The simple but difficult arts of paying attention, copying accurately,
following
an argument, detecting an ambiguity or a false inference, testing guesses by
summoning up contrary instances, organizing one's time and one's thought for
study- all these arts cannot be taught in the air but only through the
difficulties of a defined subject; they cannot be taught in one course on one
year, but must be acquired gradually in dozens of connections.
-- Jacques Barzun
Related:
Barzun's Laws of Learning
1) The simple but difficult arts of paying attentio
copying accurately, following an argument, detecting
an ambiguity or a false inference, testing guesses by
summoning up contrary instances, organizing one's
time and one's thought for study -- all these arts --
cannot be taught in the air but only through the
difficulties of a defined subject....
