Learn Principles instead of Facts
Knowing how to apply a fact is smarter then regurgitating a fact to sound smart
Yes, I am going to attempt to describe the difference between facts and principles through my experience as a bartender making cocktails. Please feel free to comment below if you believe I got the point across or not.
In today's fast-paced world, it is easy to fall into the trap of memorizing facts without truly understanding the fundamental principles behind them. However, true intelligence lies not in how much we know, but in how well we can apply what we have learned. That's why it's important to focus on learning principles instead of simply memorizing and regurgitating facts.
When we focus on learning principles, we gain a deeper understanding of how things work. We begin to see patterns and connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, which allows us to apply our knowledge in new and creative ways. This is what separates the truly intelligent from those who simply have a lot of information stored in their heads.
Have you read the book, “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek ?
One way to implement the concept of learning principles is to focus on the "why" behind what you know. For example, when I was a barback I used to come into work an hour early when ever my Head Bartender was available for 1 on 1 time with him. What he did for me was, instead of giving me all the classic cocktail recipes to learn off by heart, he would divide them into ‘families’ and we would discuss the original cocktails, approximately 5 cocktails, and then discuss how those cocktails were adapted and evolved into other well known classic cocktails.
Stick with me here…Do not focus on the facts but pay attention to the principle.
If you learn the Old Fashioned cocktail and its ingredients of bourbon, bitters and sugar. That will progress to the Mint Julep which is the same ingredients plus the addition of mint leaves whilst changing the ice from cubes to crushed. From there you remove the bitters and bourbon, replace it with rum, lime and top it up with soda and you have a Mojito. Take away the mint and soda and you have a Caipirissima or can even go the route of a Daiquiri. Exchange the rum for cachaca and you have a Caipirinha. And I am done.
By not getting overwhelmed by the facts and learning the principles I was able to learn how to make those cocktails by association, more importantly I was also now able to recommend cocktails to guests based on the ‘family tree’ instead of just recommending by regurgitation of recipes that I had learned from a book that might not have been relevant to the flavors that the guest was searching for and that would dilute the experience. Do you see what I did there ; )
Are you able to apply this concept to your life, discipline or career ?
Another way to focus on learning principles is to use analogies and metaphors to connect new information to things you already know. This helps you create mental models that allow you to better understand complex ideas. For example, if you are trying to learn about the stock market, you could think of it as a giant game of chess, with each move affecting the overall outcome.
In my personal experience, I have found that I had too many notes, lists, and to-dos of facts or ideas I want to act on, and this became overwhelming and actually hindered my progress. While it is important to have a system for organizing your ideas and tasks, it is equally important to make sure that system is not causing more stress than it's alleviating.
That is why I have been working on progressive principles that align all of my lists into one format that allows me to track my progress with less effort, allowing more focus. This has not only helped me stay organized, but it has also allowed me to focus my energy on the things that truly matter, rather than getting into a situation where my energy is not budgeted correctly leaving me with an energy deficit thus reducing the amount of time in which I feel progressive and acomplished.
Ultimately, the key to using your life energy wisely is to focus on what is truly important, which I wrote about here, titled Prioritizing Your Energy, and being able to let go of the tasks that are not aligned with your goals. By learning principles instead of just facts, you will be able to better understand how your world works and how you can make a positive impact on it.
By being mindful of how you use your energy, you are able to achieve more whilst feeling less overwhelmed and stressed. So, Take a bit of Time, To save yourself a lot of Time, reflect on your own learning habits and see where you can make some changes to better align your efforts with your goals.
Have a stellar day ahead