[#82] Starting from the Whole: The Luxurious Way of Learning by 'Not Trying to Understand Everything at Once'

@Life is almost like mountain climbing.

In the world of learning, should one start from the "whole" or the "parts"?
This is a theme that many people have struggled with for a long time.

Werner Heisenberg, a leading physicist of the 20th century,
in his masterpiece "Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science" (originally titled "The Part and the Whole"),
provides deep insights into this question.

While researching the micro-world of quantum mechanics, he said,
"The whole (essence) cannot be seen from the parts (details) alone."
Rather, the world only gains meaning within the "structure of the whole," including the observer,
and the understanding of parts only comes to life within that context.
This is a way of thinking that applies exactly when we learn something new.

For example, when reading a difficult book.

If you get hung up on the detailed descriptions in the first chapter right away, you won't grasp the overall flow or structure, and you'll end up getting lost.
But if you get the "map of the whole" first, it becomes easier to understand where you are walking even when dealing with detailed content.

To borrow Heisenberg's words,
"The parts are always given meaning within the whole."That is what it means.

If you look at the trees but not the forest, you will lose your way.

There is a common saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees."
This refers to a state where you are so focused on the details that you cannot see the whole picture.
In fact, when we take on something new, we tend to jump at the easy-to-understand parts right in front of us.

For example, when you pick up a book that looks difficult.

If you stumble on the first chapter, you might think, "Maybe this is impossible for me..."
If technical terms are lined up, you might just close the book.

But actually, that is natural.
"Trying to understand everything at once is actually unnatural."

You don't have to try to understand it all at once.

When reading or learning, do you have the assumption that you "must understand it in one go"?
For a long time, I was also trapped by that way of thinking, and I struggled to absorb everything in a single learning session.

But who decided on such a rule?
Of course, in situations like tests where time is limited and you "have to provide an answer right here and now," a one-shot effort is required.
However, for most learning,
"it is much more important to take your time and go back and forth many times."

Deepening understanding like layering thin films.

One of my reading methods is the awareness of "reading as if applying thin films."
First, look over the whole thing roughly.

Look at the table of contents to check the structure.
Skim through it and pick out only the phrases that leave an impression.
After that, take some time and read it again.
This time, points you didn't notice before will emerge.

And then read it again.

As you read through it in many layers like this,

before you know it,
a sense of knowledge and understanding "settling" within you is born.

Thinking from the whole makes you more stable.

This approach of "understanding the whole before understanding the parts" has another major advantage.

That is,"reducing the instability of learning."

If you enter from the small parts, you are likely to get lost along the way, wondering, "Wait, what is this about?"


But if you have the map of the whole picture in your head,
you can always be aware of "where you are walking now."

This is a feeling that also applies to mountain climbing.

Looking at the entire map before you start climbingis completely different from just looking at the slope in front of you and pushing forward in terms of peace of mind and judgment.

Let's have some "margin" in our learning.

In the end, understanding is not necessarily something that is "completed at once."

Rather, I think that what you understand with a "time lag" is true understanding.

A passage from a book you read a long time ago suddenly makes sense one day.
Logic that you didn't understand in the past finally connects after going through other experiences.

This kind of knowledge that pays off later is the real thrill of learning.

Summary: 'Don't rush, repeat, and keep the big picture in mind'

This applies not only to reading but also to investing.

In asset building as well, rather than jumping straight into detailed techniques,
the priority is to first grasp the overall mechanism—income, expenses, management, tax systems, etc.
Then, deepen your understanding by reviewing it repeatedly.
Whether it's learning or asset building, climb one step at a time without rushing.

I believe that such an attitude ultimately becomes the best shortcut.

Thank you very much for reading until the end.

I hope this provides some insight for you.