# The matching principle

By [raindrop](https://paragraph.com/@raindrop) · 2022-11-22

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The matching principle doesn't just apply to learning. It applies to almost every field I can observe. For example, in exercise, every time we push the force, it is actually the process of muscle tearing.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/b3ce307e6bc27898ab36811e99d6369e1295d768fdba77e4a35c9b47f256fbd2.png)

This slight tear will make people feel sore but not hurt. After rest and nutrition supplement, the muscle will start to repair and become stronger after repair. It's pushing us out of our comfort zone and into our stretch zone. The same is true for other sports, for example, many people want to lose weight by running, but some people are very hard and rush up, thinking that the pain is evidence of hard work, but it is not, the method given by professional coaches looks more like a lazy practice. For example, the instructor will advise you to jog first, then change to brisk walking when you are slightly out of breath, and then change to jogging when the breath is even, and so on for half an hour. As far as weight loss is concerned, the first 20 minutes of aerobic exercise is dominated by the body's sugar consumption, and the percentage of fat consumption increases significantly after 30 minutes. So we just have to stick to the edge of our comfort zone each time, go back to the edge of our comfort zone, stay there, adjust and then go back to the edge of our comfort zone... And so on. For the next 10 to 15 minutes, try to run as fast as you can or at least a little more intensely than you did in the first 30 minutes to burn more fat because your body is used to the intensity and can move further away from the edge of your comfort zone. And reading. Many people like to ask a talented person for a book list, thinking that the books that people can recommend must be good. They rush home from the list, and when they read the books, they find that they are not as good as they are cracked up to be. Some of the books are obscure, difficult and unreadable. After a few days, their interest dies. This is because everyone's knowledge background is different.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/4019e94ac0702df963adc887fa7e883e0a196ee98647b07fc39c9113c0155d25.png)

The same book may be just in the stretching zone for people to read, but we read it in the difficult zone. So, at this time, might as well put the book to read those who are interested in, and just can read the book, so that the interest, difficulty, needs at the same time to match the edge of the comfort zone, such books will certainly let you read with relish. Let's talk about learning. When students with poor grades want to catch up, the first thing they think of is to try hard to compete, so they also do those difficult problems like their classmates with good grades. As a result, others learn very easily, but they learn very painful, and the gap is widening. Because of the same content, students with good grades may be in the stretching zone, but they may be in the difficult zone. At this point, the correct approach should be calm first, take the initiative to reduce the difficulty of learning.

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*Originally published on [raindrop](https://paragraph.com/@raindrop/the-matching-principle)*