens
us further by saying, “No amount of reading or memorizing will make you
successful in life. It is the understanding and application of wise thought
which counts.”
Therefore, I
challenge you to use the power of your mind to the fullest while you read. So don’t let the
authors of whatever you may read do all your thinking for you. Instead, think independently
by asking meaningful questions along the way to enhance your understanding and inspire application.
The American astrophysicist, Carl Sagan concludes this prose for
us with the pleasing byproduct of any beneficial study. He says: “The brain is
like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.”
In summary,
we all need to become more than mere readers; we need to improve through our knowledge.
