Retention > Proving Intellect

Why analogies and creative communication power the world

School taught me to keep my essays lengthy and full of words. The more you write, the better your marks.

I thought that using fancier language meant you were a smarter person. Because, only the genius of geniuses uses the word funambulism.

The opposite is true.

I really like this quote:

It takes a genius to make something simple, and an idiot to make something complicated.

You don’t remember the entire book. You might remember one punchy line. Or one specific analogy. Or one specific story.

Instead of dragging my ideas out, or overcomplicating things, I make sure to:

• Keep my ideas concise
• Use simple language
• Don’t say anything that isn’t surprising
• Format simply
• Use memorable stories/concepts — that’s how people will remember things.

If all you care about is sounding smart, few people will understand what you’re saying.

To leave an impression, you need to be memorable. What are people going to remember? What makes you different?

A few weeks ago, I was in Las Vegas with some students from The Knowledge Society. I was leading a discussion about self-optimization and productivity.