Knotting brain washing, and the bowline.

[kd8eeh]

In my experience, even this mnemonic is too complicated for the average boy scout to remember.  They often enter from the opposite side of the hole, and are shocked to realize that their creation is subsequently not a knot.  Also, this mnemonic does not even hint at putting the tail on between the eye legs, and many don't for this reason.  They usually for the loop and then grab it right at the crossing, so they cannot discern which rope is on top.  The other method I sometimes use to teach them is to tie a slip knot in the spart, and then pass the tail through the loop of the slip knot, and pull the slip knot through.  If they know how to tie a slipknot, this is usually easier, but they will form just about any random bowline or eskimo bowline with this method.

Does anyone have a better method to explain the knot to beginners that will make the knot less prone to error without relying on common sense or any understanding of how the knot works?

Relatedly, i prefer to teach square knot as tied in the same way as a thieves knot, because it helps people to better understand the structure of the knot they are making and simplifies tying the knot at odd angles.

[xarax]

   In my experience, even this mnemonic is too complicated for the average boy scout to remember. 
   Does anyone have a better method to explain the knot to beginners that will make the knot less prone to error without relying on common sense or any understanding of how the knot works?

   Personally, I do not wish people that are relying only on mnemonics but not on common sense, and do not understand how the knot works, to tie this knot in the first place - or, for that matter, to tie any knot at all  ! However, I do not believe that boy scouts CAN NOT do this - they are just not taught to do this, because of bad teachers !
   Teach the boy scouts that the nipping turn should not be left alone to open up, and this can be achieved by the tensioned bight component acting as a stiff stick, if placed in between the rim of the nipping turn and the Standing end, anchored at its one end by collaring the Standing end and at the other by penetrating the nipping turn, and they will learn the essence of the marvellous mechanism of the "Common" bowline and the "Eskimo" bowline at the same time.

The other method ... is to tie a slip knot in the SPart, and then pass the tail through the loop of the slip knot, and pull the slip knot through.  If they know how to tie a slipknot, this is usually easier, but they will form just about any random bowline or "Eskimo" bowline with this method.

   Precisely ! To tie the specific form of the bowline they want, they should learn to distinguish between the "overhand" and the "underhand" slip knots, and the slip knots made by slipping the Standing end or the eye legofg the Standing part - so we are back at the square one...

   Teach people how bowline works by showing the nipping turn hanging on a stick as in my pictures, and then replace the stick with the two legs of the bight component.
   The second method that I have thought recently, during the War of Two Views, is to teach them to twist the nipping turn 90 degrees more than needed - so, to twist the initial bight 270 degrees. Then, there will be no "front" and "back" side, and they can not but penetrate it by making the returning eye leg enter into it following the most natural direction, parallel to the outgoing eye leg (  by "below" the knot, if the Standing end is away from them, or by "above" the knot, if the Standing end is near them ) .
   

[gm5729]

As a beginning knot tyer. Meaning the last time I did knots before recent memory was in Boy Scouts 40 years ago. I don't use the menomic, I do make the knot the same way. The one handed method for me results in a bowline or a slip type knot. So until I can see the knot more clearly in a 3 dimensional way I go with what works for me.
As for brainwashing or mileu control that usually happens the more easily the educated an individual is, then less educated. Maybe you are having a bad day. To me the opening lines are more aggressive than assertive hence in a one dimensional arena seemingly more hostile.
I am fairly "anal" about follwing TIAT, Pawson, Budworth and others exactly as they represent their knots are illustrated. My mathematics is the same way. It is easier to follow a step by step written down then trying to figure it out in my head. This all is just the way I learn.
I came to this site because it is recognized internationally as an authority on promoting the education of knots for all levels of tying. None of the posts I have read are "forcing" some hidden agenda to learn a knot in one manner only.

gk