Dividing, Categorizing and Relating

[Elite]

One of the strongest faculties of the mind and a key to understanding is relating. Through this faculty, we are able to gain information and understanding.

Maybe you would notice that the Ancient Philosophers first define and categorize the subject, then they proceed with the discussion. The reason for this is to first setting a full understanding on what they debate.

Nowadays people would haphazardly categorize things, like tons of sexes, or they refrain from naming the obvious certain concepts like race. It is either due to their own beliefs or sensitivities.

This is a dangerous thing to do, since you relate something in your mind to a thing that is far from truth, which then causes false information and erroneous mental conditioning. Also, these kind of people would justify their beliefs or fake systems through sophistic arguments. This the same thing which ADL does, but a trained and free mind can determine the falsehood and then object these arguments.

If this process is done correctly, it can lead to true science or spiritual understanding. The best example of this is the ranking of the Gods. By naming them Gods, Demons and Heroes, we understand their levels, but also this forms a relation chain.

It enables us to ascribe properties and then to formulate an understanding. Then, even if we do not understand, for example, why Father Satan did something, we can think a similar example of Heracles or Herr Hitler, who are closer to us. Thus, we both gain a better understanding (which maybe we would not understand without a paradigm), but we also know it is of truth, since Heracles is a ring in the chain, which ends with the final ring of Father Satan.

Categorizing and relating is a basic faculty which everyone does, yet sometimes it can lead to falsehood when it is done without care.

This is why it is important to do this consciously and carefully. No, the idea of 500 genders will not benefit someone in anyway, but accepting the true two genders and then trying to improve yourself accordingly will do.

You can apply this to everything else. Also, knowledge is a big step to relate. Without knowing "samples" in existence, we cannot relate these and form analogies to understand. At least "two" things are required to compare. More one knows, more they are able to compare, relate and establish understanding.

Another one of the best examples I can give is astrology. Through understanding basics, you are building top of it, relating other things that is out of list the sources you have learned, to planets and energetical archetypes, thus expanding your understanding, since you know the outermost circle/category and you can also determine what is inside it.

As final words and as the summary of the article; when done correctly, knowledge leads to relating and relating leads to understanding. This process must be done consciously and carefully to avoid any erroneous suggestions into your mind and formulation of a false understanding.

 

[Windstrider666]

This is why the methods that are being popularized in the context of learning and studying are Mind Maps, Active Recall and other similar methods.

The key to learning is one needs to recognize that it is an active process. Learning is different from simply memorizing facts and knowledge. Learning is the step that leads to understanding. In the subject of meta-learning rote memorization, which was for a long time the only method that was used to learn information, is the worst way to study. And if one sees how a lot of NPC's simply repeat ad-nauseam whatever they are told , it goes to show that it doesn't facilitate understanding very well either. Understanding only occur when one is able to make connections between different ideas and information and how they relate to one another.

Recently I have been using a hybrid approach to studying topics which involve combining Mind Maps, the Zettelkasten method, and Active Recall. Mind Maps is about taking a central topic and "branch out" from it with sub categories that are about that topic. Those branches would then branch out. This can happen as much as one wants and eventually one would have a large web of interconnected information. The zettelkasten method is how I manage all that information by putting them into individual index cards. By having the mind map as a base the index cards would have a structured foundation on how they interlink and also gives opening on more information that could be linked together. Because mind maps are about a central topic but the zettelkasten is more about individual ideas and topics it works very well when put together into creating a structure for knowledge. Then lastly active recall is about pondering, questioning, and recalling information when studying which allows one to engage deeply with a topic and putting that information on a zettelkasten card.

The approach I use is very closely mirroring the way a we naturally think, form connections, and have ideas. Much of the world acts in harmony and nothing is every truly isolated so being able to see how everything connects is able to facilitate deeper understanding on topics in ways one wouldn't normally expect.

 

[Bogow]

An orderly mind is the path to an orderly life. With a lot of incoherent things around you, at best you simply lose focus on what is really important. Planning and concentration have to do with the positive aspects of Mercury and Saturn, this is where we create the concept and direction to follow next. Of course, improvisation can play a role, but truly great things always have a plan.