The Art of Learning

In the long run, painful losses may prove much more valuable than wins—those who are armed with a healthy attitude and are able to draw wisdom from every experience, “good” or “bad,” are the ones who make it down the road. They are also the ones who are happier along the way. Of course the real challenge is to stay in range of this long-term perspective when you are under fire and hurting in the middle of the war. This, maybe our biggest hurdle, is at the core of the art of learning.

Ref. 842A-A

He had to teach me to be more disciplined without dampening my love for chess or suppressing my natural voice.

Ref. 36A3-B

Bruce slowed me down by asking questions. Whenever I made an important decision, good or bad, he would ask me to explain my thought process.

Ref. 364E-C

I was unhindered by internal conflict—a state of being that I have come to see as fundamental to the learning process.

Ref. 13A1-D

I learned at sea that virtually all situations can be handled as long as presence of mind is maintained.

Ref. 62D8-E

On the other hand, if you lose your calm when crisis hits seventy miles from land, or while swimming with big sharks, there is no safety net to catch you.

Ref. 0F7F-F

The ocean has always healed me, brought me back to life when I have needed it…and as an eight-year-old child in the midst of an existential crisis, I needed it.

Ref. CACE-G

She is a brilliant, loving, compassionate woman with a wisdom that to this day blows my mind.

Ref. 1FAA-H

Quietly powerful, infinitely supportive, absurdly selfless, she has always encouraged me to follow my heart even when it led far away or to seemingly bizarre pursuits. She is also incredibly brave (sometimes to my dismay), facing down four-hundred-pound sharks in deep ocean, hand-lining leaping blue marlin, taming wild two- thousand-pound stallions, breaking up street fights, keeping my dad and me in line. She has been a constant balancing force throughout all the madness of our lives—lifting us when we were down, providing perspective when we got too swept away by ambition, giving a hug when tears flowed. My mom is my hero. Without her the whole thing falls apart.

Ref. C662-I

It was about love and pain and passion and pushing myself to overcome.

Ref. 51EE-J

I responded to heartbreak with hard work.

Ref. 39BB-K

was self-motivated and moved by a powerful resolve.

Ref. 3D86-L

There was one boy who was particularly alarming. His name was Jeff Sarwer. He was a scary child—small, often bald and barefoot. He didn’t go to school and his father had him studying chess twelve hours a day. When he played, Jeff would chant kill, kill, kill under his breath. The kid was all aggression, brilliant, a powerhouse over the board.

Ref. C32D-M

He was a machine, annihilating strong adults in speed chess sessions and then humiliating them with his disdain.

Ref. 67C2-N

cards. His father was a brutal authoritarian, a messianic figure who channeled his crazy energy and ideas into creating the perfect chess machine.

Ref. 0186-O

Two questions arise. First, what is the difference that allows some to fit into that narrow window to the top?

Ref. 0C34-P

If ambition spells probable disappointment, why pursue excellence?

Ref. 9AB9-R

In my opinion, the answer to both questions lies in a well-thought-out approach that inspires resilience, the ability to make connections between diverse pursuits, and day-to-day enjoyment of the process.

Ref. 6577-S

The vast majority of motivated people, young and old, make terrible mistakes in their approach to learning.

Ref. C68F-T

They fall frustrated by the wayside while those on the road to success keep steady on their paths.

Ref. 2D2F-U

They see their overall intelligence or skill level at a certain discipline to be a fixed entity, a thing that cannot evolve.

Ref. B05A-V

describe their results with sentences like “I got it because I worked very hard at it” or “I should have tried harder.”

Ref. 5E87-W

A child with a learning theory of intelligence tends to sense that with hard work, difficult material can be grasped—step by step, incrementally, the novice can become the master.

Ref. 0EE9-X

Dweck’s research has shown that when challenged by difficult material, learning theorists are far more likely to rise to the level of the game, while entity theorists are more brittle and prone to quit.

Ref. 9E92-Y

challenged by difficult material, learning theorists are far more likely to rise to the level of the game, while entity theorists are more brittle and prone to quit. Children who associate success with hard work tend to have a “mastery-oriented response” to challenging situations, while children who see themselves as just plain “smart” or “dumb,” or “good” or “bad” at something, have a “learned helplessness orientation.” In one wonderfully revealing study, a group of children was interviewed and then each child was noted as having either an entity or learning theory of intelligence. All the children were then given a series of easy math problems, which they all solved correctly. Then, all the children were given some very hard problems to solve—problems that were too difficult for them. It was clear that the learning theorists were excited by the challenge, while the entity theorists were dismayed. Comments would range from “Oh boy, now I’m really gonna have to try hard” to “I’m not smart enough for this.” Everyone got these problems wrong—but evidently the experience of being challenged had very different effects. What is most interesting is the third stage of this experiment: all the children were once again given easy problems to solve. Nearly all of the learning theorists breezed right through the easy material, but the entity theorists had been so dispirited by the inability to solve the hard problems that many of them foundered through the easy

Ref. 22DE-Z

Children who associate success with hard work tend to have a “mastery-oriented response”

Ref. A75C-A

What is compelling about this is that the results have nothing to do with intelligence level. Very smart kids with entity theories tend to be far more brittle when challenged than kids with learning theories who would be considered not quite as sharp.

Ref. 0676-B

Learning theorists, on the other hand, are given feedback that is more process-oriented.

Ref. 82F3-C

for!” So Julie learns to associate effort with success and feels that she can become good at anything with some hard work.

Ref. CD29-D

She also feels as though she is on a journey of learning,

Ref. 195E-E

So how does all this affect us in our day-to-day lives?

Ref. 22B0-F

Fundamentally. The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity.

Ref. C82C-G

Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety.

Ref. F0E8-H

The hermit crab is a colorful

Ref. EA1D-I

As the crab gets bigger, it needs to find a more spacious shell. So the slow, lumbering creature goes on a quest for a new home. If an appropriate new shell is not found quickly, a terribly delicate moment of truth arises. A soft creature that is used to the protection of built-in armor must now go out into the world, exposed to predators in all its mushy vulnerability.

Ref. 0C83-J

That learning phase in between shells is where our growth can spring from.

Ref. C44B-K

In my experience, successful people shoot for the stars, put their hearts on the line in every battle, and ultimately discover that the lessons learned from the pursuit of excellence mean much more than the immediate trophies and glory.

Ref. BECF-L

In the long run, painful losses may prove much more valuable than wins—those who are armed with a healthy attitude and are able to draw wisdom from every experience, “good” or “bad,” are the ones who make it down the road. They are also the ones who are happier along the way. Of course the real challenge is to stay in range of this long-term perspective when you are under fire and hurting in the middle of the war. This, maybe our biggest hurdle, is at the core of the art of learning.

Ref. 842A-M

positions of reduced complexity and clear principles.

Ref. B1E0-N

understanding of how to transform axioms into fuel for creative insight

Ref. 6948-O

This method of study gave me a feeling for the beautiful subtleties of each chess piece,

Ref. ABB8-P

because in relatively clear-cut positions I could focus on what was essential.

Ref. 84FF-Q

I was also gradually internalizing a marvelous methodology of learning—the play between knowledge, intuition, and creativity.

Ref. A59F-R

From both educational and technical perspectives, I learned from the foundation up.

Ref. D019-S

At first thought, it seems logical for a novice to study positions that he or she will see all the time at the outset of games.

Ref. 3668-T

Why not begin from the beginning, especially if it leads to instant success?

Ref. C4DB-U

The answer is quicksand. Once you start with openings, there is no way out.

Ref. 6A57-V

Lifetimes can be spent memorizing and keeping up with the evolving Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO). They are an addiction, with perilous psychological effects.

Ref. BD71-W

It is a little like developing the habit of stealing the test from your teacher’s desk instead of learning how to do the math. You may pass the test, but you learn absolutely nothing—and most critically, you don’t gain an appreciation for the value or beauty of learning itself.

Ref. 6AEA-X

In school, they focus on what comes easy to them and ignore the subjects that are harder.

Ref. F9D4-Y

They try to avoid challenges, but eventually the real world finds them. Their confidence is fragile. Losing is always a crisis instead of an opportunity for growth—if they were a winner because they won, this new losing must make them a loser.

Ref. A5A6-Z

I have used chess to illustrate this entity/incremental dynamic, but the issue is fundamental to the pursuit of excellence in all fields.

Ref. 1B79-A

The setbacks taught me how to succeed. And what kept me on my path was a love for learning that has its roots in my first chess lessons as a six-year-old boy.

Ref. F6AA-B

One of the most critical strengths of a superior competitor in any discipline—whether we are speaking about sports, business negotiations, or even presidential debates—is the ability to dictate the tone of the battle.

Ref. 865F-C

Chess was a constant challenge. My whole career, my father and I searched out opponents who were a little stronger than me, so even as I dominated the scholastic circuit, losing was part of my regular experience. I

Ref. C85B-D

I have seen many people in diverse fields take some version of the process-first philosophy and transform it into an excuse for never putting themselves on the line or pretending not to care about results.

Ref. E9DD-E

This issue of process vs. goal is very delicate, and I want to carefully define how I feel the question should be navigated.

Ref. D440-F

While a fixation on results is certainly unhealthy, short-term goals can be useful developmental tools if they are balanced within a nurturing long-term philosophy. Too much sheltering from results can be stunting. The road to success is not easy or else everyone would be the greatest at what they do—we need to be psychologically prepared to face the unavoidable challenges along our way, and when it comes down to it, the only way to learn how to swim is by getting in the water.

Ref. 726C-G

How can we balance long-term process with short-term goals and inevitable setbacks?

Ref. 61E8-H

There is nothing like a worthy opponent to show us our weaknesses and push us to our limit. It is good for Danny to compete, but it is essential that he do so in a healthy manner.

Ref. 5A29-I

everyday feedback respond to effort over results.

Ref. 0A73-J

When we have worked hard and succeed at something, we should be allowed to smell the roses. The key, in my opinion, is to recognize that the beauty of those roses lies in their transience. It is drifting away even as we inhale. We enjoy the win fully while taking a deep breath, then we exhale, note the lesson learned, and move on to the next adventure.

Ref. 0523-K

We enjoy the win fully while taking a deep breath, then we exhale, note the lesson learned, and move on to the next adventure.

Ref. 9CE4-L

Danny will learn that every loss is an opportunity for growth. He will become increasingly astute psychologically and sensitive to bad habits.

Ref. CF2A-M

We need to put ourselves out there, give it our all, and reap the lesson, win or lose. The fact of the matter is that there will be nothing learned from any challenge in which we don’t try our hardest. Growth comes at the point of resistance. We learn by pushing ourselves and finding what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities.

Ref. 8E06-N

As I matured as a chess player, there were constantly leaps into the unknown. Because of my growth curve, my life was like that hermit crab who never fits into the same shell for more than a few days.

Ref. 0E16-O

I would have to learn esoteric, initially uncomfortable types of chess positions. I would take on dangerous new rivals who recently emigrated from Eastern Europe or the Soviet Union. I’d travel to distant countries to compete and need to adapt to the alien cultural and chessic customs on the spur of the moment.

Ref. 6FF4-P

There were a few powerful moments that reinforced my young notion that glory had little to do with happiness or long-term success.

Ref. 9123-Q

This intense moment of my life was the launching point for my serious investigation of the nuances of performance psychology.

Ref. B8C5-R

Eventually, by systematically training oneself, a competitor can learn how to do this at will.

Ref. 1BB4-S

The other is to make sandals. Making sandals is the internal solution. Like the Soft Zone, it does not base success on a submissive world or overpowering force, but on intelligent preparation and cultivated resilience.

Ref. DC28-T

Mental resilience is arguably the most critical trait of a world-class performer, and it should be nurtured continuously.

Ref. 7F75-U

A key component of high-level learning is cultivating a resilient awareness that is the older, conscious embodiment of a child’s playful obliviousness.

Ref. CFE1-V

This journey, from child back to child again, is at the very core of my understanding of success.

Ref. 91A6-W

I believe that one of the most critical factors in the transition to becoming a conscious high performer is the degree to which your relationship to your pursuit stays in harmony with your unique disposition.

Ref. F5C8-X

Mark Dvoretsky and Yuri Razuvaev

Ref. 0E12-Y

I believe the implications of their diametrically opposed pedagogical styles are critical for students of all endeavors.

Ref. 4028-Z

slightly more nuanced understanding

Ref. 7FA8-A

If you have read Nabokov’s wonderful novel The Defense, about the eccentric chess genius Luzhin—well, that is Dvoretsky.

Ref. 4DB0-B

philosophy falls very much in line with Taoist teachers who might say “learn this from that” or “learn the hard from the soft.”

Ref. 56F6-C

Consider how you may not realize how much someone’s companionship means to you until they are gone—heartbreak can give the greatest insight into the value of love.

Ref. 8893-D

Think about how good a healthy leg feels after an extended time on crutches—sickness is the most potent ambassador for healthy living.

Ref. 9F66-E

Who knows water like a man dying of thirst?

Ref. D6F2-F

The human mind defines things in relation to one another—without light the notion of darkness would be unintelligible

Ref. 1C3C-G

Along the same lines, I have found that if we feed the unconscious, it will discover connections between what may appear to be disparate realities.

Ref. 0950-H

The path to artistic insight in one direction often involves deep study of another—the intuition makes uncanny connections that lead to a crystallization of fragmented notions.

Ref. 6124-I

He studied form to leave form.

Ref. 20F8-J

By extension, studying the greatest attacking chess games ever played, I would inevitably gain a deep appreciation for defensive nuance.

Ref. B11B-K

This is the method some like to call shock and awe .

Ref. 49F5-L

Approach indirectly, without confrontation. Even an adult horse can be gentled. Handle him nicely, make your intention the horse’s intention.

Ref. 5EE0-M

Reflecting back on the last years of my chess career, more than anything else I am struck by the complexity of the issues confronting an artist or competitor on a long-term learning curve.

Ref. 49D3-N

To my mind, the fields of learning and performance are an exploration of greyness—of the in-between.

Ref. 4F9D-O

There is the careful balance of pushing yourself relentlessly, but not so hard that you melt down.

Ref. 2CEF-P

Muscles and minds need to stretch to grow, but if stretched too thin, they will snap.

Ref. 2A3C-Q

A competitor needs to be

Ref. 3F04-R

process-oriented, always looking for stronger opponents to spur growth, but it is also important to keep on winning enough to maintain confidence.

Ref. 8BE0-S

We have to release our current ideas to soak in new material, but not so much that we lose touch with our unique natural talents. Vibrant, creative idealism needs to be tempered by a practical, technical awareness.

Ref. 0F47-T

Navigating our way to excellence is tricky.

Ref. 8671-U

His ability to draw sheer joy from the most mundane experiences opened up the world to me.

Ref. F179-V

He spoke softly, moved deeply, taught those who were ready to learn.

Ref. 62BA-W

It took full concentration to pick up each valuable lesson, so on many levels Tai Chi class was an exercise in awareness.

Ref. E537-X

It is Chen’s opinion that a large obstacle to a calm, healthy, present existence is the constant interruption of our natural breathing patterns. A thought or ringing phone or honking car interrupts an out-breath and so we stop and begin to inhale. Then we have another thought and stop before exhaling. The

Ref. FA13-Y

Also, from what I had read, the essence of Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art is not to clash with the opponent but to blend with his energy, yield to it, and overcome with softness.

Ref. AAB3-Z

First things first—I had to begin with an understanding of the art’s foundation. The

Ref. 536D-A

If aggression meets empty space it tends to defeat itself.

Ref. C23F-B

The problem is that he isn’t learning anything by doing this. In order to grow, he needs to give up his current mind-set. He needs to lose to win.

Ref. D5DC-C

William Chen calls this investment in loss . Investment in loss is giving yourself to the learning process.

Ref. 44F4-D

Investment in loss is giving yourself to the learning process.

Ref. 0655-E

I tried my best to learn from each error, whether it was my own or that of a training partner.

Ref. 5C2E-F

This was an exciting time. As I internalized Tai Chi’s technical foundation, I began to see my chess understanding manifesting itself in the Push Hands game. I was intimate with competition, so offbeat strategic dynamics were in my blood. I would notice structural flaws in someone’s posture, just as I might pick apart a chess position, or I’d play with combinations in a manner people were not familiar with. Pattern recognition was a strength of mine as well, and I quickly picked up on people’s tells.

Ref. 08A3-G

This was trippy, but a natural consequence of systematic training.

Ref. A998-H

While I was internalizing this information, I was also constantly training with people who were far more advanced.

Ref. E2C2-I

Thinking back on my competitive life, I realize how defining these themes of Beginner’s Mind and Investment in Loss have been. Periodically, I have had to take apart my game and go through a rough patch. In all disciplines, there are times when a performer is ready for action, and times when he or she is soft, in flux, broken-down or in a period of growth.

Ref. 5A83-J

My response is that it is essential to have a liberating incremental approach that allows for times when you are not in a peak performance state.

Ref. 88F6-K

It is common knowledge that Jordan made more last-minute shots to win the game for his team than any other player in the history of the NBA. What is not so well known, is that Jordan also missed more last-minute shots to lose the game for his team than any other player in the history of the game. What made him the greatest was not perfection, but a willingness to put himself on the line as a way of life.

Ref. 61DD-L

NBA. What is not so well known, is that Jordan also missed more last-minute shots to lose the game for his team than any other player in the history of the game.

Ref. 746C-M

What made him the greatest was not perfection, but a willingness to put himself on the line as a way of life. Did he suffer all those nights when he sent twenty thousand Bulls fans home heartbroken? Of course. But he was willing to look bad on the road to basketball immortality.

Ref. 164A-N

. I’ll never forget a scene that would guide my approach to learning for years to come.

Ref. DBE3-O

I believe this little anecdote has the potential to distinguish success from failure in the pursuit of excellence.

Ref. 1E30-P

The theme is depth over breadth. The learning principle is to plunge into the detailed mystery of the micro in order to understand what makes the macro tick.

Ref. 1315-Q

The learning principle is to plunge into the detailed mystery of the micro in order to understand what makes the macro tick.

Ref. F873-R

When these societally induced tendencies translate into the learning process, they have devastating effect.

Ref. 2B72-S

know. Everyone races to learn more and more, but nothing is done deeply.

Ref. 17B3-T

Things look pretty but they are superficial, without a sound body mechanic or principled foundation.

Ref. 2501-U

Tai Chi Chuan has the primary martial purpose of allowing practitioners to refine certain fundamental principles.

Ref. D2C7-V

in this manner, I was able to sharpen my feeling for Tai Chi. When through painstaking refinement of a small movement I had the improved feeling, I could translate it onto other parts of the form, and suddenly everything would start flowing at a higher level.

Ref. E985-W

The key was to recognize that the principles making one simple technique tick were the same fundamentals that fueled the whole

Ref. DC09-X

This method is similar to my early study of chess, where I explored endgame positions of reduced complexity—

Ref. 35DA-Y

However, if you study complicated chess openings and middlegames right off the bat, it is difficult to think in an abstract axiomatic language because all your energies are preoccupied with not blundering.

Ref. F48C-Z

So, in my Tai Chi work I savored the nuance of small morsels.

Ref. 19AE-A

The lone form I studied was William Chen’s, and I took it on piece by piece, gradually soaking its principles into my skin. Every

Ref. FEEB-B

night. It was easy to see whether something worked or not, because training with advanced players like Evan usually involved one of us getting smashed into the wall. In these intense sparring sessions, showy moves didn’t work. There was no margin for idealized fanciness. Things happened too quickly.

Ref. 402D-C

making my existing repertoire more potent.

Ref. F28E-D

It was time to take my new feeling and put it to action.

Ref. 1C2B-E

The next phase of my martial growth would involve turning the large into the small.

Ref. 825F-F

Over time expansiveness decreases while potency increases. I call this method “Making Smaller Circles.”

Ref. 5277-G

First, I practice the motion over and over in slow motion.

Ref. A5A1-H

We have to be able to do something slowly before we can have any hope of doing it correctly with speed.

Ref. FFC0-I

Initially I’ll have tension in my shoulder or back, but then I’ll sooth it away, slowly repeating the movement until the correct body mechanics are in my skin.

Ref. B784-J

The key is to take small steps, so the body can barely feel the condensing practice.

Ref. 5404-K

Slowly but surely, my body mechanics get more and more potent.

Ref. 4171-L

They have condensed large circles into very small ones, and made their skills virtually invisible to the untrained eye.

Ref. 620D-M

Michael Adams knows how to control the center without appearing to have anything to do with the center. He has made the circles so small, even Grandmasters cannot see them.

Ref. FA08-N

arts. In both fields, players tend to get attached to fancy techniques and fail to recognize that subtle internalization and refinement is much more important than the quantity of what is learned.

Ref. EE6D-O

did, but I was very good at what I did know.

Ref. 1271-P

I had condensed my body mechanics into a potent state, while most of my opponents had large, elegant, and relatively impractical repertoires.

Ref. 4335-Q

The fact is that when there is intense competition, those who succeed have slightly more honed skills than the rest.

Ref. 4E0D-R

It is rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skill set. Depth beats breadth any day of the week, because it opens a channel for the intangible, unconscious, creative components of our hidden potential.

Ref. A1B8-S

First, we have to learn to be at peace with imperfection.

Ref. 2DD7-T

Next, in our performance training, we learn to use that imperfection to our advantage—for example thinking to the beat of the music or using a shaking world as a catalyst for insight.

Ref. C4B5-U

If it initially took an earthquake or broken hand for me to gain clarity, I want to use that experience as a new baseline for my everyday capabilities.

Ref. 72B6-V

In other words, now that I have seen what real focus is all about, I want to get there all the time—but I don’t want to have to break a bone whenever I want my mind to kick in to its full potential.

Ref. 7265-W

So a deep mastery of performance psychology involves the internal creation of inspiring conditions.

Ref. 5DAC-X

Then I’ll spend a week doing soft, quiet work on timing, perception, reading and controlling my opponent’s breath patterns and internal blinks, subtle unbalancing touches that set up the dramatic throws that ultimately steal the spotlight.

Ref. A021-Y

After these periods of reflection, I’ll almost invariably have a leap in ability because my new physical skills are supercharged by becoming integrated into my mental framework.

Ref. 90B3-Z

The importance of undulating between external and internal (or concrete and abstract; technical and intuitive) training applies to all disciplines, and unfortunately the internal tends to be neglected.

Ref. 098F-A

The importance of undulating between external and internal (or concrete and abstract; technical and intuitive) training applies to all disciplines, and unfortunately the internal tends to be neglected.

Ref. 098F-B

Most intelligent NFL players, for example, use the off-season to look at their schemes more abstractly, study tapes, break down aerial views of the field, notice offensive and defensive patterns.

Ref. 5180-C

One thing I have learned as a competitor is that there are clear distinctions between what it takes to be decent, what it takes to be good, what it takes to be great, and what it takes to be among the best.

Ref. 8FE0-D

If your goal is to be mediocre, then you have a considerable margin for error.

Ref. 0BFA-E

You can get depressed when fired and mope around waiting for someone to call with a new job offer.

Ref. 0083-F

If you hurt your toe, you can take six weeks watching television and eating potato chips.

Ref. 189D-G

line with that mind-set, most people think of injuries as setbacks, something they have to recover from or deal with.

Ref. 3FD6-H

What they don’t realize is that if I were to stop training whenever something hurt, I would spend my whole year on the couch.

Ref. 0C9C-I

Almost without exception, I am back on the mats the next day, figuring out how to use my new situation to heighten elements of my game.

Ref. A57E-J

If I want to be the best, I have to take risks others would avoid, always optimizing the learning potential of the moment and turning adversity to my advantage.

Ref. F3E9-K

When aiming for the top, your path requires an engaged, searching mind.

Ref. 522E-L

You have to make obstacles spur you to creative new angles in the learning process.

Ref. 1C04-M

Let setbacks deepen your resolve.

Ref. 324C-N

You should always come off an injury or a loss better than when you went down. Another angle on this issue is the unfortunate correlation for some between consistency and monotony.

Ref. 19CB-O

It is all too easy to get caught up in the routines of our lives and to lose creativity in the learning process. Even people who are completely devoted to cultivating a certain discipline often fall into a mental rut, a disengaged lifestyle that implies excellence can be obtained by going through the motions. We lose presence. Then an injury or some other kind of setback throws a wrench into the gears.

Ref. 05BD-P

We are forced to get imaginative.

Ref. 93DA-Q

Ultimately we should learn how to use the lessons from this type of experience without needing to get injured: a basketball player should play lefty for a few months, to even out his game. A soccer player who favors his right leg should not take a right-footed shot for an extended period of time. If dirty opponents inspire a great competitor to raise his game, he should learn to raise his game without relying on the ugly ruses of his opponents (see Making Sandals, in Part III). Once we learn how to use adversity to our advantage, we can manufacture the helpful growth opportunity without actual danger or injury. I call this tool the internal solution —we can notice external events that trigger helpful growth or performance opportunities, and then internalize the effects of those events without their actually happening. In this way, adversity becomes a tremendous source of creative inspiration.

Ref. A932-R

Of course this type of childhood fear is a little silly—skilled humans internalize large amounts of data—but I was on to something. Once we reach a certain level of expertise at a given discipline and our knowledge is expansive, the critical issue becomes: how is all this stuff navigated and put to use? I believe the answers to this question are the gateway to the most esoteric levels of elite performance.

Ref. D30C-S

Clearly, there is a survival mechanism that allows human beings to channel their physical and mental capacities to an astonishing degree of intensity in life-or-death moments. But can we do this at will?

Ref. 3CA5-T

Increasingly, I had the sense that the key to these leaps was interconnectedness—some part of my being was harmonizing all my relevant knowledge, making it gel into one potent eruption,

Ref. 5EA0-U

suddenly the enigmatic was crystal-clear. But what was really happening?

Ref. 1B32-V

you start with the fundamentals, get a solid foundation fueled by understanding the principles of your discipline,

Ref. F7D3-W

then you expand and refine your repertoire, guided by your individual predispositions, while keeping in touch, however abstractly, with what you feel to be

Ref. 3827-X

What results is a network of deeply internalized, interconnected knowledge that expands from a central, personal locus

Ref. E66C-Y

Chunking relates to the mind’s ability to assimilate large amounts of information into a cluster that is bound together by certain patterns or principles particular to a given discipline.

Ref. 97E9-Z

Let’s say that I spend fifteen years studying chess. During these thousands of hours, my mind is effectively cutting paths through the dense jungle of chess. The jungle analogy is a good one. Imagine how time-consuming it would be to use a machete to cut your way through thick foliage. A few miles could take days. Once the path is cleared, however, you could move quickly through the clearing.

Ref. F18E-A

If you were to make a road and ride a bike or other vehicle, the transportation would get faster still.

Ref. 710F-B

The first thing I have to do is to internalize how the pieces move.

Ref. EC03-C

I have to learn their values. I have to learn how to coordinate them with one another.

Ref. 2B39-D

These are relatively simple pieces. I learn how they both move, and then I play around with them for a while until I feel comfortable.

Ref. 284E-E

Then, over time, I learn about bishops in isolation, then knights, rooks, and queens.

Ref. A9F7-F

Next I have to learn the principles of coordinating the pieces.

Ref. 0FBD-G

This new integration of knowledge has a peculiar effect, because I begin to realize that the initial maxims of piece value are far from ironclad.

Ref. CFDF-H

Everyone at a high level has a huge amount of chess understanding, and much of what separates the great from the very good is deep presence, relaxation of the conscious mind, which allows the unconscious to flow unhindered.

Ref. B62A-I

with much less conscious thought. So he is looking at very little and seeing quite a lot. This is the critical idea.

Ref. BE22-J

I decided that this was a throw I wanted to cultivate at a very high level.

Ref. B0BA-K

First I worked on each step slowly, over and over, refining my timing and precision.

Ref. 38BA-L

Then I put the whole thing together, repeating the movements hundreds, eventually thousands of times.

Ref. FA40-M

Today, this throw is my bread and butter.

Ref. 9622-N

The key to this process is understanding that the conscious mind, for all its magnificence, can

Ref. F959-O

only take in and work with a certain limited amount of information in a unit of time—envision that capacity as one page on your computer screen.

Ref. AA25-P

With practice I am making networks of chunks and paving more and more neural pathways, which effectively takes huge piles of data and throws it over to my high-speed processor—

Ref. A664-Q

The answer is yes and no. The similarity is that a life-or-death scenario kicks the human mind into a very narrow area of focus.

Ref. 6019-R