ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Cognitive rigor

Cognitive rigor means thinking really hard about something and not just taking the easy way out. Imagine you are trying to build a big tower with blocks. The easy way would be to just stack them on top of each other without thinking about how they fit together or which ones are best to use. The hard way would be to think about the size and shape of each block and try to fit them together like a puzzle, so the tower is strong and doesn't fall down.

When you are doing school work or trying to solve a problem, you want to use cognitive rigor. This means you think carefully, ask questions, and try different approaches to find the best solution. It might take more time and effort, but it will help you understand the problem better and learn more in the end.

The important thing is to not give up when things get hard. Keep trying and ask for help if you need it. With cognitive rigor, you can accomplish amazing things!