Module 2-2 · Track 2 · INEMA.NCIA
How we learn
Why learning sticks for some people and slips away for others — theories and models for understanding each person.
What this module covers
- How learning sticks
- Models for understanding each person
1.How learning sticks
How you learn determines how much you retain. Two educators put this idea on the map. In 1946, Edgar Dale proposed Cone of Experience: from the most abstract (reading, listening) to the most concrete (practicing, teaching others). Dale doesn't assign percentages — his view is qualitative — but argues that the more concrete and active the experience, the deeper the learning.6
William Glasser made this intuition quantifiable with the Retention Pyramid. It estimates how much is retained in each mode: read 10%, listen 20%, see 30%, watch and listen 50%, discuss in a group 70%, practice 80% e teach others 95%. Passive activities lead to little retention; active activities lead to a lot. People who learn a concept and then teach it retain about 95%—compared with just 10% for those who only read.
Climbing the pyramid with an assistant
The pyramid becomes a practical guide when you use an assistant like ChatGPT to move each level up. Ask summaries of what you're about to read; turn text into dialogue to listen; ask visual explanations and interactive questions about what you’ve just seen. Take it further: ask it to question your ideas in a debate, generate exercises and quizzes to practice and, at the top level, pretend to be a student so you can teach to it. The point is simple: the more active your role, the more the knowledge sticks.
Stop and predict
You have an hour to study a new topic and want to retain as much as possible. Reread the material three times, or read it once and spend the rest explaining it out loud?
See a possible answer
Read once and teach. According to Glasser's pyramid, rereading is a passive activity (~10%); explaining something to someone—even to an assistant pretending not to know—is the activity with the highest retention (~95%). You only discover the gaps when you try to teach.
2.Models for understanding each person
If perception shapes value (Section 2), then speaking to someone in their language changes how they listen. Three personality models help you do that: the Enneagram, o MBTI e o DISC. They offer different yet complementary perspectives on desires, values, and decision-making styles—and in practice, they help adapt a message to what each person truly values without changing what is being said.7
Enneagram: nine motivations
The Enneagram describes nine types, each with a central motivation — an underlying fear and desire. Popularized by Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo, it ranges from the Perfectionist (type 1, seeks order and justice) to Peacemaker (type 9, seeks harmony), through Helper (2), o Competitive (3, seeks recognition), the Individualistic (4), o Investigator (5, values knowledge), the Loyal (6, seeks security), the Enthusiast (7, loves freedom) and the Challenging (8, wants control). Speaking to a type 3 means promising recognition and achievement; speaking to a type 6 means offering security and ongoing support.
MBTI: sixteen ways of processing the world
Based on Carl Jung’s theories of psychological types and developed by Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, the MBTI combines four dimensions — Extraversion/Introversion, Intuition/Sensing, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving — into sixteen types. Each prefers to take in and process information in a certain way: the INFP (Idealist) responds to purpose and authenticity; the ESTJ (Executive), to efficiency and organization; the ENTP (Innovator), to ideas that break with convention. The same home decor store might describe a product in terms of sustainability to one person and functionality to another.
DISC: Four Behavioral Styles
Proposed by psychologist William Marston in Emotions of Normal People (1928), DISC categorizes behavior into four styles. The Dominant wants quick results and speaks directly; the Influential values social interaction and enthusiasm; the Stable seeks safety, harmony, and ongoing support; the Cautious requires precision, detail, and well-supported information. The same CRM tool is marketed differently to each person: performance for D, community for I, support for S, detailed tutorials for C.
▸ Going deeper: the full types and how to adapt the copy optional
This layer is for those who want the full table. The logic is always the same: identify the type’s central motivation and write the message that resonates with it that motivation — nothing more.
Enneagram, the nine types. 1 Perfectionist — ethics and organization (“achieve excellence in every detail”). 2 Helper — care for others (“transform lives with your help”). 3 Competitive — success and recognition (“be recognized for your determination”). 4 Individualistic — authenticity (“express who you are”). 5 Investigator — deep knowledge (“discover the knowledge that matters”). 6 Loyal — security (“we protect what you love”). 7 Enthusiast — new experiences (“new adventures await you”). 8 Challenging — control (“take control of your success”). 9 Peacemaker — peace (“find your inner peace”).
MBTI, all sixteen. Introverted thinkers—ISTJ (Inspector), INTJ (Architect), ISTP (Virtuoso), INTP (Logician)—respond to structure, strategy, and technical depth. Introverted feelers—ISFJ (Protector), INFJ (Counselor), ISFP (Adventurer), INFP (Idealist)—respond to care, purpose, and values. Extroverts—ESTP (Entrepreneur), ESFP (Entertainer), ENFP (Activist), ENTP (Innovator), ESTJ (Executive), ESFJ (Provider), ENFJ (Protagonist), ENTJ (Commander)—range from action and adrenaline to leadership and strategic vision. The INFP copy talks about “beauty with purpose”; the ENTJ’s says, “lead and conquer with strategic vision.”
DISC, the four profiles. D: “quick results, maximum performance in less time.” I: “be part of a vibrant community.” S: “peace of mind and security, ongoing support.” C: “precision in every detail, rigor, and analysis.” To try them out, there are free online tests—Enneagram at IDRlabs, MBTI at 16Personalities, DISC at Pacto RH.