A Genius Perspective
A Genius Perspective
Learning Advice from Dr Richard Feynman
As freelancers, we often need to learn something new. This might be for a current or new role, or to keep up to date with changing technology.
Some people learn quickly while others struggle. One factor that decides how well you are learning might be your approach. Those that learn quickly are not ‘miracle people’. They have a better learning technique.
“There are no ‘miracle people’. It just happens that they got interested in something thing and they learned all this stuff about it. There’s just people.” – Dr Richard Feynman
Dr. Richard Feynman was a renowned physicist and Nobel laureate. His contributions to science were considerable.
He had a remarkable ability to simplify complex concepts and communicate them with enthusiasm and clarity.
He was also known for his unique approach to learning and teaching. This learning advice continues to guide educators and its a technique I try to apply myself:
Embrace Curiosity
Be inquisitive when you approach new subjects. Cultivate a genuine curiosity about the subject. Ask thought-provoking questions, delve deeper and explore the underlying principles that govern them. Embracing curiosity fuels your desire to learn more.
Simplify and Teach
Feynman understood that you don’t completely understand a concept until you can teach it. This needs us to break down complicated concepts into small components. And then presenting them. Teaching forces you to organize your thoughts and find any gaps in your understanding.
Exploit Source Material
When you run into a misunderstanding or run out of knowledge, go back to the source material. The source material is better than other people’s interpretation. You get to the core of the idea or concept. Elon Musk also exploits thinking from first principles to allow him to build a clear understanding of the concept.
Simplify and Make Analogies
Analogies and simple concepts allow you to internalise and have a deeper understanding of the material.
Feynman also emphasized the importance of making connections between different areas of knowledge. Build links between concepts so that you can both reinforce a concept and innovate.
You will make mistakes when you start to apply anything you learn.
Feynman understood that mistakes and uncertainty are essential parts of the learning process. Embrace them.
By embracing mistakes and uncertainty, you can foster resilience, and a growth mindset.
Try applying the Feynman approach the next time you need to learn a new skill or ability for your freelancing career.