Тони Бьюзен - Mind Map Handbook

Word Puzzle Number 10

Which is the odd one out?

GORENNIT

MILEHU

GRETI

NEXGYO

Understanding Understanding and Misunderstanding!

Next time you have a disagreement with a friend or colleague, just remember the ‘multi-ordinate’ nature of words. Rather than misunderstanding the disagreement from your set of verbal associations, and therefore getting yourself stressed out, calm yourself down, and set about exploring the universe of their associations.

In more than 90 per cent of the time you will find that not only were the misunderstandings understandable; you both end up agreeing that each of you had a good perspective on the situation at the time. This is much more productive, leads to much greater Creativity, and causes far less pain than sticking to the one-sided (and verbally unintelligent) assumption that you are absolutely right!

One of the best ways to explore your differences is to brainstorm with Mind Maps. First do a Mind Map of one side of the ‘argument’, then a Mind Map of the other. These two Mind Maps allow you to explore your differences objectively and effectively, and to create a third Mind Map, which records your conclusions and your joint excellence!

Such an approach reduces stress levels and keeps you far more cheerful and healthy!

Use the ‘Recall During Learning’ Principles

Apply the ‘Recall During Learning’ Principles to help you continue to improve your Verbal Intelligence:

Study in 20–40-minute time periods to help you maximize your recall, and to give you more Primacy and Recency Effects

Actively look for new associations between words, using Mind Map techniques and brainstorming

Make the new words you learn ‘outstanding’ in your brain, by speaking them loudly, writing them large and highlighting them in any way you can.

Use the ‘Recall After Learning’ Principles

Apply the ‘Recall After Learning’ Principles to help you improve and maintain your Word Power.

Enter into your diary the dates when you will be working specifically on your Verbal Intelligence, as well as those dates when you plan to have special review sessions either with by yourself or with friends. Make sure your study and review dates fit in perfectly with the Recall After Learning Principles explained here. If you do this you will get double the benefit from the same amount of time spent improving your Verbal Intelligence.

Highlight Key Words

Whenever you are studying anything , highlight the important key words as you read. By highlighting words like this, ideally with a highlighter-pen or a computer-screen enhancing device, you will be using the von Restorff Effect to your great benefit, and will be improving both your memory and your ability to ‘swing into action’ with your new words.

The principle of the von Restorff Effect is that anything that is unusual, colourful or humorous is far more easily remembered and recalled by the brain than things which are plain and boring. This is just how Mind Maps work!

Use Your Imagination and Daydream!

Apply the right-brain skills of ‘Imagination’ and ‘Daydreaming’ to the enhancement of your Verbal Intelligence. Occasionally daydream about yourself in situations where your verbal skills are giving full range to your full verbal potential. Imagine yourself writing superb letters, poems, reports and novels; imagine yourself making speeches that are mesmerizing in their power and verbal excellence; imagine yourself on TV, wowing the millions with your wit and eloquence.

When you daydream with intention, you increase the probability that what you daydream will come true. It is also fun!

You can also use your imagination to enhance your understanding and memory of new words. Let’s imagine that you never fully understood the word ‘sumptuous’.

To remember this word, rather than simply committing to memory the dictionary definition, it would be far better to imagine all kinds of glorious situations in which the word ‘sumptuous’ would apply – the richest, most lavish environments you can imagine, like those in the Arabian Nights , or feasts in the castles and palaces of world leaders. And don’t simply daydream – really put yourself in them! Again, much more effective and much more fun!

Constantly bear in mind that words are a combination of the derivation, spelling and dictionary definition of the word, plus the vast storehouse of your imaginative, colourful, rhythmical and other multiple associations.

When you do this, your vocabulary will grow in size, richness and wealth.

Use Colour and Rhythm

Use the right-brain skills of ‘colour’ and ‘rhythm’ to develop your Verbal Intelligence. Imagine colours associated with the meanings of words; imagine words as colour; underline notes in different colours for different purposes (for example: red for action; blue for further thought, etc.), and highlight them in the same manner. These are all right-brain techniques you can use to increase your Word Power.

Similarly, applying rhythm and rhyme to the acquisition and use of words will also help. The reason why young children love nursery rhymes so much is that nursery rhymes give them a double dose of rhythm and rhyme, making the ‘game of learning’ much more easy and fun.

In the same way, great poets add considerable power to the messages they are trying to convey, by using appropriate rhythm and brain-jolting rhyme. A good example of this is from Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage , in which he is trying to convey the tremendous power of the ocean in comparison to the boasted but relatively minor power of mankind’s navies:

Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean – roll!

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain.

Mind Map Your Progress

Taking one or two main themes from each of the first four chapters, create a Mind Map that summarizes what you have learned so far, and what general and specific progress you have made developing your Verbal Intelligence. You will be impressed with yourself! Your Verbal IQ is on the rise!

The ideas in this chapter are summarized in Plate 12.

Word Power Booster Number 5

We are going to breathe spirit into your vocabulary as well enlarging it. I am going to introduce you to words based on the Latin root ‘ anima ’, meaning mind, breath, soul or spirit, and the Latin ‘ magnus ’, which as you know, means large. Once again, choose the definition that you think is closest to the correct meaning from the four options given.

ANIMATE ( án -ee-mayte)

(a) Like an animal

(b) Frantic

(c) Dumb

(d) To invest with life

UNANIMOUS (yu- nán -ee-mus)

(a) One animal

(b) Generally agreed

(c) Agreed by all

(d) Not agreed

MAGNANIMOUS (mag- nán -ee-mus)

(a) Generous and forgiving

(b) Big and powerful

(c) Magnetic animal

(d) Extinct animal

EQUANIMITY (ek-wa- ním -i-tee)

(a) Relating to the Equator

(b) Similar breed of animal

(c) Water animal

(d) Calmness; composure

ANIMADVERT (a- ním -ad-vert)

(a) Inadvertent

(b) Animal poster

(c) Turn one’s mind to; consider critically

(d) Invest with spirit

MAGNATE ( mág -nayte)

(a) Metal that attracts metal

(b) Important person in industry

(c) Fat person

(d) Big building

MAGNILOQUENT (mag- ní-lok went)

(a) Using flowery language

(b) Possessing a big mouth

(c) A magnetic liquid