Write about what you learn. It pushes you to understand topics better. Sometimes the gaps in our knowledge only become clear when explaining things to others.

Writing about what you learn can deepen your understanding in several ways. It requires thoroughly exploring topics, articulating your thoughts clearly, and reflecting on connections. This process reveals gaps and inconsistencies in your knowledge. Regular writing also improves retention and communication skills long-term. The Feynman Technique promotes explaining concepts simply, which mirrors the benefits of writing explanations. Maintaining consistency is important for building habits, improving gradually, and achieving goals. While procrastination and burnout can hinder consistency, setting routines and celebrating progress can help overcome these challenges. Overall, writing about learning, using techniques like Feynman’s, and persevering consistently cultivates deeper understanding and drives lifelong curiosity and growth.

  •  davehtaylor   ( @davehtaylor@beehaw.org ) 
    3•10 months ago

    No, what happens is similar to when you make a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy, and the quality rapidly degrades with each copy.

    You are just learning a topic and write about it (some say you should “teach it”), and then others follow your writing while they’re learning, and so on, until the understanding of that topic has degraded tremendously because each layer understands it less than the last.

    Talking or writing about your journey is one thing. Acting like you should “teach” it while you yourself are learning is ridiculous