Teacher Strategy 269the statement: “Let me describe this idea in a single sentence.” Sometimes
he succeeds. At times, though, his „single sentence‟ ends up being as long
as a paragraph. Always, there is the desire to summarize a theory in the
shortest space possible.
The best example of words and theories that are guided by Teacher
emotion is probably mathematics. Let me give you a simple example, and
don‟t worry, it really is a simple example. Suppose that I want to relate
Celsius temperature to degrees Fahrenheit. One way is to write a list of
numbers comparing the two scales:
- 20 C = - 4 F 0C = 32 F 20 C = 68 F 40 C = 104 F
Notice how I have to write a different Teacher sequence of letters and
numbers for each specific temperature. Using a mathematical equation,
though, I can represent all of this information and more with the single
letter sequence of:
F = C x 9 / 5 + 32In other words, if I take the temperature in degrees Celsius, multiply the
number by 9/5, and add 32, then I get the temperature in degrees
Fahrenheit.A
This general equation produces a much higher Teacher emotion than a
list comparing individual numbers, because it packs more information into
a smaller package. It is this desire to summarize information which makes
the mathematician describe concepts in such general terms. There are three
reasons why the average person does not regard a math equation with equal
pleasure. First, Teacher emotion will only be produced if there is Teacher
comprehension. For many people, a sequence of letters, numbers and
symbols only reminds them of the bad Mercy experiences associated with
learning Algebra in high school.
Second, a Teacher theory is only general if it ties together many
specific statements. When the mathematician writes down his equation, his
Teacher part experiences good emotion because he knows the areas in
which the statement applies. The rest of us see only the single equation and
have not learned the specific theories.B
A Here is a simple way to know if someone has lived on the Canadian
prairies. Ask him what - 40 C is in Fahrenheit. If he answers right away,
you know that he has experienced real cold. Work out the answer and you
will see why this is true.
B Notice that the idea of „order within complexity‟ covers more than just
sequences. Teacher strategy working by itself can only generate order by
stringing individual elements together into sequences, like railroad cars in
a train. However, with the help of the rest of the mind, Teacher thought can
go beyond this and generate other types of order within complexity. In