What is Learning? - Understanding, Not Memorizing -

When you hear the word "study," don't most people think of "memorizing"?

Memorizing kanji.
Memorizing English vocabulary.
Memorizing historical dates.
Memorizing formulas.

In school, we are expected to memorize many things and answer correctly on tests.
Because of this, many people believe that "studying is memorization."
However, I have always felt uncomfortable with that idea.

In fact, I have never been very good at memorizing things.
No matter how many times I memorize something, I forget it as time passes.
That led me to think that it might be faster to understand "why it happens" and "what the mechanism is."

That way of thinking became a great strength for me, both in certification exams and in my work.

For example, when I was studying for the Customs Specialist certification exam, I didn't try to memorize the legal provisions word for word.
Instead, I prioritized understanding the intent behind them—"what is the purpose of this law?" and "why is this rule in place?"

As a result, even when faced with questions I had never seen before, I was able to infer, "Given the purpose of this law, this must be the answer."

Of course, memorizing knowledge is necessary.
However, if you understand it, you can apply it.
Even if the format of a question changes slightly, you can think for yourself and derive the answer.

Conversely, if you rely only on memorization, you may find yourself unable to answer if the question is phrased differently.

I believe this difference is exactly what distinguishes "studying" from "learning."

Studying is increasing your knowledge.
Learning is understanding the essence of things and becoming able to think for yourself.

In this series, with the theme of "the essence of learning that schools don't teach," I will explore "true ways of learning" that are useful in life, rather than just increasing knowledge.

I have written an article like this before.

This time, as a first step, let's think together about "what learning is."

<Chapter 1> School tends to make "memorization" the goal

From elementary school through high school, we spend over a decade learning various things at school.

Japanese, arithmetic, math, science, social studies, English... Every subject is originally meant to help us "understand how the world works."
However, before we know it, many people come to think that "studying is memorizing."

Why does that happen?

One of the major reasons is the system of "testing."
Schools must evaluate many students within a limited amount of time.
Therefore, tests that check how much knowledge has been memorized become the focus.

Of course, tests themselves are not bad.
It is important to check what has been learned, and you cannot move on to the next level of learning without basic knowledge.

However, although knowledge should naturally be acquired as a result of understanding, it sometimes becomes the goal to "memorize in order to get points on a test."
When that happens, it easily becomes studying that is forgotten once the exam is over.

Haven't you all had the experience of cramming desperately the day before a test in your student days, only to forget almost everything as soon as the exam was over?

That is by no means because your memory is bad.
It is because the knowledge held no meaning for you, as the only goal was to memorize it.

On the other hand, things you truly understand are not easily forgotten.
For example, think about how to ride a bicycle.
Once you learn how to ride, most people can ride again even if they haven't ridden for years.

That is not just because you learned it with your body.
It is because you understood with your whole body "how to maintain balance" while going through trial and error many times.

Studying is essentially the same.
"Why does it happen?"
"What is the mechanism?"
"How does it connect to other things?"
Only by understanding such things does that knowledge become your own.

I do not want to deny school education.
The testing system is necessary to educate many children in a limited amount of time.
However, I think it is a great shame that the only image left behind as a result is that "studying is something to be memorized."

True learning is not about competing over the amount of knowledge.
It is about understanding the mechanisms and meanings of things, and having your view of the world change as you realize, "I see, that's what it was."
From that moment on, knowledge changes from mere memorization into a power you can use for the rest of your life.

<Chapter 2> Understanding is "knowledge connecting"

So, what exactly does it mean to "understand"?

I believe that understanding is "when scattered pieces of knowledge connect."

Even if you memorize just one piece of knowledge, it is merely information on its own.
However, the moment that knowledge links with another piece of knowledge and you are convinced, "So that's why it happens," it turns into understanding.

For example, if you see an apple fall from a tree and just know that "it falls because of gravity," that is knowledge.
But when you also understand that gravity keeps the moon orbiting the Earth, determines the trajectories of artificial satellites, and is used in space exploration, you realize that the single concept of "gravity" is a common mechanism that explains various phenomena.

In other words, knowledge that was a single point becomes a line, and eventually spreads into a plane.
At this moment, one can say they have "understood," not just "memorized."

When I read books or learn something, I always try to think, "What does this connect to?"

I don't just keep new knowledge in my head as it is.
I connect it to what I already knew.
I connect it to my work experience.
I connect it to my daily life.
When you do that, each piece of knowledge does not remain isolated, but connects like a large network.
That is why it becomes harder to forget.

Conversely, in studying that relies only on memorization, knowledge remains as points.
Memorizing only English words.
Memorizing only historical dates.
Memorizing only formulas.
Of course, it is necessary to memorize those as well.
However, if you don't know "why it happens," "in what situations to use it," or "how it relates to other knowledge," the knowledge will not connect and will gradually fade away as time passes.

As I wrote in my previous article, it is said that the more meaningful information is, the easier it is for the human brain to remember it.
Therefore, "understanding" is not just about improving your ability to apply knowledge.
It is actually a very efficient way of learning for memory as well.

I think learning is very similar to a puzzle.
At first, each piece is scattered, and you don't know what is being depicted.
However, as the pieces connect little by little, the overall picture comes into view.
At that moment, you can be deeply convinced, "So that's what it was."
This "conviction" is understanding.

And once you see the whole picture, even if you forget one piece, you can recall it from the connections before and after it.
That is why understood knowledge is strong.

Learning is not about collecting a lot of knowledge.
It is about connecting each piece of knowledge and creating a "map of understanding" within yourself.

As that map expands, every time you learn something new, you will be able to realize, "That's the same way of thinking as that," or "This connects to what I learned before."

True learning is not about piling up knowledge, but about connecting knowledge to understand the world.

<Chapter 3> If you understand, you can apply

The greatest value of understanding is that "you become able to apply it."

Memorized knowledge can answer the questions you have learned.
However, if the format of the question changes slightly, you will stop and think, "I haven't learned this."
On the other hand, understood knowledge is different.
Even with a question you see for the first time, you will be able to derive the answer yourself, thinking, "With this way of thinking, it should be like this."

I realized this many times during the Customs Specialist certification exam.
In the Customs Specialist exam, you have to learn many laws and systems.
At first, I thought, "It's impossible to memorize all of this."

So what I thought of was not to memorize each legal provision, but to understand "why this law was created" and "what this system exists to protect."

Laws always have a purpose.
Is it to facilitate imports and exports?
Is it to protect safety?
Is it to prevent fraud?
When you understand that purpose, you can be convinced, "So that's why the rules are like this."

Then, even if you don't memorize all the detailed provisions, when you encounter a question you see for the first time, you can infer, "Given the purpose of the law, this must be the answer."

Of course, not everything can be solved by inference alone.
Basic knowledge is necessary, and there are things that must be memorized.
However, if understanding is the foundation, even if your knowledge is somewhat vague, you can think for yourself and get closer to the correct answer.

This is not just about certification exams.
It is the same at work.
People who only memorize work procedures cannot handle situations that are different from usual.
However, people who understand "why this procedure is used" can make their own judgments and respond flexibly even when the situation changes.

Cooking is probably the same.
If you only memorize the recipe as it is, you will be in trouble if you are missing one ingredient.
But if you understand "what role this seasoning plays" and "why it is added in this order," you can substitute it with other ingredients or improvise in your own way.

Understanding is not "memorizing the answer."
It is acquiring the power to generate the answer.

That is why I believe"learning" is not about collecting knowledge, but about cultivating the power to think.

Now that AI is developing rapidly, the value of knowledge itself is smaller than before.
It is an era where if there is something you don't know, AI or the internet will teach you immediately.
That is precisely why what will be truly needed from now on is not "people who know."
It is people who can understand the information they obtain, think, and utilize it in other situations.

Understanding creates the ability to apply.
And the ability to apply becomes a great weapon for surviving in an era of intense change.

I also wrote an article like this.

<Chapter 4> Memorizing is necessary. But the order is different

Up to this point, I have talked about how "learning is understanding" and "if you understand, you can apply it."
Some of you might be thinking, "Then, is memorization unnecessary?"

The answer is, "Memorization is also necessary."

I am not denying memorization.
Remembering people's names, remembering English words, remembering kanji, and remembering basic formulas are all important.
Without them, you will lack the materials to think with.

The problem is "what to do first."

Many people try to memorize first.
They read repeatedly without understanding the meaning, copy it into a notebook, and make an effort to "just memorize it."

Of course, there are people who can memorize it that way.
However, knowledge memorized without understanding the meaning is forgotten surprisingly easily as time passes.
Don't you all have the experience of "forgetting everything completely once the exam was over"?

That is because the knowledge remained isolated in your head.

On the other hand, knowledge memorized after understanding is different.
"I see, so that's why it happens."
Knowledge you are convinced of connects with other knowledge in your head and links with your own experience.
Therefore, even if you forget some of the details, you can recall them from the flow before and after.

Even when I read books, there are contents I understood that I can remember even after many years.
Conversely, there are contents I read just thinking, "I'll try to memorize this for now," that I cannot recall even a few days later.

This difference is not just about age or memory capacity.
Did you memorize it after understanding it, or did you try to memorize it without understanding it?
That is the difference.

For example, think about looking at a map when you go on a trip.
A person who has memorized only the route to the destination will not know where to go if they take one wrong turn.
However, a person who understands the map of the whole town can think, "I can probably get there if I go from the next street over," and can correct the route themselves.

Studying is the same.
Understanding is making a map in your head.
Memorization is writing buildings and landmarks on that map.
If you memorize only the landmarks without a map, you will get lost immediately.

That is why the order is important.

Understand first.
Then memorize.

Just by being conscious of this order, learning will change significantly.
Because there is understanding, it becomes easier to memorize.
Because there is understanding, it becomes harder to forget.
Because there is understanding, you can apply it.

This is what I consider "true learning."
In school, you might often be told to "memorize first."
However, life is not just about tests.
What is truly useful when you go out into society is not "memorized knowledge," but "understood knowledge."

That is why, when I learn something new, I always ask myself.
"Is this something to memorize? Or is it something I should understand first?"
That question changes learning from "memorization" to "understanding."

<Final Chapter> Learning is "having your view of the world change"

Up to this point, I have talked about how "learning is understanding," that "if you understand, you can apply it," and that "it is important to memorize after understanding."
So, what does true learning ultimately bring us?
I believe it is "changing how you see the world."

Before and after learning, even if you are looking at the same thing, the way you see it becomes completely different.
For example, let's think about looking up at the sky.

If you know nothing about clouds, you end with, "What a beautiful cloud today."

However, if you learn the mechanisms and types of clouds, you can read various information from the sky, such as "If it's that cloud, it might rain in the afternoon," or "That cloud is telling me that the wind is strong high up."
I also like looking at the sky, and I can see much more than before.
The sky hasn't changed.

What changed is my "ability to see."
This is the same in any field.
If you learn psychology, you can see the reasons for people's behavior.

If you learn economics, you can understand the background of the news.
If you learn history, you can see the connections to events happening now.
In other words, learning is not about increasing new knowledge.


It is about increasing the "rulers" for looking at things deeply
.And as those "rulers" increase, you become able to think about one event from various angles.Therefore, life becomes a little richer.

I believe that knowledge is a tool for enjoying life.

The more knowledge increases, the more the world you see expands.

The deeper your understanding, the more interesting daily events become.
There are new discoveries even in scenery you used to pass by without thinking.
Even when watching the news, you might realize, "So that was the background."
Even when talking to people, you can understand, "So that's why this person thinks this way."
Learning is not just for getting good grades on tests.
It is not just for getting certifications.

To put it more broadly,

it is for savoring life more deeply.In this "Textbook of Learning That Schools Don't Teach" series, I will convey the essence of such learning one by one.The goal is not to increase knowledge.

The goal is to understand the essence of things, think with your own head, and acquire the power to apply it to life.
If you read this article and felt, "From now on, I will try to value understanding first, rather than rote memorization," I would be very happy.
Learning does not end when you graduate from school.

Rather, true learning begins there.
And every time you understand one thing, you will see a world slightly different from yesterday.

That small accumulation should make your life richer and freer.
Thank you for reading.

I would be happy if you could give me a like, follow, or tip.
I look forward to your continued support.

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