What is it?

The Feynman Technique involves breaking down a topic into its simplest parts through a real-time explanation without using notes.

Why it works

The Feynman Technique works because it reveals gaps in your understanding of a topic.

If you’re able to recall isolated facts and concepts, the next level of understanding is understanding. The best way to do this is to force yourself to:

Suppose you’re learning about monetary inflation.

If you just finished a book chapter about inflation and feel you have a solid grasp of the material, you could check that understanding by challenging yourself to explain it either verbally or through writing.

But what makes the Feynman Technique unique is the way it forces you to deconstruct a topic:

Rather than using high-level technical language, instead, you imagine as if you were explaining it to a 10-year-old.

As the adage goes:

“If you can’t explain it to a child, you don’t understand it.”

If you get stuck during your explanation, take note of the point where you got stuck, and review that part of your notes or source material. The idea is to try the explanations multiple times until you’re able to do one without needing source material.

After you’re able to complete successive explanations of topics without needing notes, you can be confident you understand them.

How to use it

  1. Start by choosing a topic you want to learn
  2. Write out an explanation of the topic “on the spot” as if you’re explaining it to a child without using any notes or reference material
    1. If you’re able to create a complete and accurate explanation without needing the assistance of your learning resources, you likely have a proficient understanding of the topic
    2. If you can’t, figure out which topic or concept you got stuck on and return to your learning material to review it
  3. Repeat steps 1. and 2. until you can get through the entire explanation without needing any source material