Thinking method · Widely attributed to Feynman; see Oakley, A Mind for Numbers
Explain it plainly
Finding the holes in your understanding by explaining without jargon. When you feel you understand something but have never said it out loud.
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Finding the holes in your understanding by explaining without jargon.
The steps
- Write the idea as if for someone who has never met it, using no technical words.
- Notice exactly where you have to reach for jargon or go vague — that is the gap.
- Go back to the source for that part only.
- Rewrite. Repeat until the plain version holds.
When to use it
When you feel you understand something but have never said it out loud.
What it will not do
A fluent explanation can still be wrong. It finds gaps, not errors.
Where it comes from: Widely attributed to Feynman; see Oakley, A Mind for Numbers. Described in our own words.
The module it belongs to
- Thinking Foundations — Notice how your own mind is working