The Mind

The mind has always been the subject of much speculation/investigation/deliberation/etc… Basically, everyone’s curious about what’s going on in his/her head. I believe that the mind makes a good portion of ones’ identity up, if not all. Humans are very egotistical beings; being such beings we search for answers related to our being- our minds being one big question mark. People have developed numerous methods for recognizing and increasing awareness of said mind.

One such person

Anthony F. Gregoric is a person who has done a lot of research and work on how the mind works. He developed the “Gregoric thinking style” which provides an organized way to consider how the mind works. The Gregoric thinking style separates the mind into two main groups each with its’ own two subgroups, all with their own definitions, which can be found here. According to this method, everyone has some of each groups qualities but generally feel comfortable using one over the other.

I AM…

I am classified, under the Gregoric Thinking Style, as a person with Concrete Random and Abstract Sequential perceptual qualities and ordering abilities. What does that mean?

Concrete Random

Abstract Sequential

This learner likes: experimenting to find answers take risks use their intuition solving problems indepedently They learn best when: they are able to use trial-and-error approaches able to compete with others given the opportunity to work through the problems by themselves What's hard for them? Restrictions and limitations Formal Reports Routines Re-doing anything once it's done Keeping detailed records Showing how they got an answer Choosing only one answer Having no options

This learner likes: his/her point to be heard analyzing situations before making a decision or acting applying logic in solving or finding solution to prolems They learn best when: they have access to experts or references placed in stimulating environments able to work alone What's hard for them? Being forced to work with those of differing views Too little time to deal with a subject thoroughly Repeating the same tasks over and over Lots of specific rules and regulations "sentimental thinking" Expressing their emotions Being diplomatic when convinving others Not monopolizing a conversation

Strategies for better learning

It appears that I generally tend to work better by myself. I have noticed that when I work with people around me, my focus tends to drift and my work starts to slack, so when I really need to finish work I try to find quiet places where few people can reach me. However, I can always work on finding better places mentally so I can "work by myself" in a sense. I just need to find the stimulating environments or develop the ability to create a stimulating environment.

If there is one belief that I have, it is that in order to get better at something, you have to be surrounded by those who are better than you, preferably masters. It is a truth that works very well with me. When it came to learning a craft, skill, etc... my abilities would increase exponentially if I learned around/under someone who did such tasks with a high proficiency. I believe that I need to be consistently in contact with high level developers and programmers to further expand my own skills. Yes, I do learn well with only references and articles, but I find myself doing better learning in person, by hand. Peer pairing can be considered a method of learning by hand and I tend to respond pretty well to it in terms of solidifying my learning so I will try to pair more than I am doing so now because I know that there are people in my cohort who are way better developers than I am now.

Another thing that I can admit is that I tend to get lazy when it comes down to doing nitty-gritty work. I retain lessons/concepts/material better when I work through things. Working through challenges and applying what I've learned through trial and error, brings everything that I learned full circle. It's all a matter of application. Now, how do I come around to just doing the work? I have to make it a habit. An automatic reaction when I have time. The more I force myself into the habit of working codes, the more my brain will set up my body to do just that. That's the cool thing about the human mind, or at least my mind, it gets into a routine once you stress it enough.