NOTICE

MANUAL OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNTERTERRORIST 73
mind will automatically determine that the first
things that your eyes come across are the most
important. Suppose that something noted towards
the bottom right of your note page contained
information that would ultimately save your life?
In order to force your mind to give equal
billing to all information regardless of how large
your notepad is, begin taking notes through
inconsistent methods of writing. Write diagonally
and vertically. Use different sizes of script or colors
of pens. Forego colloquial English in favor of
shorthand scribbling – decipherable symbols that
you have invented for just such a purpose. Arrange
your notes in a haphazard manner all around the
sheet. What this does, is force your mind to
concentrate on every note written down as you are
required to stop, look, and pay attention to what
does not appear to be ‘natural’ to your lifelong
process of reading. You retain the information
because you haven’t ruled it out as unimportant
before you realize what it really is.
Now that you have managed to shake
yourself free of conventional learning processes,
you must now begin to place that ability towards
your professional counterterrorism role. You must
begin to understand the threat against us and
formulate an educational plan that will give you
advantage over them.