Three Simple Words
Remember these from our school days, reading, writing, and arithmetic, the basic three R’s? They encapsulate much of our school subjects, and are among the very important things we have learned. More generally, they point a way we classify important ideas and directions in a simple and memorable way.
Let’s generalize. Nowadays, with our incredibly complex lives which include just plain living, politics, education, workplace, and more, we need simplicity to keep everything straight, as it were “all in our heads at the same time.” We need simple rules for complex subjects, partly because there are so many of them.
The Questions. How do we, as a people, transmit, contain, understand, remember, and reflect upon, information and ideas? How do we understand the drivers of ongoing initiatives? How do we relate to a subject? How do we express the rules of the game, our game?
The Answers. In part... We place our ideas, our pathways, our rules, our methodologies into simple little boxes with labels. These labels, usually a few, like three, have high-value words to describe them. These words should be simple and self-explanatory. These are open to interpretation, and this gains them great popularity as each participant can give individual interpretations. Yet, the collective all view themselves unified.
Alliteration is important as a memory and cognitive devise. Words that begin with the same letter are more effective, more memorable, and more substantive. Three R’s, Five E’s, etc. If your containers (boxes) all begin with the same letter, this increases their potency and believability. They impart, crazy as it sounds, a level of "truth."
Single word. Often a single word is not enough. This is an overly tight container for transmission of an idea. Two, three, or more words are better as they expand the idea giving it a higher dimensionality and focus points for understanding. Too many words diminish the concept, muddle the idea, and confuse interpretation.
Surveys. Often you are asked to classify and categorize your views on a single question. Responses ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree are frequent and clarify what is requested. Ten point scales are ineffective.
Political campaigns are usually cast in a few simple words. Good examples include Safe[ty] and Security; Tippecanoe and Tyler Too; Safer Streets, Stronger Community; Hope and Change; overly simple slogans or longish expressions that are less powerful include, Forward, A Change We Can Believe in, Proven, Quality, Strength, Leadership, Experience, Let's Make a Difference. A slogan not easily encapsulated, yet not overly, is ineffective. Ditto for an entire program.
The words used are many and varied. They form the containers of our comprehension and importantly our ability to remember what we believe and do. They illustrate a number of foundations: (a) progressions of progress, (b) containment of a world view, and (c) a method with feedback loop. Not all are in three’s, and not all begin with the letter “R.” All summarize simply the encapsulation of what is intended. All give the guideposts of what to believe, how to believe it, how to achieve it, and how to succeed. Nonetheless, we use here three "R" words to summarize our intent in this note, namely to reflect, remember, and reprise.
There are Three X's for just about every topic imaginable. Broad categories include education politics, military business sports, choice, life, and more. Simply Google "Three X's" for an "X" of your choice. Below are a very few specific examples of how three or more words can describe a full program of thought, philosophy, or action. The letters and words change but the ideas are easily remembered and readily transmitted.
_____________________
Please Google any of these for definitions and meanings.
More at *http:/used-ideas.blogspot.com
Remember these from our school days, reading, writing, and arithmetic, the basic three R’s? They encapsulate much of our school subjects, and are among the very important things we have learned. More generally, they point a way we classify important ideas and directions in a simple and memorable way.
It is the way we work; it is who we are.
Let’s generalize. Nowadays, with our incredibly complex lives which include just plain living, politics, education, workplace, and more, we need simplicity to keep everything straight, as it were “all in our heads at the same time.” We need simple rules for complex subjects, partly because there are so many of them.
The Questions. How do we, as a people, transmit, contain, understand, remember, and reflect upon, information and ideas? How do we understand the drivers of ongoing initiatives? How do we relate to a subject? How do we express the rules of the game, our game?
The Answers. In part... We place our ideas, our pathways, our rules, our methodologies into simple little boxes with labels. These labels, usually a few, like three, have high-value words to describe them. These words should be simple and self-explanatory. These are open to interpretation, and this gains them great popularity as each participant can give individual interpretations. Yet, the collective all view themselves unified.
Alliteration is important as a memory and cognitive devise. Words that begin with the same letter are more effective, more memorable, and more substantive. Three R’s, Five E’s, etc. If your containers (boxes) all begin with the same letter, this increases their potency and believability. They impart, crazy as it sounds, a level of "truth."
Single word. Often a single word is not enough. This is an overly tight container for transmission of an idea. Two, three, or more words are better as they expand the idea giving it a higher dimensionality and focus points for understanding. Too many words diminish the concept, muddle the idea, and confuse interpretation.
Surveys. Often you are asked to classify and categorize your views on a single question. Responses ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree are frequent and clarify what is requested. Ten point scales are ineffective.
Political campaigns are usually cast in a few simple words. Good examples include Safe[ty] and Security; Tippecanoe and Tyler Too; Safer Streets, Stronger Community; Hope and Change; overly simple slogans or longish expressions that are less powerful include, Forward, A Change We Can Believe in, Proven, Quality, Strength, Leadership, Experience, Let's Make a Difference. A slogan not easily encapsulated, yet not overly, is ineffective. Ditto for an entire program.
The words used are many and varied. They form the containers of our comprehension and importantly our ability to remember what we believe and do. They illustrate a number of foundations: (a) progressions of progress, (b) containment of a world view, and (c) a method with feedback loop. Not all are in three’s, and not all begin with the letter “R.” All summarize simply the encapsulation of what is intended. All give the guideposts of what to believe, how to believe it, how to achieve it, and how to succeed. Nonetheless, we use here three "R" words to summarize our intent in this note, namely to reflect, remember, and reprise.
There are Three X's for just about every topic imaginable. Broad categories include education politics, military business sports, choice, life, and more. Simply Google "Three X's" for an "X" of your choice. Below are a very few specific examples of how three or more words can describe a full program of thought, philosophy, or action. The letters and words change but the ideas are easily remembered and readily transmitted.
- School Days: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic (reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic). The all-time classic.
- K-12 math education: Rigor, Relationships, Relevance
- Higher-Education: Recruitment, remediation, and retention
- Natural Healing Techniques: Reiki, Relaxation and Reflexology or Rest, Relaxation, Rejuvenation
- Insomnia: Relaxation, Restricted (Sleep), Reconditioning
- Swimming: Rhythm, Range, Relaxation, Repetition
- Child Birth: Relaxation, Rhythm, Ritual
- Resorts or Location Slogans: Restaurants, Recreation, Relaxation OR Rest, Relaxation, Reflection
- Personal Living: Responsibility, Running, Relaxation
- Dating: Available, Agreeable, Accessible
- Accountability in Education: Responsiveness, Responsibility, Readiness
- Environment: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
- Pedagogy: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate
- War: Reconstruction, Recovery, Renewal
- Case Formalisms, Object Oriented Analysis and Design, Unified Modeling Language, Domain Modeling: Realization, Refinement, Reification
- Personal Learning: Engage, Explore, Enjoy, Extend, Extrapolate*
- Presidential: Patriotism, Protection, and Prosperity (McKinley) , Compassionate Conservatism, Putting People First, I Like Ike, Peace and Prosperity, Hope and Change
- Sports: Release, Review, Reset or Recognize, Regroup, Refocus
- Choice: Right, Responsibility, Results
- Marketing: Aim, Act, Access
_____________________
Please Google any of these for definitions and meanings.
More at *http:/used-ideas.blogspot.com
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