The Feynman Technique
Physicist Richard Feynman's method for truly learning anything is deceptively simple: try to explain it to a child, and your gaps in understanding reveal themselves.
The Idea
The Feynman Technique works by forcing you to break a complex idea into simple terms, which exposes exactly where your understanding is thin.
If you can't explain something simply, you don't fully understand it yet, and the struggle to simplify shows you where to look.
The Four Steps
Choose a conceptPick the topic you want to learn or teach.
Teach it to a childExplain it in plain language, with no jargon, as if to a young child.
Find and fill the gapsWhere the explanation breaks down, you've found a hole in your understanding; go fill it.
Review and simplifyRefine the explanation until it's as clear and concise as possible.
Atomic Ideas From This Page
The Feynman Technique tests understanding by forcing simplicity.Breaking a concept into plain terms reveals how well you really grasp it.
If you can't explain something simply, you don't fully understand it.The inability to simplify points directly to the gaps in your knowledge.
Explaining a concept to a child exposes jargon-hidden confusion.Plain language has nowhere to hide an incomplete understanding.
Gaps revealed during simplification show exactly what to study next.The points where your explanation breaks down become your learning targets.
The technique works for both learning and teaching.Simplifying a concept deepens your grasp and makes it clearer for others.
Explain it simply, or admit you don't yet understand it.