Memory & Learning Breakthrough: It Turns Out That The Ancients Were Right

Memory & Learning Breakthrough: It Turns Out That The Ancients Were Right

Teaching, sharing knowledge, and leaving a lasting impact on others are some of the noblest things we can do with our time on this planet. As we teach, we also learn, and this concept is supported by research. When we teach what we learn, our minds undergo a magical transformation. We become more aware of our thinking mistakes, have more creative insights, and our ideas become sharper. In essence, teaching enhances our learning potential and helps us remember information for longer periods.

However, simply reading and expecting to learn is not enough. Just as we need to digest our food to absorb its nutrients, we must actively process our life experiences to retain knowledge. Without some form of active processing, the information we read is lost within weeks. This is where teaching comes in. By incorporating teaching into our daily lives, we not only increase our own learning potential but also build deeper relationships with those around us and make a bigger impact on the world.

Teaching is the ultimate scalable endeavor. It has the potential to shape the future of the sharing economy. We are all each other's teachers on some level, whether it be as colleagues, friends, mentors, parents, or spouses. Teaching others what we have learned is a noble act that transcends time.

Humans are designed to learn and teach. Knowledge is a social organism that thrives on connection and sharing. As the Roman philosopher Seneca once proclaimed, "While we teach, we learn." This sentiment was echoed by Warren Buffett, who attributed his success to being a learning machine. He emphasized the importance of constantly acquiring knowledge and going to bed each night a little wiser than before.

But how can we create a learning environment or community? One way to start is by adopting the habit of daily teaching through a "Today I Learned" email. This practice, inspired by the popular Today I Learned subreddit, allows us to share our newfound knowledge with others and stay connected. Additionally, research from Harvard suggests that spending just 15 minutes at the end of each day reflecting on what we have learned can increase our overall learning for the day by 23%.

In the realm of product management, great PMs possess certain traits that contribute to their success. They have excellent writing skills, allowing them to communicate effectively with their team and stakeholders. They are skilled at building consensus but can make tough decisions when necessary. Great PMs have a forward-thinking mindset and work backwards to fine-tune product strategy. They actively seek out insights about customer needs and pain points through research, experiments, and collaborations. Furthermore, they have a keen sense of what a well-crafted product experience feels like.