Can you explain this in simple terms to someone else?
Master concepts by explaining them as if to a child.
The best way to learn something is to teach it. Test yourself:
🤔 Can I explain this in simple terms to someone else?
Being able to explain concepts in plain language is one of the best ways to learn and understand them. If you can’t make a concept clear, you don’t fully grasp it yet. Richard Feynman, a brilliant physicist and Nobel Prize winner, used this method to master complex concepts. You can apply it to anything: how clouds form, why bread rises when baking, how a bicycle works, or how a refrigerator keeps food cold. Trying to explain a concept to yourself or someone else reveals gaps in your understanding because it forces you to organize your knowledge into a coherent framework.
The method is simple. First, pick a concept and study it until you have a basic understanding. Then explain it in plain language, as if teaching it to a child. Say it out loud, write it down, or record yourself and listen back. Where your explanation falters, review the source material, fill the gaps, and organize your knowledge. Repeat this process until you can explain the concept confidently to yourself. If possible, teach it to someone who isn’t familiar with it to uncover any remaining gaps.
Explaining in simple terms is like building a Lego model, such as a bridge, piece by piece, so anyone can see how it all fits together and the whole holds together.
The Feynman Technique is powerful, but watch for common mistakes: using obscuring jargon to hide gaps in understanding, oversimplifying by leaving out crucial details, skipping the step where you review and fill gaps, or only reading or thinking passively instead of actively explaining the concept. It works in many real-life situations, like studying for exams, preparing presentations, or understanding complex theories. Richard Feynman himself used it to uncover hidden gaps in his knowledge, showing that even brilliant minds benefit from simplifying and organizing concepts.
Pick a concept today, explain it, and discover what you truly understand.
