Feynman Technique: Use This Powerful Method with AI to Learn Anything

When was the last time you struggled to learn something complex? Whether you’re trying to wrap your head around a difficult concept or just want to solidify your knowledge, the Feynman Technique offers a powerful approach to make any subject easier to understand.

The Feynman Technique (named after Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman) is a simple yet powerful method for learning complex concepts by breaking them down and explaining them in a way that anyone can understand.

By combining it with AI tools like ChatGPT, you can accelerate your learning process, identify gaps in your knowledge, and refine your understanding.

In essence, the Feynman Technique involves four key steps:

1. Teach the Concept – Start by explaining the topic in simple terms, as if teaching it to someone with no prior knowledge.
2. Identify Knowledge Gaps – Review your explanation and notice where you stumbled or glossed over details.
3. Refine Your Explanation – Rework your understanding based on the gaps you found, adding clarity and completeness.
4. Tell a Story – Finally, turn the explanation into a story with examples and analogies to make it more engaging and memorable.

Now, let’s explore each step in detail, along with AI prompts to enhance your learning experience.

Step 1: Teach the Concept in Simple Terms

Start by learning the concept and then explain it as if you were teaching someone who has no prior knowledge. Imagine you’re talking to a child or a complete beginner. The goal is to simplify the topic, stripping away any technical jargon or complicated terms. Focus on reducing the concept to its most basic form, so it’s easy to understand.

For example, if you’re explaining blockchain, you could say: “Blockchain is like a digital notebook that everyone shares. Once you write something in it, no one can change or erase it, and everyone can see the same thing.”

How to Use AI

If simplifying the concept feels challenging, AI can assist in crafting a beginner-friendly explanation. You can prompt ChatGPT to explain the concept in simple language, which you can then adjust to fit your style.

• Prompt: “Explain [your concept] as if you are talking to a 10-year-old.”
• Example Prompt: “Explain blockchain to me as if I have no prior knowledge.”

This AI-generated explanation will give you a solid, simplified version that can serve as a base for further refinement.

Step 2: Identify Knowledge Gaps

After giving your initial explanation, take a step back and evaluate it critically. Are there parts of the explanation that feel unclear or incomplete? Did you skip over important details, use vague terms, or struggle to explain certain elements? This step is crucial for identifying gaps in your understanding, which is necessary to deepen your knowledge.

For instance, while explaining blockchain, you may have left out how transactions are verified or why the system is considered secure. Recognizing these gaps helps you refine your explanation.

How to Use AI

AI can help you spot these knowledge gaps by analyzing your explanation. Simply ask ChatGPT to highlight areas that need more clarity or are missing key details.

• Prompt: “What gaps or unclear points exist in this explanation of [your concept]?”
• Example Prompt: “What could be improved in this explanation of blockchain: ‘Blockchain is like a digital notebook everyone shares, where entries cannot be changed or erased.’”

ChatGPT can provide suggestions to fill in the missing pieces, such as explaining transaction verification or decentralization in blockchain.

Step 3: Refine Your Explanation

Now that you’ve identified the weak spots, it’s time to refine your explanation. Go back and revise it by adding missing details, simplifying complex parts, and ensuring everything is clear and straightforward. The goal is to create a concise and complete explanation that you can confidently teach to others.

For example, after refining your blockchain explanation, you might say: “Blockchain is like a shared digital notebook. Each entry is verified by many people to make sure it’s accurate. Once added, no one can change or erase it, making the system secure and trustworthy.”

How to Use AI

Once you’ve made adjustments, ask ChatGPT to review your refined explanation and provide suggestions for further improvement. This iterative process will help you fine-tune your understanding.

• Prompt: “Can you help refine this explanation of [your concept]?”
• Example Prompt: “Help me improve this explanation of blockchain: ‘Blockchain is a shared digital notebook that’s secure because each entry is verified by many people.’”

AI can suggest further improvements, such as including the concept of decentralization or explaining how transparency is ensured in the blockchain process.

Step 4: Tell a Story

Now that you’ve refined your explanation, it’s time to make it even more engaging by telling a story. Stories help us understand and remember concepts by connecting them to something relatable. They make complex ideas enjoyable and easier to grasp, especially when you incorporate examples and visuals into the narrative.

For instance, imagine explaining blockchain through a story: “Think of a village where every time someone sells or buys something, everyone writes down the transaction. Once everyone agrees it’s correct, it’s written into stone that can’t be changed. Over time, these stones build a wall of transactions that everyone trusts.”

How to Use AI

AI can help you craft these stories, making sure they’re simple and effective. You can use ChatGPT to generate a narrative or refine one you’ve already started.

• Prompt for Storytelling: “Help me turn [your concept] into a simple story.”
• Example Prompt: “Help me turn the explanation of blockchain into a simple story for beginners.”

This approach makes your explanations not just informative but also memorable, ensuring that your audience truly grasps and retains the concept.

Final Words

Incorporating the Feynman Technique into your learning process allows you to simplify complex ideas and truly understand them on a deeper level. By breaking concepts down, identifying gaps in your knowledge, and refining your explanations, you make sure the subject is fully understood. Adding storytelling or analogies helps cement that knowledge, making it more engaging and memorable.

As I get older, I realize being wrong isn’t a bad thing like they teach you in school. It is an opportunity to learn something.

Using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini enhances this method, speeding up the learning process and giving you instant feedback. Whether you’re tackling a new subject or brushing up on something you’ve already learned, combining the Feynman Technique with AI offers an efficient and effective way to master any topic.

In Fello AI, you have access to all of these powerful AI models in one place, allowing you to leverage their unique strengths and insights as you apply the Feynman Technique to any learning challenge.

So next time you’re faced with something difficult to grasp, remember these four steps, and let AI be your study companion to make the learning journey smoother and faster.