feynman-notes
Feynman notes
The Feynman technique tests understanding by explanation: write the idea out as if teaching a beginner, in plain words with no jargon, and notice where the explanation stalls, hand-waves, or falls back on a term you cannot define. Those spots are the gaps. Go back to the source for them, then explain again, simpler. The technique is named after the physicist Richard Feynman, known for his ability to explain hard ideas plainly; the four-step form is a later summary of his approach rather than something he wrote down.
It works because recognizing an idea is not the same as being able to produce it. Reading a chapter feels like understanding; writing the explanation from a blank page shows whether it is. This skill helps the person do the explaining, finds the gaps with them, and records the result as a note they can return to.