Feynman Technique

Think of it like Being the Explainer at a Kids' Museum

Richard Feynman could explain quantum physics using only everyday words. His secret: if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough.

The technique has four steps:

Step 1: Pick a concept

Choose something you want to understand deeply. Write its name at the top of a blank page.

Step 2: Explain it to a 12-year-old

Write an explanation as if teaching a bright middle-schooler. Use no jargon. Use analogies ("it's like a library where..."). If you can't avoid a technical term, define it with a comparison.

Step 3: Find the gaps

Where does your explanation get fuzzy? Where did you have to hand-wave? Where did you default to jargon? Those are your knowledge gaps — the exact places you don't truly understand.

Step 4: Go back to the source

Fill each gap. Read, ask, experiment. Then repeat Step 2 with the new understanding. Iterate until the explanation is clear, accurate, and simple.

The Key Insight

Most people study by adding information — more facts, more terms, more details. The Feynman Technique works by subtracting — stripping away the jargon until only true understanding remains. If you can't find the simple core, you haven't found the core at all.

Remember: Confusion is not failure. Confusion is the discovery of the exact boundary of your understanding. Each gap you close makes the whole explanation stronger.