Sublime

It is a confounding paradox, then, that the changeable nature of our memory not only can skew our perceptions but also is essential to our ability to learn.

When you’re adept at extracting the underlying principles or “rules” that differentiate types of problems, you’re more successful at picking the right solutions in unfamiliar situations.

Being accurate in your judgment of what you know and don’t know is critical for decision making.

Effortful retrieval makes for stronger learning and retention.

Testing is not only a powerful learning strategy, it is a potent reality check on the accuracy of your own judgment of what you know how to do.

it’s a matter of reflexively taking the correct action.

Embrace Difficulties

Practice at retrieving new knowledge or skill from memory is a potent tool for learning and durable retention. This is true for anything the brain is asked to remember and call up again in the future—facts, complex concepts, problem-solving techniques, motor skills.