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Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics Richard Feynman has formulated a learning algorithm that helps you understand any topic faster and deeper:
I have not always been a good student. The main thing in training, I considered the amount of time devoted to him. And then I discovered something that changed my life.
The renowned Nobel laureate in physics Richard Feynman recognized the difference between “knowing something” and “knowing the name of something,” and this is one of the main reasons for his success.
Feynman stumbled upon a learning formula that allowed him to understand things better than others. This formula is called the Feynman Method, and it helps you study any subject deeper and faster. The topic, subject, or concept you want to study doesn't matter. Take whatever you like. Feynman's method works everywhere. And, best of all, it is very simple to implement. Ridiculously simple.
And this is not only a great teaching method, but also a window into a completely different way of thinking.
Let me explain.
There are three steps in Feynman's method.
Step 1. Teach your child to do this
Take a blank sheet of paper and write down what you want to study. Write down what you know about the subject, as if you were explaining it to a child. Not your smart adult buddy, but an 8-year-old who has enough vocabulary and concentration to understand basic concepts and relationships.
A lot of people tend to use difficult words and professional jargon when they don't understand something. The problem is that we are fooling ourselves because we don't realize what we don't understand. The use of jargon is intended to hide our misunderstanding from others. When you write an idea from start to finish in simple words that a child can understand (use only the most common words), you help yourself understand its essence on a deeper level and simplify the relationships and connections between concepts. If you put in the effort, you'll be clear about where your gaps are. And this is good, it indicates an opportunity to learn.
Step 2. Repeat
In the first step, you will inevitably run into gaps in your knowledge: somewhere you forgot something important, could not explain, or simply experienced difficulties in connecting important concepts. This is extremely important because you have opened the edge of your knowledge. Competence is knowing the limits of your abilities, and you've just found one of them! This is the point where learning begins. Now you know what the problem is, so go back and study it again until you can explain it in simple terms.
Finding the boundaries of your knowledge also limits the mistakes you tend to make and increases the chances of success in applying your knowledge.
Step 3. Organize and simplify
You now have a series of handwritten notes. Review them and make sure you missed any professional term from the source material by mistake. Now make a simple story out of them. Read it out loud. If the explanation is not straightforward or sounds odd, this is a sign that your knowledge still needs some work.
Step 4 (Optional): Share
If you want to be confident in your understanding, share your knowledge with someone (ideally if that someone is very poor on the subject. Or find an 8 year old child!). The best test for your knowledge of a subject is your ability to pass it on to another person.
I have not always been a good student. The main thing in training, I considered the amount of time devoted to him. And then I discovered something that changed my life.
The renowned Nobel laureate in physics Richard Feynman recognized the difference between “knowing something” and “knowing the name of something,” and this is one of the main reasons for his success.
Feynman stumbled upon a learning formula that allowed him to understand things better than others. This formula is called the Feynman Method, and it helps you study any subject deeper and faster. The topic, subject, or concept you want to study doesn't matter. Take whatever you like. Feynman's method works everywhere. And, best of all, it is very simple to implement. Ridiculously simple.
And this is not only a great teaching method, but also a window into a completely different way of thinking.
Let me explain.
There are three steps in Feynman's method.
Step 1. Teach your child to do this
Take a blank sheet of paper and write down what you want to study. Write down what you know about the subject, as if you were explaining it to a child. Not your smart adult buddy, but an 8-year-old who has enough vocabulary and concentration to understand basic concepts and relationships.
A lot of people tend to use difficult words and professional jargon when they don't understand something. The problem is that we are fooling ourselves because we don't realize what we don't understand. The use of jargon is intended to hide our misunderstanding from others. When you write an idea from start to finish in simple words that a child can understand (use only the most common words), you help yourself understand its essence on a deeper level and simplify the relationships and connections between concepts. If you put in the effort, you'll be clear about where your gaps are. And this is good, it indicates an opportunity to learn.
Step 2. Repeat
In the first step, you will inevitably run into gaps in your knowledge: somewhere you forgot something important, could not explain, or simply experienced difficulties in connecting important concepts. This is extremely important because you have opened the edge of your knowledge. Competence is knowing the limits of your abilities, and you've just found one of them! This is the point where learning begins. Now you know what the problem is, so go back and study it again until you can explain it in simple terms.
Finding the boundaries of your knowledge also limits the mistakes you tend to make and increases the chances of success in applying your knowledge.
Step 3. Organize and simplify
You now have a series of handwritten notes. Review them and make sure you missed any professional term from the source material by mistake. Now make a simple story out of them. Read it out loud. If the explanation is not straightforward or sounds odd, this is a sign that your knowledge still needs some work.
Step 4 (Optional): Share
If you want to be confident in your understanding, share your knowledge with someone (ideally if that someone is very poor on the subject. Or find an 8 year old child!). The best test for your knowledge of a subject is your ability to pass it on to another person.
