INTERVIEW
Sunanda Rao (SR): What is a mind map in simplistic
terms for those that may not know?
Tony Buzan (TB): Do you use a smart phone ?
SR: Yes
TB: You have made
folders to organize,..
such as Social,
Entertainment,
Banking, Memories,
Navigations etc. Why
do you have so many
folders? You could
have kept it open!
SR: I fi nd it more systematic & easy to locate when I need
a particular app.
TB: (Smiles) You have the answer to your question. In
simplistic terms.
Let us play a game, you can try and we can work out how
to use the brain the right way.
SR: Interesting! Let’s do it.
TB: Ok. First of all , what is your prime language?
SR: Sorry, I couldn’t get you! SR: For our conversation, it is English.
TB: Let me ask you another question, When have you
last used the Map? And why did you use it? TB: Right. In addition, what do you think my prime
SR: You mean Google map, right? I used it today itself for
reaching the venue. It helped me to go navigate without
getting lost. SR: English, I believe.
TB: I meant Map, but you have the answer, when you are
visiting a town or a city you need a map or a GPS and if
you don’t have one you tend to get lost. You can’t fi nd the
restaurants, you don’t know the roads you don’t know
how to get to where you want to go. The brain needs a
map to help with its thinking - A Mind Map.
For example, A bad way to use the brain could be:
a) sticking post-its everywhere, such that you do not
have to put much efforts into using your memory.
b) remove all colours from life, making cognition
limited to the perception of only grey colour. Or,
c) cluttering your life with confusing confetti, i.e. too
much of similarity everywhere.
When we are at the school level, we are asked not to
doodle or daydream; but what I want to say to all the
readers is, that you have to learn to use your brain the
right way!
16
The mind map is a network of images,
colours and associations. It saves
you around 90% of your note-taking
time, you don’t need any irrelevant
words for your memory, but just the
keywords. If we want to transform
our thinking, we need to transform
back to what we were when we were
kids. So, the mind map changes and
transforms everything.
| Vol. 10 Issue 3 • MARCH 2019, Delhi NCR
language might be?
TB: Yes. And what is the prime language of most of
your readers?
SR: Defi nitely English.
TB: Yes. Now I’m going to be very challenging and
provocative and say no, no, no. Defi nitely no, against all
the responses that you made with a yes.
We are going to play a game to fi nd out the language and
how we think. That will then lead you to realise why we
mind map and what a mind map actually is. I want you
to access a piece of data and as soon as I give it to you, I
want you to close your eyes and play with it.
SR: Ok, I am ready.
TB: Ok, the piece of data I want you to access is the
Monkey. Close your eyes now and tell me, What is your
brain giving you? Any colours? Anyways, Just play
with it.