The Feynman Technique—how to learn anything:
The Feynman Technique is a foundational learning method that prioritizes simplicity and depth of understanding. It was developed by Richard Feynman—an American theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1965 for his groundbreaking work in quantum electrodynamics.
So yes, you could say that Richard Feynman was intelligent... But there are a lot of intelligent people in the world. Feynman's true genius was found in his ability to convey extremely complex ideas in simple, elegant, digestible ways.
He had observed that complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding. As a rule: If someone uses a lot of acronyms, complexity, and jargon to explain something to you, they probably don’t understand it. We've all encountered this type of "expert"...
The Feynman Technique is a learning framework that forces you to develop a deep, elegant understanding of a given topic. It involves four key steps: (1) Set the Stage (2) ELI5 (Explain It To Me Like I'm 5) (3) Assess & Study (4) Organize, Convey & Review Let's cover each step:
Step 1: Set the Stage What’s the topic you want to learn? Starting with a blank page, write the topic at the top and jot down everything you know about it. Read & research the topic. Add any new learnings or insights as you develop them. Step 1 sets the stage for the process.
Step 2: ELI5 Here's where it gets fun... Attempt to explain the topic to a child—figuratively (or literally if you're ambitious!). On a new blank page, write down everything you know about your topic—but now pretend you are explaining it to a child. Use simple language!
Step 3: Assess & Study Reflect on your performance—form an honest assessment. How well were you able to explain the topic to a child? Where did you get frustrated? Where did you turn to jargon? These are the gaps in your understanding! Read and study more to fill them.
Step 4: Organize, Convey & Review Organize your elegant, simple language into a clear, compelling story or narrative. Test-and-Learn: Convey it to a few others, then iterate and refine accordingly. Review your new, deep understanding of the topic. Remember: Simple=Beautiful
The Feynman Technique is a powerful framework for learning anything. The best entrepreneurs, investors, and thinkers have leveraged this technique—whether they know it or not! Their common genius: the ability to abstract complexity and convey ideas in simple, digestible ways.
It's easy to overcomplicate and intimidate—we all know people who try to do this. But don't be fooled--complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding. Be better. Use the Feynman Technique. Find beauty in simplicity.
