# Schank's Law

**URL:** <http://discourse.iapct.org/t/schanks-law/10226>\
**Category:** CSG2004\
**Created:** [January 18, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/schanks-law/10226 "2004-01-18T23:26:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_Gregory4](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@Bruce\_Gregory4](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bruce_Gregory4)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/schanks-law/10226/1 "2004-01-18T23:26:05Z")

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[From Bruce gregory (2004.01.18.1825)]

"Because people understand by finding in their memories the closest  
possible match to what they are hearing and use that match as the basis  
of comprehension, any new idea will be treated as a variant of  
something the listener has already thought of or heard. Agreement with  
a new idea means a listener has already had a similar thought and well  
appreciates that the speaker has recognized his idea. Disagreement  
means the opposite. Really new ideas are incomprehensible. The good  
news is that for some people, failure to comprehend is the beginning of  
understanding. For most, of course, it is the beginning of dismissal."

Bruce Gregory

"Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions; everyone is not  
entitled to his or her own facts."

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

"Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no  
one was listening, everything must be said again."  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Andre Gide

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**Author:** ![Bill\_Williams1](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@Bill\_Williams1](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bill_Williams1)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/schanks-law/10226/2 "2004-01-18T23:39:48Z")

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[From Bill Williams 18 January 2004 5:50 PM CST]

Could I bother you for a reference for Schank's Law? What being  
asserted by Shank?? is so apt, I'd like to see what else he  
has to say.

[From Bruce gregory (2004.01.18.1825)]

"Because people understand by finding in their memories the closest  
possible match to what they are hearing and use that match as the basis  
of comprehension, any new idea will be treated as a variant of  
something the listener has already thought of or heard. Agreement with  
a new idea means a listener has already had a similar thought and well  
appreciates that the speaker has recognized his idea. Disagreement  
means the opposite. Really new ideas are incomprehensible. The good  
news is that for some people, failure to comprehend is the beginning of  
understanding. For most, of course, it is the beginning of dismissal."

Bill Williams

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bruce\_Gregory4](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@Bruce\_Gregory4](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bruce_Gregory4)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2004, 12:20am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/schanks-law/10226/3 "2004-01-19T00:20:51Z")

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[From Bruce Gregory (2004.01.18.1920)]:

> Bill Williams 18 January 2004 5:50 PM CST
> 
> Could I bother you for a reference for Schank's Law? What being  
> asserted by Shank?? is so apt, I'd like to see what else he  
> has to say.

Sure:

[http://www.edge.org/q2004/page7.html#schank](http://www.edge.org/q2004/page7.html#schank)

Schank has written several very good books, including \_Dynamic Memory  
Revisited\_. A good place to start is:

[http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/misc/rcs.html](http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/misc/rcs.html)

Bruce Gregory

"Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions; everyone is not  
entitled to his or her own facts."

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

"Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no  
one was listening, everything must be said again."  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Andre Gide

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**Author:** ![Marc\_Abrams1](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Marc\_Abrams1](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Marc_Abrams1)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2004, 12:57am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/schanks-law/10226/4 "2004-01-19T00:57:10Z")

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> From [Marc Abrams (2004.01.18.1935)]

> [From Bruce gregory (2004.01.18.1825)]
> 
> "Because people understand by finding in their memories the closest  
> possible match to what they are hearing and use that match as the basis  
> of comprehension, any new idea will be treated as a variant of  
> something the listener has already thought of or heard. Agreement with  
> a new idea means a listener has already had a similar thought and well  
> appreciates that the speaker has recognized his idea. Disagreement  
> means the opposite. Really new ideas are incomprehensible. The good  
> news is that for some people, failure to comprehend is the beginning of  
> understanding. For most, of course, it is the beginning of dismissal."

Outstanding. I would guess you got this quote from \_Tell Me a Story\_ by  
Roger Schank. Very appropriate, and again pointing to the importance of  
memory in our 'purposeful' behavior.

Marc