But in some limited areas explanation is completely adequate.
I taught co-worker how to do sudoku puzzles. After teaching him the human-accessible algorithms and allowing time for practice, I was still consistently beating his time. I knew why, and he didn’t. After I explained the difference in mental state I was using, he began beating my time on regular basis. {Instead of checking the list of 1-9 for each box or line, allow your brain to subconsciously spot the missing number and then verify its absence.} He is more motivated and has more focus, while I do puzzles to kill time when waiting.
In another job where I believe I had a thorough understanding of the subject, I was never able to teach any of my (~20) trainees to produce vector graphic maps with the speed and accuracy I obtained because I was unable to impart a mathematical intuition for the approximation of curves. I let them go home with full pay when they completed their work, so they definitely had motivation. But they also had editors who were highly detail oriented.
I mean to suggest that there is a continuum of subjective ability comparing different skills. Sudoku is highly procedural, once familiar all that is required is concentration. Yoga, in the sense mentioned above, is also procedural, proscriptive; the joints allow a limited number of degrees of freedom. Calligraphy strives for an ideal, but depending on the tradition, there is a degree of interpretation allowed for aesthetic considerations. Mapping, particularly in vector graphics, has many ways to be adequate and no way to be perfect.
The number of acceptable outcomes and the degree of variation in useful paths determines the teach-ability of a skillset. The procedural skills can be taught more easily than the subjective, and practice is useful to accomplish mastery of procedural skills. Deeper understanding of a field allows more of the skill’s domain to be expressed procedurally rather than subjectively.
But in some limited areas explanation is completely adequate.
I taught co-worker how to do sudoku puzzles. After teaching him the human-accessible algorithms and allowing time for practice, I was still consistently beating his time. I knew why, and he didn’t. After I explained the difference in mental state I was using, he began beating my time on regular basis. {Instead of checking the list of 1-9 for each box or line, allow your brain to subconsciously spot the missing number and then verify its absence.} He is more motivated and has more focus, while I do puzzles to kill time when waiting.
In another job where I believe I had a thorough understanding of the subject, I was never able to teach any of my (~20) trainees to produce vector graphic maps with the speed and accuracy I obtained because I was unable to impart a mathematical intuition for the approximation of curves. I let them go home with full pay when they completed their work, so they definitely had motivation. But they also had editors who were highly detail oriented.
I mean to suggest that there is a continuum of subjective ability comparing different skills. Sudoku is highly procedural, once familiar all that is required is concentration. Yoga, in the sense mentioned above, is also procedural, proscriptive; the joints allow a limited number of degrees of freedom. Calligraphy strives for an ideal, but depending on the tradition, there is a degree of interpretation allowed for aesthetic considerations. Mapping, particularly in vector graphics, has many ways to be adequate and no way to be perfect.
The number of acceptable outcomes and the degree of variation in useful paths determines the teach-ability of a skillset. The procedural skills can be taught more easily than the subjective, and practice is useful to accomplish mastery of procedural skills. Deeper understanding of a field allows more of the skill’s domain to be expressed procedurally rather than subjectively.
I’m in general agreement, but I think you’re underestimating yoga—a big piece of it is improving access to your body’s ability to self-organize.
I like “many ways to be adequate and no way to be perfect”. I think most of life is like that, though I’ll add “many ways to be excellent”.
No slight to yoga intended. I only wanted to address the starting point of yoga. I know it is a quite comprehensive field.