1. According to a personality test I once did, I learn by speaking.
That is, I often don’t know what I’m going to say until I say it and I learn through conversation. I “think out loud”.
I don’t know how they do it, but the personality-test results said that lots of other people “think then speak” – i.e. the exact opposite to me. This was a revelation to me because I can’t do that – I used to wonder if there was something wrong with me and so I tried to organize my thoughts upfront, but it just didn’t work. To the others, I must come across as being very disorganized.
The personality test suggested that if I am “thinking out loud” then I should say so.
So this is exactly what I do – as the conversation warms up, I start to learn things and I get excited. I wave my hands about with enthusiasm, I talk faster, often in incomplete sentences. I am in essence talking to myself, repeating what I’ve learnt to myself, helping it to sink in, and seeking confirmation from my companion.
After a while it usually occurs to me that the person I’m talking to must think I’m mad. So, I backtrack a little and say something like, “Wow this is great. I hope you realize that I’m just “thinking out loud” here. They nod, pleased – I imagine – just to be included in the conversation.
2. Now take a look at this poem:
His thoughts were slow
His words were few
And never made to glisten
But he was a joy
Wherever he went
You should have heard him listen
One of the down-sides of my “thinking out loud” style is that, compared to my “think then speak” colleagues, I talk lots and a listen less.
3. Last year, I was on a panel discussion with non-other than Barry Boehm. I talked more than he did.
I’m still embarrassed about it because while I learned lots by talking, I missed out (as did others) the chance to learn from the master.
4. It’s interesting … but I’ve just realized that I also learn by writing.
The answers obvious now that I’ve thought and written about it : Not only do I have to say that I’m “thinking out loud”, but I also need to listen more.
I wouldn’t have explicitly known this if verbalized/written it down.
