Is aptitude preloaded or subliminal

Steve Leard

I have a question regarding something that has always intrigued me. I spent several hours going over some conversations on this site that addressed ideas related to how the minds of children acquire and apply knowledge. Please forgive me if I misuse terms or concepts. In many cases I had to wikipediate a lot of them to find out what they meant. The two terms that are of particular interest to me were "tabula rasa" and "empiricism". I think I said those right. I am a high school dropout (not proud of it but feel it is relevant to my question).
After being encouraged to find some other place to be a smart ass I worked at soul destroying jobs for several years and supplemented my income with petty crime to get by. After narrowly avoiding being incarcerated on several occasions I was given an ultimatum by an RCMP officer and three months later I found myself in basic training in Cornwallis (nowadays I wouldn't get within spitting distance of the front gates but this was in the late seventies and the bar for admission was set quite low. Like if you had a pulse). Now, prior to landing in boot camp I was given an extensive aptitude test in order to determine which trade I would be best suited for. After the test was processed I was given a choice of three trades from which I could be expected to be offered training upon successful completion of basic training. I was stunned when I received the results. Aero Engine, Air Frame or Vehicle Mechanic. I had no interest or knowledge of anything to do with anything that had grease on it or oil in it. Not a clue. I completed basic training, was sent to Camp Borden for my trade training (Aero Engine) and was posted to CFB Shearwater to service Sea Kings.
Here's the thing. From first days in trades training I discovered that I had an innate sense about how mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical and related systems were ordered and how they worked. Not a genius by any stretch but these concepts came to me almost as if it was already there. Just had to access it. I spent the next 35 years working on diverse mechanical systems that I had no training for at all. From bowling machines to pool sanitation/filtration systems to HVAC to Ice Making systems.
I am sorry for the long prelude to the question but I felt it relevant. If I undestand the concepts of tabula rasa and empiricism correctly how is the fact of innate knowledge explained? I use the word "fact" loosely because I am sure you folks know something more about this subject that I do. How is it that there are people (because I am not unique to this experience) who are gifted with the ability to thrive in fields which they have absolutely no interest in or knowledge of beforehand. Is this innate ability coded in the genes or is there a more subtle explanation. If you could cast some light on this subject for me I would be appreciative. Thank you.

Valentinus

↪Steve Leard

I had a similar set of experiences where I found out i was good at some things without it seeming to have any relation to what i had experienced before.
I question the "lack of interest" component as a piece of evidence. For myself, the interest was reunited with the ability.
Something like:
"i want to order things in a certain way but what is waiting for me to do that?"

T Clark

↪Steve Leard

First off - In addition to being good with machinery, you're also a good writer. I wonder where that came from. It's definitely a different set of skills from mechanics.

This is not a very good site for factual information on human learning. This is a philosophy site - people here rarely actually know anything. Even when they don't they like to talk like they do. The kind of answer you'll get here is likely to be misleading. There are a few people here who have strong backgrounds in science and math. Maybe you will find someone like that to help.

Good luck.

Steve Leard

Thank you. You are kind.

Tom Storm

↪T Clark

:100:

Steve Leard

"i want to order things in a certain way but what is waiing for me to do thamineYes think your words describe my reaction at the time better than mine

You descibe the experience much better than i do. It was and is curious about how this aptitude arrives in your conciousness every time you use it.

T Clark

You descibe the experience much better than i do. It was and is curious about how this aptitude arrives in your conciousness every time you use it. — Steve Leard

It's really a help if you tag your response so people will know you are responding to them. There are two ways:

Both of these methods will notify the person that they have a response.

Steve Leard

Better, you can highlight the specific text you want to respond to

Thank you again.

FlaccidDoor

↪Steve Leard

I forget the origin of the quote and I'll probably butcher it, but have you heard,

if 100 people watch a movie, 100 different movies were watched?

Even if we look at the same screen side by side, we are still looking from differing perspectives. These differing perspectives essentially make for some to learn very slowly and some to learn very fast. If you are noticing the wrong things, you will not learn or learn the wrong things, slowing your progression to being competent.

If you have the perspective to be able to learn more efficiently, you're rewarded with more success. Thus people tend to go into careers that "reward" their perspectives, but your interests may not always swing that way.

This digresses a bit, but I find an interesting introspective exercise to be to try to find out how you think and how you think the best at. For example, do you think in words or pictures the best? If you're in this forum, you are probably very proficient at thinking in words. Even if you think in words though, do you hear it as a voice in your head? Who's voice? Maybe it's words as a text? What font? If you try to think in pictures, how much resolution do you have? How much color does it have? Is it cartoony, realistic or something else? Perhaps you think the best in some other way entirely, but the point is that these differing ways of thinking could be more or less suited for learning different things.

Steve Leard

Even if you think in words though, do you hear it as a voice in your head?

That is amazing. I have discovered over the years that I can communicate through writing but when i open my mouth to speak there is a disconnect. The words are there but my mind won't release them. I have always wondered if this is a physiological or psychological issue.

Is aptitude preloaded or subliminal

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