How the Protégé Effect Can Supercharge Your Learning Skills 🎓

Issue #88: How to Learn Anything Like a Pro. Map of Consciousness. A Quote To Learn + Live.

Apr 27, 2024

💡 Here are 3-tips to help you learn, grow, and be inspired this week!

🎓 Learn

As a lifelong learner yourself, you've probably noticed my obsession with learning, too.

But, to be completely honest, I don’t have a natural knack for learning. Unlike some prodigious learners I know, mastering new skills has always demanded patience, perseverance (and a lot of effort) from me.

Even though I scored and ranked well in my studies, I don’t think I have a super smart brain and memory. I hustled my way to the top. So, I've always been on the lookout for ways to improve my learning skills.

In today’s issue, I’m thrilled to unveil some powerful strategies to turbocharge you learning capabilities.

Have you ever heard of the "protégé effect"?

This fascinating concept is discussed by Ali Abdaal in his new book, Feel Good Productivity.

Back in 2009, researchers at Stanford School of Education conducted an experiment with 62 eighth graders in a biology class. The students were split into two groups. The first group studied the material as usual, aiming to score well on a test. The second group, however, was informed they would be teaching the content to a computer-generated avatar, and their performance would be judged based on the avatar's learning.

Surprisingly, when the test time came, the second group outperformed the first. This led to the discovery of the protégé effect, where individuals understand and retain information better when they expect to teach it to someone else.

I wasn’t aware of this study until I read Ali’s book, but the practice of learning by teaching has long been a core method of my own learning process.

Here’s how you can harness this powerful technique to amplify your understanding, accelerate your learning, and cement your knowledge forever:

If you’re in software development, consider mentoring a junior developer or an intern. Explaining complex coding principles and practices forces you to delve deeper, enhancing both your understanding and skills.
Whenever you read a book, plan to write a blog post or teach a workshop on the key concepts of the book to your colleagues or friends. I’ve shared insights from my readings in workshops in my company and shared in several issues of Learn + Grow. That’s how I practice and deepen my understanding of my favorite personal growth methods.
When you sign up for a course to learn a skill, commit to taking detailed notes to share with others. This commitment heightens your involvement and awareness. For example, during my Yoga teacher training, I promised to take detailed notes and share them at the end of the program—I didn’t sleep a bit in the class 😀 Here’s a glimpse of how those notes turned out:

I have been taking excellent notes from all the courses and programs I have joined.

Summary:

Today, by sharing the "protégé effect" from Ali’s book, I am deepening my own grasp of this enlightening strategy.

Remember, the most profound way to master any skill is not just to learn it but to teach it.

And if you ever worry you're not 'qualified' enough to teach, remember that often, the most effective teachers are those just a few steps ahead of you.

You don’t need to be a guru; being a guide is more than enough.

Learn. Learn. Learn. And (most importantly), share, share, share!

Let me wrap this up with the wise words of my favorite author, Robin Sharma:

"The teacher learns the most."

🚀 Growth Tip

Heightening our consciousness is important for profound spiritual experiences. This is not only for spiritual growth but also to raise our consciousness, which opens up doors to higher and happier human experiences.

I've found a map of consciousness that sheds light on essential questions on spiritual growth for fellow spiritual seekers.

Here are three simple learnings from this map:

Starting at the bottom with feelings like shame and guilt, you work your way up towards love, joy, and peace.
Your feelings are linked to how you see the world. For example, if you feel courage, you’re more likely to see life as challenging but doable, whereas feelings of love make you see life as peaceful and kind.
The goal is to gradually climb higher, expanding your understanding and compassion as you go.