On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:41:58 -0800, charlie b
wrote:

There are some "tricks" to this process, some obvious once
you're made aware of them, some discovered randomly, but
consciously noted when that occurs.

I don't know that it's a "trick", but I try to make sure that every
new thing that I am exposed to goes through the same intentional
five-stage process. First, I observe it as accurately as possible,
using measuring devices where appropriate, senses alone when not.
Second, I identify it- again, as accurately as possible. After
identification, I interpret it's meaning or function as well as I can.
Then I conceptualize it by turning the object or idea into a more
generalized archetype that can describe most of the variations of the
given object or idea that run in the same vein. And finally,
integrate it with my total worldview- aiming for something similar to
a taxonomy, with broad general systems branching into smaller and more
specialized areas of knowledge with mental cross-references.

Sounds complicated, maybe, but it's a good way of making sure that you
don't lose information, and can actually remember it when needed. I
came up with it by thinking about thought for a while, and it seems to
work pretty well- I've got whole lot of stuff in my head, useful or
not, that I can call up pretty quickly. Whether the process is
applied to everything, technical information only, or aestetic
concepts, it works pretty well.

Get your ego to go on vacation and get out of the way
of the rest of you and your abilities. "I , Me, My/Mine"
have a tendency to be risk aversion specialists. If
I don't try - then I can't FAIL! (oh fate worse than death).
But if you take risks and fail, assuming it's not in fact
a fatal failure, the world doesn't end, you don't die and
most of the time, your learn something more valuable
than if you'd succeeded the first time.

Truer words were rarely said. It took me a while to understand that
concept, but now I plan on failing the first few attempts at any new
thing, and it's very liberating when it comes to contemplating any
undertaking. Very few things go according to plan when you're doing
them for the first time- but if you understand that, and are willing
to fail, you can do just about anything. Sometimes you get it right
the first time out, but then that's just an extra bonus.