Memorizing or Learning?

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Good one, ffreeloader!
Did you say beer?

 

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Right on, Phoenix!

 

Just my $0.02!

Learning seems to come in different shapes and forms.

Since we are only that which we have experienced, than the foundations being built throughout our childhood will influence the basis for our future life.

The ancient Greeks believed in Rote Learning (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rote_learning) in that the student would memorise in order to repeat back. This however was also the time of great minds like Socrates and Plato, among others.

However, in recent times Cognitive Learning (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_psychology) has become more popular because it focuses on the student challenging or criticising that which he is being taught.

In a way, Cognitive learning is the advanced stage of Rote learning because the student is given the opportunity to use age old knowledge but at the same time being able to change whatever he wants (be it to better or worst). This is one type of freedom that I personally enjoy, because there are no limits.

I'm coming back to the original point now

We learn automatically throughout our lives, it is essential for an individual's survival. The examples of driving and walking, that have already been said, have traits of both Rote and Cognitive learning. We need to repeat some basic functions - i.e. brake to stop - but eventually we begin to implement our own style - i.e. change down a gear to slow down, or a handbrake turn .

So, in a way, Learning has many elements to it. Either through memorising, understanding, etc, the subject and ourselves will, eventually, dictate how we learn.

I personally like to surround myself with more intelligent people than myself, because this way I am constantly learning something or other. And funnily enough, if I try to learn something that is 2,3,4 times more difficult, it makes what I'm learning now much easier.