How to express your thoughts so that you are understood

You may be familiar with this situation. You are explaining a complex idea, thought, or feeling, and the other person seems to be nodding. But when you ask what he thinks about this, you meet a confused look. Such a misunderstanding can arise in any situation: both in a personal conversation and during a public speech. Three simple rules will help you avoid embarrassment and clearly convey your point of view.

1. Express no more than three thoughts at a time

Our short-term memory has a limit. Research determinedthat we are able to memorize 3 to 5 semantic blocks at a time.

If you ever tried remember phone number, then you understand how it works. It is rare for anyone to learn the entire sequence at once. Usually people break the number into several parts and try to make associations that will help keep it in memory.

The same goes for ideas. Once the limit is reached, the brain needs to erase the old information from short-term memory before loading the new one. Therefore, try to express no more than three different thoughts in one conversation so that you and your interlocutor can focus on what was said.

2. Explain ideas in three different ways

This will allow the interlocutor to get a complete picture of what you want to say. One of the best ways to achieve this is to use metaphors. They involve already existing neural structures created as a result of previous learning, which helps to assimilate new information.

A physics teacher, for example, might explain the concept of an expanding universe using the image of raisin bread that expands when baked in the oven. Such a metaphor helps students to draw a parallel with the information they already know or with past experience and easily understand new material.

Do not think that this method simplifies thoughts and theories. He just makes them vital for another person, and therefore more understandable. Other effective strategies are examples, analogies, and visual presentation of information.

3. Repeat the main idea three times

Repetition helps isolate key information and "transfer" it from the short term. memory in the long term.

To achieve the best result in your studies, you need to take breaks between repetitions. Think of a time when you needed to learn a phone number or an exam ticket. If you returned to the material again a week after the first repetition, it was finally firmly fixed in memory. This happens because the neural structures in which information is stored have time to develop and get stronger.

Repetition remains a great tool in personal conversations when there is no time for a long break. Especially if you want to convey a complex idea. Every time you repeat something, you signal to the interlocutor that this is important information and you need to be careful. This is why songwriters, speakers and writers so often resort to repetition.

However, you should not treat the advice as a strict step-by-step instruction and turn your speech into a template, following each point. At the center of any communication is the connection with the person. The purpose of communication is not to impress the interlocutor with a deep metaphor or well-aimed sarcastic commentary. The main thing is to establish a deep connection with others, which will help you understand what strategy is best to apply so that people understand you.