Sponges are people that intellectually absorb information, but it doesn't
make it to their hearts.
Blockheads are people that are like a wall - information doesn't seem to
make it through to them; it seems to bounce off them.
Lifers are people that when they are presented with information, they
check whether it's useful to their lives, and when it is, they act upon it.


Sponges
They can gather lots of information, and can even repeat it
accurately much later, or they can twist it into something else.
Regardless of how much information they can absorb, how
well they can remember it, and how well they can repeat it,
their telltale sign is that the information stays in their minds,
and doesn't make it to their hearts.
Practical examples of Sponges:
1) your coworker was in a car accident and got a whiplash.
    His neck is in a lot of pain from time to time.   You know that
    your chiropractor is good and could help him.   You mention
    to your coworker that you know this chiropractor that helped
    you and many other people, and that he could also help him.
    Your coworker listens attentively, may even ask questions,
    but in the end he doesn't make any effort to connect with
    your, or any other, chiropractor.   Your coworker is a Sponge.

    A Blockhead would change the subject, or would say something
    that would make it obvious he wasn't interested.

    A Lifer would call the chiropractor, talk to him/her, and arrange
    a visit.   Or the Lifer would go to Yellow Pages or the Internet and
    would find another chiropractor.

2) your neighbor talks about the great benefits of supplementing
    diet with good quality vitamins.   She can even describe the
    benefits of each vitamin.   All that sounds good, but then
    it comes out that she doesn't take any vitamins, and perhaps
    even doesn't eat healthful food (and not because she couldn't
    afford it).   Your neighbor is a Sponge.

    A Blockhead wouldn't be able to present such information.

    A Lifer would talk her walk in this case.


Blockheads
They are people who are closed to information.
Practical examples of Blockheads:

1) your friend talks about the belief in God.   He tells you that he
    doesn't subscribe to any religion, but that he is not an outright
    atheist either - he is still looking.   You start telling your friend
    about your spiritual experiences.   Your friend changes the subject.
    Or your friend listens to you, but then he asks a question that makes
    it obvious he wasn't really listening.   Your friend is a Blockhead.

    A Sponge would be able to repeat what you said fairly accurately, or
    ask pertinent questions.   However, it would remain static knowledge
    in his mind.

    A Lifer would look into what you told him more deeply.   He might
    come to disagree with it and abandon it, but that's because it doesn't
    fit his life path, not because the information would stay in his head only.

2) your coworker is supposed to prepare a presentation in a certain
    format.   You notice that she's doing it wrong and politely try to tell
    her.   She brushes you off.   She's a Blockhead.

    A Sponge would at least listen, even though she wouldn't fix it.

    A Lifer would fix it and most likely even thank you.


Lifers
They are people who take hints.   They are intelligent and are ready, open
to new pieces of information.   If that offered piece of information fits their
lives, they act upon it.
Practical examples of Lifers:

1) your friend is interested in spiritual things.   You mentioned that you've
    read a certain book that you really enjoyed.   Your friend asks for its name
    and then goes to a bookstore, or looks up the book on the Internet.
    If the book arouses further interest in her, she will buy it and read it.
    When she finds something that resonates with her, she accepts it and
    acts upon it.   Your friend is a Lifer.

    A Sponge wouldn't act upon it.   Rather, she would suck the information
    into her mind, and it would become another part of her in-head encyclopedia.

    A Blockhead wouldn't ask about the book, or she would ask, but then
    she wouldn't pursue it any further.

2) during his visit to a doctor, he noticed the doctor mention that vitamin C
    is very important for the body.   He then looked up more information about
    the vitamin and what the best sources were, and then he went and bought
    the best quality source he could reasonably afford, and kept on using it.
    He is a Lifer.

    A Sponge wouldn't buy it.   Or he would buy it, but wouldn't take it, or take it
    very sporadically.

    A Blockhead wouldn't even notice that something was mentioned about
    vitamin C, or he would ignore that piece of information.

3) she listens to a radio station on her way to work.   They discuss a subject
    that is not familiar to her, and they mention something that catches her
    attention, even though she cannot put her finger on why.
    She uses the Internet to find out more about the subject.   To her delight
    she learns it's something she needs to understand, and if it requires for
    her to do something, she does it.
    She is a Lifer

    A Sponge probably wouldn't notice the mentioning, or if she did,
    and she learned that something had to be done, she wouldn't do it.

    A Blockhead wouldn't notice the mentioning.


When it comes to giving information to Sponges and Blockheads, one needs
to be careful, especially when it's spiritual information.
With Blockheads it's a waste of energy in the first place.
With Sponges, there is some possibility of that information becoming
a seed that will grow in the future, however, it may be beneficial to offer
only more basic pieces of information; when that will take roots and start
growing in them one day, they will be able to build upon it then.
Sponges and Blockheads are lower energy people, and thus there is a possibility
of that information being misused.
For that reason good teachers and masters give hints.   The students that build
upon the hints (Lifers) are then given more and more information.   The students
that fail to take the hints (Blockheads and Sponges) either drop out or are dismissed
by the teachers/masters.