Why do things need to be repeated so often? Because we often don’t listen and we usually forget.
This forced its way into my consciousness because as I work through the book of Proverbs in the Bible I see things being repeated over and over again. There are repeated warnings about sloth, lies, adultery, priorities, etc. If you accept that the Bible is God’s word then there is a reason for that. Because we don’t listen and we forget.
Advertising reflects the same understanding. Rarely do people hear about a product once and go out and buy it. You need to recognize the color scheme, hum the tune and see it in your sleep. Then you buy. You may get angry. You may hate what you hear. You may be insulted. The proof is in the bottom line. If enough people buy, it worked.
Education seems to have missed the point. Education has abandoned repetition and rote learning. You see the evidence of this in the growing ignorance of the population and the declining skills available in the work place. The truth is that students don’t listen. If they remember it is short term memory. Repetition seats the knowledge or skill. Lack of repetition leaves it in the dust.
Did you once play an instrument but haven’t touched it in years? Pick it up and see how that is working for you. Did you once have the Gettysburg address memorized? Recite it for me. I don’t even know my own cell phone number. Why bother, I never call myself.
So remember, if I repeat myself on this blog it is because you were not listening. Or I forgot.
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.