The Feynman Technique: A superpower for lifelong learners
Want to learn anything faster? Try to explain it first—simply.
Let's take a look at the Feynman Technique—a method of learning or understanding a concept quickly (no matter how complex) by explaining it in very simple terms.
Developed by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, the Feynman Technique is like a superpower for lifelong learners.
It uses a form of targeted learning to provide an efficient way to pinpoint (and overcome) the problem areas in the concept you’re trying to learn such that you can study more efficiently.
Here’s a quick walkthrough on how to use the Feynman Technique:
Step 1: Choose a concept/topic you want to learn about and start studying it. Write down notes on everything you want to know about the concept on a sheet of paper. Once you think you understand it, move on to the next step.
Step 2: You think you understand it? Teach it. Using your own words, explain the topic as if you were teaching it to a child. Try and break things down in plain, simple language—and don’t limit yourself to just the facts that you’ve learned: put the concept into practice by using an example or two to make sure you’ve got a handle on the topic.
Step 3: Review your explanation. Learn where you are lacking. Are you using simple terms? If not, pinpoint the trouble areas and go back and review the source material (notes, books, journals) to strengthen your understanding. Make sure to use simple language, not technical terms or jargon. Remember, you’re teaching it to a child!
Step 4: Simplify, review and organize—you’re at the stage of the final product. Read your explanation of the topic to someone who has absolutely no understanding of it.
Did they understand? If there’s still an issue, repeat Steps 2 and 3 and tweak your notes. When you’re satisfied with your explanation (congratulations, you’ve mastered the concept), you can now say that you really know what you’re talking about and that you have the notes to prove it.
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