They frame it as a learning technique, but it's also a great problem-solving technique.<p>When I was a kid I made money by helping my dad with his programming. When he got stuck on problems he'd come out and find me, and offer me $20 to solve it. Then he'd explain what he was trying to do in the simplest way that he could, and explain what he'd already tried. About half the time he'd figure it out before he finished explaining it (and I'd get nothing).
I still full immersion is the best.<p>Basically, pick any subject and consume every form of media - podcasts, books, articles, videos, talk to people, Quora questions - and you’ll eventually get it on a very fundamental level.<p>Constantly ask questions and seek answers and rinse and repeat.<p>No tests too.
4 step technique:<p>1) study some topic and write down everything you know / learned about it<p>2) pretend to teach to somebody or explain to somebody or write down in simple terms<p>3) when you are explaining use that process to expose the gaps that you don’t think you fully understand if you struggle to explain simply<p>4) simplify the topic further and keep iterating on your explanation and filling gaps you don’t understand until you can explain the topic in a concise way or simpler language
I am sorry but you cannot teach everything to a toddler. It needs years of learning to understand something. Feynman knew this, he knew science was hard, he would never say those things.
I do this, it's useful. It helps during meetings as well. I figured on what's being said and can retain the key ideas long enough to jot down afterwards.
> In fact, he created a formula for learning<p>Citation needed. It's a good technique for your toolbox, but people like to stick Feynman's name on their own things: quotes, the "Feynman algorithm", a book titled <i>The Feynman Processor</i>...