Hmm... This post did what I always hope a Substack read will do: It made me think.
But with thinking comes skepticism - and I'm not sure how persuasive the Harry Potter- argument is.
I read or listened to all books of Sanderson's "Stormlight Archive" and "Mistborn" series, Heitz' "Ulldart" and Paolini's "Eragon", to name just a few.
I remember thoroughly enjoying all of them - but I couldn't recall many details of any of these stories if my life depended on it.
I don't know why it's different with Harry Potter - which, I agree, it is -, but I find it plausible to suspect that reading the books and watching the movies as well as playing games around that universe did something close to active recall.
But again, that's just my first skeptical reaction. Regardless of whether or not stories are better teaching methods than some tactical approach, they are more fun for sure; they are also more difficult to write well. Thanks for the input!
Felix, maybe it's how engrossed you become in the world? I've had conversations with people who are reading Wheel of Time and I'm amazed at the level of detail and context I can pull from seemingly minor plot points and characters -- despite not having read them in years. Or, as I said to Nat before, you'd be hard-pressed to find a 30-40 year old who couldn't at least identify by sight the majority of the original 150 pokemon.
That being said, there are other series and shows I've blown through, enjoyed, and consumed -- but if you asked me even the basic outlines of the plot, I'd draw a blank... sometimes after even just a few days or weeks.
To you last point, I couldn't agree more -- good stories are much harder to write than almost anything else!
That might very well be the crucial point, as illustrated by the Pokémon example (I can name every single one of the first 150 when I see it ^^). But if it takes "being quite engrossed in the story" to unlock the learning benefits that Nat argues for, that rises the bar significantly. And I guess it makes it almost impossible to do this via any personal anecdote in a newsletter - which doesn't stop me from doing exactly that on a regular basis. ^^
I agree that a story or gamifying the lesson will work much better for almost everyone.
However, our current education system is built on the Industrial Revolution model and focuses on memorization and standardization. Maybe more schools and parents will take risks and look for a different kind of education like Montessori schools have been trying to do for a while (I am not saying Montessori is the best method or the only method; it is just different than how most schools teach).
Maybe AI will take us there eventually or force us to go there since we will need very different skills if it starts taking away white-collar jobs.
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in heart forever.” – Native American Proverb
Good point on AI, I seem to remember reading something about how its integration would allow us to make education more custom-tailored to the individual student. AI would definitely be able to make up stories around whatever is being learned using far less resources than human teachers, although I imagine AI teaching children would come with its own set of hazards & challenges...
Agree 100%. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction, there are certain stories that stay edged into my brain--Lord of the Rings next to Final Fantasy VII next to inspirational real-life stories from Cal Newport's So Good They Can't Ignore You.
Many people seem to underestimate the power of inserting personal stories into your nonfiction. I definitely want to keep a closer eye on that aspect for my own Substack essays as well so your confirmation is reassuring. Looking forward to Crypto Confidential for that particular reason too!
Definitely - I love Morgan Housel's writing but too many small stories and lacking a singular narrative. A year later I can't tell you many of the lessons (hope some of them are in there as mental models 🙏)
Same with Yuval Noah Harari if you look at Sapiens compared to 21 lessons....
Interesting to look at where music comes into this.
The other best way to learn something is to make it rhyme or make it a song.
But then the few long rap songs I can really remember all the lyrics are also stories. e.g. Eminem - Stan
Clockwork Orange 🧡 you're reading and understanding another language by the time you finish the book. Learning languages has also been hard for me in the classroom setting. Nothing stuck. But I devoured and loved Clockwork Orange, learning the language came naturally and I didn't even realize I was doing it.
Hmm... This post did what I always hope a Substack read will do: It made me think.
But with thinking comes skepticism - and I'm not sure how persuasive the Harry Potter- argument is.
I read or listened to all books of Sanderson's "Stormlight Archive" and "Mistborn" series, Heitz' "Ulldart" and Paolini's "Eragon", to name just a few.
I remember thoroughly enjoying all of them - but I couldn't recall many details of any of these stories if my life depended on it.
I don't know why it's different with Harry Potter - which, I agree, it is -, but I find it plausible to suspect that reading the books and watching the movies as well as playing games around that universe did something close to active recall.
But again, that's just my first skeptical reaction. Regardless of whether or not stories are better teaching methods than some tactical approach, they are more fun for sure; they are also more difficult to write well. Thanks for the input!
Good thoughts Felix, appreciate the pushback!
Felix, maybe it's how engrossed you become in the world? I've had conversations with people who are reading Wheel of Time and I'm amazed at the level of detail and context I can pull from seemingly minor plot points and characters -- despite not having read them in years. Or, as I said to Nat before, you'd be hard-pressed to find a 30-40 year old who couldn't at least identify by sight the majority of the original 150 pokemon.
That being said, there are other series and shows I've blown through, enjoyed, and consumed -- but if you asked me even the basic outlines of the plot, I'd draw a blank... sometimes after even just a few days or weeks.
To you last point, I couldn't agree more -- good stories are much harder to write than almost anything else!
That might very well be the crucial point, as illustrated by the Pokémon example (I can name every single one of the first 150 when I see it ^^). But if it takes "being quite engrossed in the story" to unlock the learning benefits that Nat argues for, that rises the bar significantly. And I guess it makes it almost impossible to do this via any personal anecdote in a newsletter - which doesn't stop me from doing exactly that on a regular basis. ^^
Love this.
The biggest thing I've learned from writing is to never use logic where a story will do.
Moonwalking with Einstein is a good example of this
Excellent post!
I agree that a story or gamifying the lesson will work much better for almost everyone.
However, our current education system is built on the Industrial Revolution model and focuses on memorization and standardization. Maybe more schools and parents will take risks and look for a different kind of education like Montessori schools have been trying to do for a while (I am not saying Montessori is the best method or the only method; it is just different than how most schools teach).
Maybe AI will take us there eventually or force us to go there since we will need very different skills if it starts taking away white-collar jobs.
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in heart forever.” – Native American Proverb
Good point on AI, I seem to remember reading something about how its integration would allow us to make education more custom-tailored to the individual student. AI would definitely be able to make up stories around whatever is being learned using far less resources than human teachers, although I imagine AI teaching children would come with its own set of hazards & challenges...
Agree 100%. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction, there are certain stories that stay edged into my brain--Lord of the Rings next to Final Fantasy VII next to inspirational real-life stories from Cal Newport's So Good They Can't Ignore You.
Many people seem to underestimate the power of inserting personal stories into your nonfiction. I definitely want to keep a closer eye on that aspect for my own Substack essays as well so your confirmation is reassuring. Looking forward to Crypto Confidential for that particular reason too!
Definitely - I love Morgan Housel's writing but too many small stories and lacking a singular narrative. A year later I can't tell you many of the lessons (hope some of them are in there as mental models 🙏)
Same with Yuval Noah Harari if you look at Sapiens compared to 21 lessons....
Interesting to look at where music comes into this.
The other best way to learn something is to make it rhyme or make it a song.
But then the few long rap songs I can really remember all the lyrics are also stories. e.g. Eminem - Stan
New challenge for you?
Hey Nat, I agree on the power of narrative transportation and dig your title of this post.
One question I hope you don’t take the wrong way: Why didn’t you write this in the form of a story?
This was the post that finally got me to pre-order the book 👍
Clockwork Orange 🧡 you're reading and understanding another language by the time you finish the book. Learning languages has also been hard for me in the classroom setting. Nothing stuck. But I devoured and loved Clockwork Orange, learning the language came naturally and I didn't even realize I was doing it.
It’s all about the vibes! Reminds me of this post: https://open.substack.com/pub/experimentalhistory/p/youll-forget-most-of-what-you-learn?r=gs0il&utm_medium=ios
I miss your TikTok videos, but glad I found you here
cool concept !