It's always easy

I was going to write something on a subject I conjecture about, but really know nothing about. So I decided to scrap that and go with something else.  Perhaps this.  This might get scrapped before I finish writing it.  If not, lucky you!

I'm struck by how everything is always described as being "easy" as long as you use the correct method.  Which seems really strange because you need to know the correct method in order to use the correct method, and learning the correct method is generally trial and error.

Anyways.  I really see two variations in this theme.  One sells books, and the other is the truth.  The first is that everything is always easy.  Which is strange, because I can't describe anything I do as easy.  Sure, I make it look easy.  But I've got 5 years of hard experience in my job.  I've also done an okay job at learning how to learn.  I also understand that the primary way to learn is something I call blunt force trauma.  The goal with blunt force trauma is simple.  Beat a subject into your brain until it sticks.  Keep doing it over and over and over again. I've heard of plenty of shortcuts, but none of them work as well as blunt force trauma.  That's how I've passed my Cisco classes.

Because really, learning is work.  And work by and large is hard.  But it is fulfilling.  But it's hard.  It's a lot easier to kick back and use some passive method of studying.  I could watch videos all day long and not gain anything out of them.  Nor could I tell you what I read.  It just doesn't stick.  Because it requires no interaction and no concentration on my part.  Perhaps if I'd trained my brain differently, then I would instantly start learning the instant I sat in front of a TV.  But in reality I've spent years telling my brain to sit down and shut up when I'm in front of a TV.  And usually, my brain rebels.  So I watch about 30 minutes of TV a week.  There's far too many other things that I find interesting and would like to engage my brain in besides passive non-interaction.

At the moment, I happen to be reading Peak Learning by Ronald Gross.  He has a tendency to use the "it's so easy" method quite a bit.  But I've also covered 1/6 of the book, and he has yet to begin discussing learning how to learn.  And that's the purpose of the book, right?  So the question becomes when does the author try to get into the material so I can start learning how to learn?  In general, I'll probably gain 2-3 good insights out of the book.

I also happen to be reading Computer Vision by Dana H Ballard and Christopher Brown.  In comparison, I haven't heard anything described as "easy".  In comparison, it's better described as dense and/or heavily packed.  There is little room for fluff in this book.  Unfortunately, there's not really an easy way to go through that book.