The Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique is a method of learning any concept or topic so that after you will learn, you will have full grip of the topic. And you would easily explain it to someone else.

This technique of learning was designed by American Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. He used this technique to understand any concept that he wants to study.

The technique is consists of four easy steps. I am going to explain each step one by one.

1. Pic a topic and study it completely

First of all pick a topic that you want to understand. Start studying that topic. Read everything that you find related to the topic. After you study everything, write the name of the topic on a paper and write everything that you learn about the topic in simple words.

“I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”
― Richard P. Feynman

While you are writing you can also speak loudly so that you have a better understanding of the topic.

So after writing everything about the topic, you will know how much you know about your topic.

2. Explain it to a six year old

Once you complete your topic, explain it to a six year old. Explaining to someone is the most important step of learning. One can learn only by explaining it. If you don’t explain it, it means you don’t understand it.

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

3. Identify your gaps

After you explain it to someone, go back to your studies and identify your gaps. Find out which are the things that you fully understand and which of them still need to be learned.

4. Simplify

After reviewing your learning you will know your gaps. Point out your problems and try to fix them. In other words, after you will know about your mistakes, spend time on them and try to solve all the concepts that you don’t understand before.

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.”
― Richard Feynman

After solving your problem, write again on the paper in simple words. Now you know all the concepts that are needed to understand the topic.

Repeat step 2 to 4 until you have full grasp on the concept and easily explain to someone.

These are the steps of learning any topic. If you try this you will know how this technique will help you in your own life. The Feynman Technique also helps me to write daily. So I write everything in simple words that I feel difficult to understand.

You can also read my articles that I was trying to explain in simple English like Leap Year, Seeing the Night Sky Milky Way and Soft Skills.