Vasili’s notes, Dec 13
Learning, Types of thought, Understanding, Categories, Abstractions, Knowledge.
Learning
Learning in public is bad because of the conspiracy of silence
Learning:Two types of thought
Two types of thought; language-based t1 and proto-level t2
T1 is slow, stems from t2, picks up the sequence like GPT-3, operates from constraints and categories
T2 is instant, often happens during learning, the "feel" of knowing more than you can say, uses unknown deep structures above language
Two types exist for a purpose; language-based thought is limited and cannot grasp a lot of information at once - t2 is ~1000x faster; almost instant
By learning to distinguish between the two types, one can train himself to think in abstractions more and more, and to a) more fluently transform them into concretes; and b) think in higher and higher-level abstractions, which is faster and valuable for writing, when you need to understand the piece as a whole, to grasp its essence
T1 and the procedure of writing not only create words from t2 understanding but also fixates them in time and space for further analysis, which enables both t1 and t2 thoughts based on what’s already written - that’s it's core value. In other words, t2 produces a large chunk of existing information, I begin encoding it with language and *in the process of doing so on paper*, I realize new connections that come from the language itself, from its own symbols that are categories and connect things together.
In other words, language is a tool for interconnecting things together, and that is why having an input environment is immensely valuable during learning - because you not only operate t2 understanding, but you get to utilize t1 "web" to "mirror" t2 understanding in the input environment, perceive it, and either t1 pick up the sequence in a new way because of shortcuts or other navigation tools, or t2 understand something new about what you have written.
T2 works well with spatial cognition because your mind "decomposes" higher-level chunks during perception
Learning:Understanding
Understanding is a relation between the properties of the media and capabilities of the person
Understanding is gradual; the multiplication story
Understanding has four core components; media, person, process, and environment
To improve understanding, focus on basics. Well-understood basics enrich the likelihood of instant t2 comprehension during reading
Learning:Categories
Categories stem from how the world is organized; they originate from the natural properties of objects
The purpose of categories is to simplify our lives via enrichments and quick search by combining categories
Best categories are formed based on vivid differences between groups of common objects; ie beardy guy, tall tree
Categories are of two types: rules and patterns
Categories are like a binary search for your mind; you can apply modes of thought like Visuals to build an advanced search query like Peter:Visuals and slice deep structures in a new way
Learning:Abstractions
Abstractions are ways of classifying information that comes from sensory channels
When you think of a bird, you mentally see a prototype of a category; more like a sparrow (close) than a penguin (distant)
Once you understand that abstractions are tools, you a) will be more confident when reading complex material, like Kahneman, because you'll realize that those are just his abstractions on top of how the world actually works, and b) will be able to build your own abstractions
Learning:Knowledge
The book cover story; most content is "7 tips for designing great book covers"
Great book cover design comes from the knowledge of human perception, color theory, typography, and behavioral biology, not from "7 tips"
Real knowledge solves hundreds of problems at once because it's extremely multifunctional
The best knowledge is multifunctional and conceptual; ie language, cognition, human behavior
Most books are full of facts and stories, where the author has already thought for you
Best books make you think rather than think for you