Knowledge is the most important word or subject in mankind’s quest for personal growth and excellence.
Over the 33 years that I have been expanding my vocabulary, I began to realize that words had an order of priority. Even the simple subject or words can be arranged in a hierarchy of leadership, power, authority and importance.
Definition:
HIERARCHY: n. 1. a body of persons organized or classified according to rank, capacity, or authority; 2. a body of entities arranged in a graded series.
This was a tremendous breakthrough as it meant that I could learn or teach a subject or skill in one-tenth the time. From this discovery, I was able to devise a sequence of accelerated learning techniques that combined word hierarchy, practical activity, and familiarity, to bring about a tremendous resurgence in certainty and application by our clients.
We began to observe increases in sales, productivity and expansion of companies and individuals of between 30% – 300%.
Managers began acting with certainty; gone were the grim faces. A spirit of play and simplicity pervaded the top of the organization filtering quickly through to the rest of the company.
It was several years later that I was to discover that one word and subject stood senior to all other words and subjects. Below are the definitions of five words:
REALIZE: v. 1. To comprehend completely or correctly. 2. To make real or actualize. 3. To make realistic. 4. To obtain or achieve.
WHOLE: adj. 1. Containing all the component parts; complete. 2. Not divided or disjointed; in one unit. 3. sound, healthy and restored and healed. 4. Constituting the full amount, extent or duration.
KNOWLEDGE: n. 1. The state or fact of knowing. 2. Familiarity, awareness or understanding gained through experience or study. 3. That which is known; the sum of what has been perceived, discovered, or inferred. 4. Learning.
KNOW: v. 1. To perceive directly with the senses or mind. Comprehend (to grasp mentally; understand) with clarity or certainty. 2. To be certain of; regard or accept as true beyond doubt. 3. To be capable of; have the skill of. 4. To have firmly secured in the mind or memory.
[Root word definition: GNO: Old English cunnan to know, know how, to be able to.]
The king of king of all words is KNOWLEDGE.
When you investigate the teaching of any subject, the end product is knowledge of that subject.
As you can easily observe, the word knowledge has been watered down considerably. From an extensive survey of what the word knowledge means to others, I found that it had many meanings instead of a specific, well-defined meaning. The word knowledge had become so broad that the senior meaning had become lost.
Knowledge had come to mean data, information, belief, instruction, enlightenment, learning, practice, skill, factors, and whatever can be thought about or perceived.
All correct, yet unwieldy. Researching deeper found the root word GNO, which a derivative in Old English cunnan means to know, know how to, be able to.
Therefore, it has been necessary to add an extra word and narrow down the meaning to contain a concept that would encompass a full comprehension of the subject of knowledge.
The word added to knowledge is WHOLE. Thus, giving us a clearer, more easily understood definition.
Definition:
WHOLE KNOWLEDGE: 1. Containing all components as parts of a subject that could be known fully in such manner that it can be applied and measured by the quality of application.
2. Knowledge wholly known = competency. 3. Applied wholly known data. To be able to produce what is wanted.
Therefore, whole knowledge can be easily measured by observation of the quality of application.
True education is then easily determined by asking: CAN THE STUDENT APPLY the knowledge taught and studied? If the student can apply, he was well educated.
Therefore, we can define the end objective of education: One who can apply what was taught.
As our methods of accelerated learning began to produce spectacular results in the majority of our clients (executives, professional, and sales people), we found that only a small percentage
did poorly (12-15%).
The other successful students continued to expand as time went by.
From what we’re able to note the common denominator to successful living is the ability to learn and apply.
APPLICATION
With the definition of whole knowledge, we can separate styles of learning.
Mimicking: The most basic is monkey see, monkey do. Example: The first time you went to a first class restaurant and saw in front of you a bewildering array of utensils.
By using the monkey see, monkey do method, you focused your attention on someone who obviously knew what he was doing. Picking up the same fork as your informed teacher, you sweated your way through the meal, trying not to make a fool of yourself. At the completion of the meal, you had very little knowledge of why you used the utensils in that particular order.
Parroting: Learning data by rote procedure. Though you can quote verbatim whole sections of data, there is very little comprehension. No application.
This method of teaching is an excellent way to bring a subject to the student’s awareness.
Memory: An ability to memorize whole sections of data. Can pass exams at the highest level. Cannot apply.
Familiarization: Placing yourself in the environment of the subject and orientating yourself and gaining familiarity, mass, purpose and correct nomenclature for parts and tools of the subject. Tentative, laborious application.
FAMILIARIZATION, STUDY AND PURPOSE RECOGNITION: Theory, practical, hands-on participation and getting your questions answered.
SLOW, HESITANT APPLICATION — Experience: Long term familiarity, thorough theory studies, all nomenclatures and words fully understood. Practical drills to master complex and difficult skills.
Fast, positive and certain application — CRAFTSMANSHIP (EXCELLENCE):
Thorough theory, practical studies of subject and related subjects, mastery of the whole body of subject knowledge: Quality application.
THINKS IN CONCEPTS: Consistency of originality and creativity. Full mastery of all aspects of subject, knowledge integrated with marketing, manufacturing pricing and product quality.
HIGHEST QUALITY AND CREATIVITY: So familiar and knowledgeable with subject that person can create with the subject.
THINKS IN MULTIPLE CONCEPTS: By an observation of these styles of learning, we can easily measure the quality of knowledge being assimilated by quality of application.
Thus, we can measure the quality of instruction by the same test: QUALITY OF APPLICATION BY THE STUDENT
From the above observation, we can extrapolate the finest viable learning methods that speedily enhance students’ application quality.
ABILITY TO STUDY
Behind success and excellence lies an individual who can study from the pieces of studied material, data, words, rules, nomenclatures, purposes and all the other components. Over a period of time, the individual assimilates enough components to make up a whole knowledge. Thus the individual acquires the ability to act with that subject.
The ability to study and learn places an individual higher on the ladder of corporate and societal hierarchy.
What then if one is burdened with poor or no ability to study or learn? That individual is doomed to be trapped in the mysteries of non-application, misunderstanding and inability to make life or relationships go right. By using the learning exercises, one can undercut even the most difficult inabilities to learning.
TOOLS OF STUDY AND LEARNING
Study plays an overwhelming part in happiness and future of an individual. Therefore, a thorough analysis of the skills, tools and abilities needed to master the ability to study is fundamental.
Below is a list of abilities that precede comprehension:
Contact
Familiarity
Observation
A willingness to learn
Duplication
Availability of attention
Concentration
Persistence
Vocabulary
Intention
Data Assimilation
Ability to evaluate importances
Correct gradients
Honesty
Ability to know what you know and what you don’t know
Basics:
Ability to control attention
Ability to listen
Ability to read
Freedom from fixed ideas
An objective or objectives
The subject being studied has a usable purpose
A comprehension of the purpose of the subject
A reason to study
Studying on your own self determination
Responsibility for acquiring the full knowledge
Correct estimation of time, space and energies
Presence:
Ability to accept right data
Ability to reject wrong data
As you can observe, the list of skills and abilities is long. Yet, again the hierarchy of words comes to our rescue. One word stands out above all others. One skill that must be available, for if that one word and skill cannot be applied, tremendous degradation and victimization will occur. That word is DUPLICATION.
Definition:
DUPLICATION: The ability to approximate as close as possible the skill, object, datum, word in its same time and space, with its same mass and energy.
Example: Golf Pro who is a superb teacher. Student who is suburb duplicator. Result: Student quickly learns to play his strokes and approximate the golf pro’s score.
Thus, we can observe that the quality and tone of the teacher or coach also becomes part of the duplication, thence part of the learning cycle.
Example: Quarterback throws a long pass 60 yards; the wide receiver duplicates the quarterback’s intention and is in the exact right place at the right time. Result: Touchdown.
Example: Violinist duplicates Mozart’s compositions. Result: Audience gives standing ovation for violinist’s virtuosity.
Example: Sir Laurence Olivier reads and duplicates Shakespeare’s Macbeth. He duplicates the emotions, the stance, the violence, the chicanery, the pathos, the drama. The audience stands and cheers.
Example: Japan takes every mechanical object that can be acquired, makes exact duplicates (in some cases even duplicates the flaws). So begins the rebuilding of a new Japanese empire.
Example: Student duplicates the data and material from the teacher and text books. Student becomes the top student in the class.
By the above examples, the importance of self duplication becomes self evident.
Some individuals cannot duplicate. Some teaching methods destroy a person’s ability to duplicate. Some individuals prevent duplication.
Any of the above will cause a person attempting to learn in the area a great deal of difficulty.
Many students start school with an inability to duplicate. Never handling the problem, they end up unable to read, write or do arithmetic.
Therefore, learning drills that enhance duplication bring about the greatest gain for the individual.
Growing old could be called being more and more unwilling to duplicate.
Improve duplication and you improve the learning skills. Life becomes a game, an interesting game to play.
The cycle of improving duplication follows a fairly predictable path.
1. Non involvement — Doesn’t know subject exists — Begins to contact subject.
2. Finds out more about subject — Spectator, intends more contact, familiarity, duplication.
3. Confidence rising, individual joins group and becomes part-time player. More intense contact, familiarity, duplication.
4. Competence increasing, is asked to be full time player. More intense contact, familiarity duplication.
5. Becomes a star — Champion — Becomes innovative.
WORDS THAT RAISE YOUR LEVELS OF EXCELLENCE
It is 26 years since the article in the Readers Digest, “Words Can Work Wonders For You” (Copyright © 1961 Reader’s Digest) was printed.
Since that time, our research has been able to develop a Super Power Word List, plus a very exclusive method of bringing the person to a full understanding.
We were forced to research the early 1890 dictionaries to find the original pure definitions of many of the super words.
Almost every person we have contacted and trained with these super words either had no concept of the meaning, or worse, had an inaccurate definition causing great difficulty in duplicating and fully understanding the exact meaning of these words.
Each of our Super Word List words contains an upward direction of the individual’s placement of attention, thus causing an upsurge in the person’s action and success level.
Using our Super Word List can undo years of miseducation, inaccurate data and mind locks, thus causing an amazing desire to learn and study and a willingness to put in long hours.
Salesmen find they are able to close a much higher percentage of sales. Executives become able to spot potential disaster areas before they happen. Their willingness to control and lead their corporation into new areas of accomplishment expands tremendously.
Reconceptualization of their personal and corporate objectives becomes easier.
A complete shift of personality often takes place for the better. Spouses and fellow workmates comment on the changes for the better. A great deal of stress and conflict disappears out of the
person’s life.
Dr. Wilfred Furlz, in a study of the speeches and writings of leaders in world affairs, business, and the literary arts, revealed their most significant words. They employed about 5600 words.
Learning that amount of words is not an impossible goal to set for yourself.
The use of words produces an ability to control your thinking and thought processes. Though you are not aware of the storehouse of words in your mind, you cannot think properly or correctly without the full understanding and a large reservoir of words.
Those words allow you to give form and meaning to your observations, responses, perception, decision and objectives throughout your life. Without a full storehouse of high class, positive ability expanding words, you will have limited your life, thought processes and achievements.
By obtaining a greater vocabulary of mastered words you will enhance and add richer concepts to your ability to think, act, converse, read, write, learn, retain knowledge and disseminate your ideas and concepts producing greater acceptance of you by others.
People seldom acquire many new words after their twenties. There are several reasons for this. The section on mind-locks contains most of these reasons. Yet this is the most profitable time to begin a new learning cycle. Why? You now have a greater familiarity with life and your environment.
THE BEST METHOD OF BUILDING A POWER VOCABULARY
The easiest, fastest way to gain a larger, power packed, expanded vocabulary:
1. Make a firm commitment to begin to learn new meanings and acquire new words.
2. Make a list of all the words connected with your career.
3. Look up in a good dictionary the full meanings of each word.
4. Make notes on a pad of each word you don’t fully understand while reading, conversing, listening to the radio or TV and proceed to define them.
5. Embark on a definite plan to increase your word power.
THE SIX STEP SYSTEM OF WORD COMPREHENSION AND USAGE
1. Know the word’s full meaning.
2. Use each form of its meaning in several sentences until comfortable.
3. Correctly pronounce the word.
4. Correctly spell the word.
5. Clear any misunderstood words in the definition.
6. Continue using the word until you can fully think conceptually with the word.