Thanks! I’m definitely open to calling it something other than “mind-hanger”. I called it that because I’ve never seen anyone call it anything except Paul Graham writing “something to hang the application on in my mind”.
Here’s what I think a mind-hanger (or other term X) refers to: before you can build a new structure in your mind that you can expect to remember and reason about, you need to start by thinking about mind-hangers/X’s that are already well-established in your web of preexisting knowledge and intuitions.
I think I also realized another specificity-angle to this (in addition to “specifics are good mind-hangers”):
When you endeavor to teach someone a concept, you want them to come away with that concept connected to their preexisting knowledge and intuitions. Ok, which specific preexisting knowledge and intuitions? Don’t rely on the person to hang your lessons in some unspecified way. Pick a specific mind-hanger and surgically install your lesson on it.
The etymology makes sense. Perhaps the issue is that mind-hanger makes it sound like it is the thing doing the hanging rather than the thing being hung upon. Perhaps “pre-existing mental hooks” is closer.
Even this still feels slightly off because the name feels like it implies those concepts exist for the purpose of being hooks rather than happening to be the most suitable concepts to build upon. So perhaps “hookable concepts” or something. “Hook points.” Those don’t sound great, but conceptually they feel like they fit better maybe.
When you go to teach someone something new, you should try to find suitable hookable points in their pre-existing knowledge. Or something.
I suppose a “coat-hanger” is something which is hung upon and mind-hanger kept raising that concept in analogy to mind hanger, but the analogy to coat hanger feels weird still.
I use the term “conceptual hook” explaining that you’ve got to give people a hook to hang their understanding on. How does it link or anchor to the real world?
Thanks! I’m definitely open to calling it something other than “mind-hanger”. I called it that because I’ve never seen anyone call it anything except Paul Graham writing “something to hang the application on in my mind”.
Here’s what I think a mind-hanger (or other term X) refers to: before you can build a new structure in your mind that you can expect to remember and reason about, you need to start by thinking about mind-hangers/X’s that are already well-established in your web of preexisting knowledge and intuitions.
I think I also realized another specificity-angle to this (in addition to “specifics are good mind-hangers”):
When you endeavor to teach someone a concept, you want them to come away with that concept connected to their preexisting knowledge and intuitions. Ok, which specific preexisting knowledge and intuitions? Don’t rely on the person to hang your lessons in some unspecified way. Pick a specific mind-hanger and surgically install your lesson on it.
The etymology makes sense. Perhaps the issue is that mind-hanger makes it sound like it is the thing doing the hanging rather than the thing being hung upon. Perhaps “pre-existing mental hooks” is closer.
Even this still feels slightly off because the name feels like it implies those concepts exist for the purpose of being hooks rather than happening to be the most suitable concepts to build upon. So perhaps “hookable concepts” or something. “Hook points.” Those don’t sound great, but conceptually they feel like they fit better maybe.
When you go to teach someone something new, you should try to find suitable hookable points in their pre-existing knowledge. Or something.
I suppose a “coat-hanger” is something which is hung upon and mind-hanger kept raising that concept in analogy to mind hanger, but the analogy to coat hanger feels weird still.
Looking for an anchor?
A base point—solid rather than dangling …
Nice ya anchor seems like a better image than hanger, and Paul Graham could have just as easily written “something to anchor my mind on”.
I use the term “conceptual hook” explaining that you’ve got to give people a hook to hang their understanding on. How does it link or anchor to the real world?