How to Learn (and Understand) Anything
A Mental Model to Help You Learn New Information and Actually Absorb It.
I love learning new things. That’s why I started this newsletter.
And I thought I would share with you a trick that I’ve learned to break down complex subjects and understand them better. But, I have to admit I’m not the only person who has used it (or still uses it).
It was developed by Richard Feynman, a famous physicist, philosopher, and author.
Albert Einstein attended one of Feynman’s seminars at the University of Princeton1. Bill Gates even called him “the best teacher I never had2,” and purchased the rights to his video lectures to make them available to the public.
The method is called The Feynman Technique after Richard Feynman.
What Is the Feynman Technique
It’s a simple learning method anyone can use to absorb new information and break down complex subjects.
Feynman would often use simple pictures, arrows, and short text to explain his theories.
How to Use It
Feynman often broke down complicated science and math subjects to relay information to his students in a way that they could actually understand it.
You can use the method to learn anything or to improve your understanding of a subject. The concept is summarized below in four easy steps:
Step 1: Take Notes on All Available Information
When learning a new subject, I find it best to pull from multiple sources (checking authenticity).
Begin by jotting down all the information you can on the subject.
Step 2: Identify Knowledge Gaps
When going through your notes, compile them into main ideas and secondary information.
At this point, you will also make a note of what ideas you are having a challenging time understanding. Then, do some more research on those ideas.
Step 3: Pretend You’re Teaching It to a Kid
Teaching something is one of the best ways to assure you fully understand an idea. Better yet, teaching it to a kid will force you to break down the subject into simpler terms anyone can understand.
If you can’t explain something using simple terms, you don’t fully understand it yet.
Step 4: Rewrite Your Notes
Now that you have a complete understanding of the subject write down your notes again, this time in the simplest terms possible.
This technique will force you to really learn and comprehend the subject rather than skimming information and obtaining an “on the surface” understanding.
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That’s all I have for this week. I hope everyone can take something away from this. Thanks again everybody, and I hope to see you all next week!
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https://nasa.fandom.com/wiki/Richard_Feynman
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Education/The-Best-Teacher-I-Never-Had