Pizza vs Noodle Learning
We’re looking at learning all wrong. We think learning is a Pizza but it’s actually a bowl of Noodles.
Here is the difference between the two -
Pizza Learning
Traditional systems look at learning like a pizza. Different topics are slices of a pizza - each unique and different. Just like while eating a pizza you need to finish one slice before you start eating the next one, one topic gets over for you to move on.
Pizza Learning compartmentalises learning because topics have clearly defined boundaries. Here are some pizzas slices we’ve all eaten:
School: Math, Science & English - one class gets over and the other one begins
Reading: A lot of us treat different books like different slices. We start one, finish it and then move to the next
Noodle Learning
Our brain actually looks at learning like a bowl of noodles. Different topics are interconnected - you don’t know where one starts and the other finishes. In a bite, you will get different noodles - some full and some half bitten. And no matter how hard you try, you can’t eat only one noodle at a time.
Noodle Learning champions connections because much like the real world, our brain cannot only think of one thing at a time. Here are some examples of noodle bowls:
Baking: Blend of art, science and math!
Squats: Are based on physics and biology
By looking at learning as a bowl of noodles, you can master topics better by finding connections and look at things from a different lens.
Here are 3 simple steps to practice Noodle Learning:
1/ Find the noodles
Constantly ask yourself - what are some things that could have influenced this topic?
Look at lateral influences on a topic. Looking at these ancillary topics does not mean you’re not going deep, it’s just knowing that there are no pizzas, only noodles in learning.
2/ Be a learning juggler
Learn more than one thing at a time. You will find connections that no one has able to before.
At one point of time, read multiple books, learn multiple skills. It’s not lack of focus, it’s optimising for connections.
3/ Let curiosity be your compass
Instead of trying to go by the book, let curiosity guide you. Embrace rabbit holes.
Read an article but found a topic interesting? Go read it. You are not ‘distracted’ but just following your curiosity compass.
Remember to be a Noodle Learner!