There is what is called Dale’s Cone of Learning diagram which you see below.

This is VERY informative when you are learning or more importantly when you are teaching others.

As you see at the base of the pyramid people on average only remember 10% of what they READ after 2 weeks! So just READING doesn’t cut it!

HEARING it and even SEEING does not do much better only moving to the 50% bracket.

It’s only when we begin to TALK about it with OTHERS do we start to move into an ACCEPTABLE bracket i.e. participating in a discussion or giving a talk (good reason to learn PUBLIC SPEAKING!).

Of course the best way to learn is up in the 90-100% bracket where you GRUNTS want to be. Here you are DOING a dramatic presentation, SIMULATING a real experience (like my mentor Bob Fritz highly suggests!) and finally for an A grade – DOING THE REAL THING!

So now you see why our US Special Forces SIMULATE before DOING THE REAL THING. It is the BEST way to LEARN, GRUNTS!

Sarge Hugh Simpson