L - Learning by repetition

L - LEARNING THROUGH REPETITION Why beliefs can start to feel increasingly familiar RECOGNIZABLE QUESTIONS Have you ever thought: Why does certain information feel familiar right away? Why do some answers automatically come to mind? Why does something feel natural after years of practice? Why can it be so hard to think differently from the way you have always been taught? Why does certain knowledge or a certain way of reacting remain present for so long? And why does it sometimes feel as if you react automatically, even before you have consciously thought about it? This has to do with one of the most important characteristics of our brain: learning through repetition. WHAT IS LEARNING THROUGH REPETITION? From birth, our brain is constantly learning. Not just by reading. But especially by: looking; listening; imitating; practicing; receiving feedback; and... repeating. Every new skill starts out awkwardly. After enough practice, the same action becomes easier and easier. You can see that everywhere. A child learns to walk. A student learns to calculate. A driver learns to shift gears. A surgeon learns to operate. A musician learns to play the violin. A surfer learns to keep his balance. A police officer learns to deal with emergencies. A pilot learns to fly. At first, every step takes a lot of attention. After lots of practice, the same behavior becomes largely automatic. That is nothing unusual. That is exactly how the human brain learns. WHY DOES OUR BRAIN DO THIS? Our brain tries to save energy. When you practice something often, your brain has to think about it consciously less and less. Psychologists call this automatization . From a neuropsychological perspective, we see that repeated practice leads to changes in the brain. Connections between nerve cells are used more efficiently, and skills can be carried out more smoothly and fluently. This ability of the brain to adapt is called neuroplasticity . As a result, you no longer have to consciously think about: how you ride a bicycle; how you type; how you drive a car; how you speak a language. The same applies to ways of thinking. Those too can become increasingly familiar when they are repeated for years. EXAMPLES FROM EVERYDAY LIFE A student learns the multiplication tables. A nurse learns medical procedures. A firefighter practices emergency situations. A salesperson learns how to hold conversations. An actor learns his lines. A child learns to say "thank you". No one finds that strange. In fact: we actually expect people to practice. Because practice works. HOW DOES OUR BRAIN LEARN BELIEFS? Learning is not only about practical skills. Ideas, norms, and beliefs are learned too. This happens through, among other things: repetition; examples from others; conversations; books; education; experiences; feedback; social confirmation. When a certain message keeps coming back, it gradually starts to feel more and more familiar. That does not automatically mean the message is true or false. It mainly shows that familiarity and truth are not the same thing. Research into learning and memory shows that repeated exposure and active retrieval of information strengthen memory. Repetition makes information easier to access, but on its own says nothing about the accuracy of that information. HOW CAN THIS BE RECOGNIZED WITHIN A RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT? Almost every religion pays attention to education. The same is true for political parties, companies, universities, and sports clubs. Within Jehovah's Getuigen there is an extensive educational program. Many members regularly attend meetings, study publications, listen to talks, and practice conversations for the preaching or other parts of their faith experience. That education is intended to strengthen knowledge, skills, and beliefs. From a psychological perspective, that is not strange. When people regularly learn, practice, and receive feedback, the information they learn is generally remembered better. You see the same mechanism in: driving lessons; first aid courses; music education; military training; universities; sports training. The human brain makes no distinction there. It learns according to the same general learning principles. WHY THEN DOES SOMETHING FEEL SO "NORMAL"? When you have been taught to think in a certain way for years, that way of thinking can start to feel self-evident. Not because you consciously choose that every day. But because your brain has practiced that way of thinking thousands of times. Compare it with driving a car. The first driving lesson takes an enormous amount of attention. After twenty years of driving, you hardly think about shifting gears anymore. So certain beliefs, words, or reactions can also become automatic. That says nothing about the content of those beliefs. It says something about the power of repetition. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER NEW INFORMATION? Our brain constantly compares new information with what it already knows. When something fits within the existing thought pattern, it often feels logical. When something does not fit, it can feel strange or even uncomfortable. That is a normal learning process. It does not automatically mean that the new information is incorrect. And neither does it mean that the old information is incorrect. It mainly shows that learning takes time. New insights literally have to find a place among existing knowledge. CAN YOU LEARN AGAIN? Yes. That happens every day. People learn new languages. New professions. New habits. New ways of communicating. New beliefs. That usually takes time. Not because someone is stupid. But because old patterns have been practiced for years. New patterns also need practice. WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH IT? When you notice that a certain thought comes up automatically, you do not have to immediately ask yourself: "Why am I thinking this?" You can first ask: "Where did I learn this?" "How often have I heard this?" "Have I ever investigated this myself?" "Does this belief still fit what I know today?" These are not questions meant to reject your past. But to consciously examine which beliefs you want to keep and which you may want to reconsider. QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT Which beliefs have I heard thousands of times? Which beliefs have I investigated myself? Which answers come up automatically in me? Which ideas feel especially familiar? Which beliefs have I also examined outside my own environment? Can something feel familiar without automatically being true? Do I allow myself to calmly investigate new information? Which new way of thinking would I like to practice? SUMMARY The human brain learns through repetition, practice, observation, and feedback . This applies to driving a car, making music, learning a profession, sports, education, and religious formation. The more often a skill or belief is practiced, the more familiar it usually starts to feel. That does not mean that the belief automatically becomes true or false as a result. It does, however, explain why some thoughts or reactions can feel so natural. Anyone who wants to develop new insights does not have to reject their old knowledge. But they will have to give their brain time to also become familiar with, investigate, and practice new information. Scientific sources Albert Bandura – Social Learning Theory (1977) Bandura showed that people learn not only through their own experience, but also through observation, imitation, and feedback. His theory is one of the foundations of modern educational psychology. Hebbian repetition learning and memory Recent research builds on the work of Donald Hebb and shows how repeated exposure and active retrieval of information contribute to lasting memory formation. Retrieval Practice (actively recalling information) Research shows that information sticks better when people actively retrieve and apply it regularly, rather than only rereading it. Neuroplasticity and practice Repeated practice leads to measurable changes in brain networks. As a result, skills and thought patterns are performed more efficiently.