Remembering what we've learned
I started using an app that sends me 6 randomly selected quotes that I have highlighted from 6 books I’ve read over the years.?
In almost every instance I feel like I’m reading the highlighted section for the first time and that in most cases I haven’t done much to implement the wisdom distilled by the author.?
The wisdom we encounter is often just as fleeting as it is profound for two reasons:?
All of this has convinced me that our brains?—?well, mine at least?—?are not reliable storage devices for lessons that we have learned.?
And insofar as it is much better to be able to recall a lesson than it is to have to repeat a mistake to relearn it, it makes sense to invest in creating ways to remember what we have learned.?
Using an app (Readwise, if you’re curious) is one way. A simpler and perhaps just as effective way is to make a point to write down important lessons that you’ve learned that you can reference as needed.?
We don’t benefit when we consume wisdom; we benefit when we encode it into our lives.?
---
The Daily Spark exists for two reasons:
Audio subscription:?Spotify,?Anchor,?Pocket Casts,?Breaker,?Google Podcasts, and?RadioPublic.?
About me:
I'm a second-generation Taiwanese American trying to find life’s greatest sources of meaning and make the most out of it.