Ultra-learning: How to Learn Anything Faster

Summary

The script narrates Tristan de Montebello's journey from a novice to a top 10 finisher in the Toastmasters World Championship, inspired by Scott Young's concept of 'ultralearning'. It emphasizes the importance of meta-learning, focus, directness in learning, and the use of drills for skill acquisition. The narrative also explores the value of feedback, the role of memory techniques, and the necessity of experimentation in achieving mastery, drawing on examples from historical figures and modern-day polymaths.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Tristan de Montebello's story emphasizes the power of self-challenge and rapid skill acquisition in public speaking, showing that even with no experience, one can excel with dedication and the right approach.
• 📚 Scott Young's 'Ultralearning' is highlighted as a guide for accelerated learning, offering practical strategies inspired by historical figures and Young's own experiences.
• 🎓 The concept of 'metalearning' is introduced as learning about learning, suggesting that before embarking on a learning project, one should spend time understanding how to learn effectively.
• 🧭 Metalearning is compared to a map, helping learners navigate their educational journey without getting lost, underlining the importance of strategy in the learning process.
• 🎯 The importance of 'focus' as a key to success is underscored, with both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett identifying it as the most important factor in their achievements.
• 💡 The idea that learning can be made more efficient by understanding the mechanics of a skill first, encapsulated by the motto 'Learn how to learn', is a foundational principle of ultralearning.
• 🚀 Directness in learning is crucial; it involves engaging with the core aspects of a skill rather than seeking shortcuts, which can ultimately slow down the learning process.
• 🔨 Drills, or repetitive practice, are presented as an effective method for learning, allowing for the improvement of weaknesses through focused and intentional repetition.
• 📝 Free recall is identified as the most efficient study technique, as it better simulates the conditions of tests and real-life applications, promoting active knowledge retrieval.
• 🔍 The value of feedback in learning is discussed, noting that while it is essential, it must be constructive and focused on improvement rather than causing demotivation.
• 🌟 The stories of Nigel Richards and Richard Feynman illustrate the importance of dedication, hard work, and the development of intuition through deep engagement with a subject.

Q & A

Who is Tristan de Montebello and what did he achieve in the field of public speaking?

Tristan de Montebello is an individual based in Los Angeles, California, who decided to challenge himself in public speaking despite having no prior experience. He competed in the Toastmasters World Championship, the most renowned public speaking competition globally, and remarkably made it into the top 10 within a few months of dedicated practice.

What is the significance of Scott Young's role in Tristan de Montebello's journey?

Scott Young is a well-known self-development blogger who has devoted his life to creating strategies for accelerated learning. His book 'Ultralearning' provided Tristan with practical advice on how to learn quickly, which played a significant role in Tristan's rapid development as a public speaking expert.

What is the concept of 'metalearning' as mentioned in the script?

Metalearning refers to learning about learning or learning how to learn. It involves spending time initially to understand the most effective methods for learning a new skill or subject, which can lead to a more optimized learning path and avoid common pitfalls.

What does the prefix 'meta' signify and how does it relate to learning?

The prefix 'meta' comes from the Greek word 'μετά,' meaning beyond. In the context of learning, 'metalearning' signifies going beyond the learning process itself to understand and improve the methods and strategies used for learning.

What is the importance of focus according to the script and how does it relate to learning?

Focus is described as an essential factor in success, more powerful than any other single factor. In the context of learning, maintaining focus is crucial but challenging due to distractions. The script suggests that developing the ability to focus is a superpower in a world full of distractions.

How does the script describe the process of learning a new skill and its initial challenges?

The script describes the initial process of learning a new skill as strenuous. To ameliorate this, it suggests understanding the mechanics of the skill first and adopting the motto 'learn how to learn' before embarking on a learning journey.

What is the concept of 'directness' in learning as discussed in the script?

Directness in learning refers to the learner's ability to approach the most crucial aspects of a skill head-on, rather than seeking shortcuts or hacks. The script suggests that the best way to learn directly is to immerse in projects relevant to the field from the beginning.

How did Benjamin Franklin improve his writing skills according to the script?

Benjamin Franklin improved his writing skills by reading articles from 'The Spectator', taking notes, and then reconstructing the original articles from memory after a few days. This method, known as a drill, allowed him to familiarize himself with concepts and automate the learning process through repetition.

What are the three different options for allocating study time mentioned in the script and which one is considered most effective?

The three options mentioned are passive review, creating a concept map, and free recall. The script suggests that free recall, which involves actively retrieving knowledge without the aid of notes, is the most effective method for studying.

How does the script describe the role of feedback in the learning process?

The script describes feedback as a crucial way to assess one's competence in a field. However, it also warns that not all feedback is helpful and that feedback can be tricky, potentially leading to demotivation if it doesn't provide actionable ways to improve.

What is the significance of Nigel Richards' story in the context of the script?

Nigel Richards' story is used to illustrate the power of dedication and focused learning. Despite not being a native French speaker, Richards won the French World Championship by studying the French Scrabble dictionary intensively for eight weeks, demonstrating that hard work and learning can lead to mastery even in unfamiliar domains.

How does the script discuss the role of memory in the learning process and ways to manipulate it?

The script discusses memory as a critical component of learning that can be manipulated through techniques such as spacing, proceduralization, overlearning, and mnemonics. These techniques can help counteract forgetting and enhance memorization.

What does the script suggest about the relationship between depth of understanding and intuition in learning?

The script suggests that by delving deep into a subject, one can develop intuition, which is the ability to operate beyond conscious comprehension and know the outcome of something before dealing with it. This level of understanding is associated with genius and mastery.

How does the script describe Vincent van Gogh's journey to becoming a renowned artist?

The script describes Vincent van Gogh as a prodigy who started painting at the age of 26 with no prior art experience. Despite being considered weird and isolated during his life, his tenacity and willingness to experiment with his style allowed him to develop a distinctive and recognizable artistic approach, leading to posthumous fame.

What is the final message of the script regarding the art of learning and mastery?

The final message of the script is that true mastery comes not just from following established paths but also from exploring new possibilities that others have not yet imagined. It emphasizes the importance of getting the fundamentals right to create a solid foundation for embracing new challenges and ideas.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Tristan's Ultralearning Journey in Public Speaking

Tristan de Montebello, a Los Angeles-based individual with no prior public speaking experience, decided to challenge himself by participating in the prestigious Toastmasters World Championship. Through dedication and the guidance of self-development blogger Scott Young, author of 'Ultralearning,' Tristan transformed into a public speaking expert and reached the top 10. The book emphasizes the importance of meta-learning, or learning how to learn effectively, drawing from historical figures who achieved mastery in their fields. Tristan's story illustrates the power of focus and the learning strategies presented in Scott Young's work.

05:01

📚 The Power of Direct Learning and Drills

This paragraph delves into the concept of direct learning, which involves immersing oneself in the skill or subject from the beginning, as exemplified by Benjamin Franklin's method of reconstructing articles from memory to improve his writing. The paragraph also discusses the effectiveness of drills in learning, which, contrary to common belief, can be beneficial when applied correctly within an ultralearning project. Furthermore, it highlights the inefficiency of passive review and concept mapping compared to the active retrieval method of free recall, which better simulates real-life application and testing scenarios.

10:02

🎭 The Role of Feedback in the Learning Process

Feedback is a crucial aspect of learning, but it must be constructive and specific to be effective. The paragraph discusses the pitfalls of generic praise and the demotivating effects it can have on learners. It also touches on the importance of handling feedback with a focus on improvement rather than being swayed by ego or the intentions of the giver. The story of Nigel Richards, the Scrabble champion, is used to illustrate the power of dedication and learning, suggesting that success is not solely about innate talent but also about hard work and the right learning strategies.

15:03

🧠 Memory Techniques and the Path to Mastery

This paragraph explores various techniques to enhance memory and counteract forgetting, such as spacing, proceduralization, overlearning, and mnemonics. It emphasizes the importance of a learning ethos and the role of memory in achieving mastery. The stories of Richard Feynman and Vincent van Gogh are highlighted to demonstrate the significance of depth, intuition, and experimentation in the pursuit of mastery. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing that true mastery involves not just following established paths but also exploring uncharted territories in one's learning journey.

Keywords

💡Ultralearning

Ultralearning is a concept introduced by Scott Young, which refers to the process of learning something new or mastering a skill at an accelerated pace. It is central to the video's theme, illustrating how individuals can achieve remarkable learning outcomes in a short time. The script mentions Tristan de Montebello's rapid ascent to the top 10 in the Toastmasters World Championship as an example of ultralearning in action.

💡Metalearning

Metalearning, derived from the Greek word 'μετά', means going beyond or transcending. In the context of the video, it refers to learning about the process of learning itself. It is crucial for ultralearning, as it allows individuals to optimize their learning strategies before embarking on a learning project. The script emphasizes the importance of spending time researching and understanding the best approaches to learning as a precursor to effective ultralearning.

💡Focus

Focus is highlighted in the video as a critical factor in achieving success and mastery. It is described as a superpower in a world full of distractions. The script recounts a story involving Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who both identified focus as the key to their success, reinforcing the idea that concentration and the ability to maintain attention are vital for effective learning and performance.

💡Directness

Directness in learning refers to the approach of engaging directly with the core aspects of a skill or subject. The video criticizes indirect methods, such as using apps or reading books, which may not provide the depth of understanding or experience that direct learning can offer. The script uses the example of language learning, suggesting that conversing with people is a more direct and effective method than using fun apps.

💡Drills

Drills are repetitive exercises designed to improve specific aspects of learning through practice. In the video, they are presented as a method to overcome weaknesses in the learning process. The script contrasts the common perception of drills as tedious with their utility in ultralearning projects, where they are applied purposefully to address particular challenges.

💡Free Recall

Free recall is a learning technique where individuals attempt to remember information without any cues or aids. The video suggests it as the most effective method for studying, as it more closely resembles the conditions of tests and real-life situations where information must be retrieved without direct access to the source material. The script contrasts free recall with passive review and concept mapping, advocating for its use in learning.

💡Feedback

Feedback in the context of the video is the process of receiving information about one's performance or work, which can be used for improvement. It is highlighted as a valuable tool for assessing competence, but the script also warns about the potential pitfalls of unhelpful or demotivating feedback. The video discusses the importance of seeking constructive feedback that aids in learning rather than discouraging it.

💡Memory Techniques

Memory techniques, such as spacing, proceduralization, overlearning, and mnemonics, are methods used to improve memorization and counteract forgetting. The video presents these techniques as essential tools for ultralearners to enhance their ability to remember and retain information. The script mentions these techniques in the context of manipulating memory to achieve better learning outcomes.

💡Intuition

Intuition is described in the video as the natural ability to know or do something without conscious thought or reasoning. It is associated with operating at a level beyond comprehension, where outcomes can be anticipated instinctively. The script relates intuition to the mastery of skills, suggesting that it arises from deep engagement and understanding of a subject, as exemplified by Richard Feynman's approach to knowledge.

💡Experimentation

Experimentation in learning is the process of trying new approaches and methods to discover what works best for an individual. The video emphasizes the importance of being willing to experiment in order to achieve creativity and genius. The script uses Vincent van Gogh's artistic development as an example, highlighting how his constant experimentation and tenacity contributed to his distinctive style and mastery.

💡Mastery

Mastery, as discussed in the video, involves not only following established paths but also exploring new possibilities and独创 methods. It is presented as the ultimate goal of the learning process, where one goes beyond the conventional to achieve a unique level of expertise. The script concludes with the idea that true mastery comes from both following and innovating beyond the paths explored by others.

Highlights

Tristan de Montebello, a novice in public speaking, entered the Toastmasters World Championship and became a top 10 finalist within months.

Scott Young's book 'Ultralearning' provides strategies for rapid learning, drawing from his own and historical figures' experiences.

The concept of 'metalearning' involves learning about learning to optimize the learning process.

The prefix 'meta' signifies going beyond, relating to self-referential concepts like learning about learning.

Focus is identified as a key factor in success by both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

Directness in learning involves tackling the most crucial aspects of a skill head-on rather than seeking shortcuts.

Benjamin Franklin improved his writing by reconstructing articles from memory, a method known as drilling.

Drills, when properly applied in ultralearning, can feel useful and address specific learning challenges.

Free recall is the most effective method for testing knowledge, as it requires retrieval without direct access to information.

Feedback in learning should be constructive and not demotivating, focusing on actionable improvements.

Nigel Richards' Scrabble success demonstrates the power of dedication and learning specific words for mastery.

Memory can be enhanced through techniques like spacing, proceduralization, overlearning, and mnemonics.

Richard Feynman's approach to learning emphasized depth and developing intuition through continuous knowledge seeking.

Vincent van Gogh's artistic evolution was marked by tenacity and a willingness to experiment, leading to his distinctive style.

True mastery involves not only following established paths but also exploring uncharted possibilities.

Transcripts

This is Tristan de Montebello.

He is a very interesting guy based in Los Angeles, California

and, one day, he decided to challenge his skills on public speaking.

Tristan did not have any experience in the field.

However, he decided to compete in Toastmasters World Championship -

the most famous public speaking competition in the world.

He managed to become public speaking expert within a few months

and, eventually, he made it into the top 10.

How did he achieve all that?

The answer is Scott Young.

One of the most famous self-development bloggers out there

and a person that devoted his life in creating strategies

on how to accelerate the process of learning.

His most recent book, Ultralearning, is considered the autodidact’s dream.

It is a manual that offers concrete and practical advice

on how to learn anything fast.

It draws inspiration from Scott’s own experience

and also from significant figures across history

that managed to transcend the norm

and showcase unprecedented mastery in their field of choice.

I loved the idea of ultralearning

because learning, in itself,

is an activity absolutely elemental to our existence.

Thus, taking learning to the next level isn’t something trivial,

rather it is something that can prove momentous in one’s life.

The prefix meta comes from the Greek word "μετά," which means beyond.

We use meta to signify something related to itself,

i.e. something self-referential.

In our case, meta-learning means learning about learning,

or learning how to learn.

“So again the idea of metalearning is that

if you're going to embark on a learning project

you should first spend a little bit of time learning

how to do the learning project.

That seems a little bit recursive, but it's also obvious

because if you're going to learn a new language

and you've never done this before,

there's many many many ways to do it and many many pitfalls.

And so if you spend a couple hours doing research ahead of time

you're going to get a much more optimized path forward

than if you just, ah this is the first book I saw,

this is the first research I saw.

Oh, this app seems to be popular, let’s download it,

like that approach to learning things, which is what most people do.”

The acquisition of every skill, in the beginning, seems like a strenuous act.

The only way to ameliorate this process

is to understand the mechanics of the skill first.

“Learn how to learn” is the basic motto behind ultralearning

and the core idea that needs to be espoused

before embarking on a learning journey.

In Scott’s words: Metalearning forms the map,

showing you how to get to your destination without getting lost.

When Bill Gates first met Warren Buffett,

their host at dinner, Gates’ mother,

asked everyone around the table to identify

what they believed was the single most important factor

in their success through life.

Gates and Buffett gave the same one-word answer: “Focus.”

There is nothing more powerful than focus in life.

I can personally attest to that

and the aforementioned parable reinforces my point.

Focus isn’t an easy thing and it often constitutes a form of superpower

in a distraction-oriented world.

Every one of us has to face daily numerous obstacles

that impede our ability to stay concentrated in a task.

Obstacles like procrastination, inability to maintain focus,

and even a failure to create the right kind of focus.

But this can be normal.

Especially when we face novelty and challenges

that seem arcane to our environment,

resistance starts to creep in and our ability to focus suffers as a result.

There is no easy way to tackle that conundrum.

We need to just accept it as a standard tenet of the learning process

and quit being too judgmental with ourselves whenever we fail to overcome it.

As Scott states in the book:

Recognize where you are and start small.

If you’re the kind of person who can’t sit still for a minute,

try sitting still for half a minute.

Half a minute soon becomes one minute, then two.

Over time, the frustrations you feel learning a particular subject

may become transmuted into genuine interest.

One of the major issues one has to face

when dealing with a new skill is that of directness.

Directness refers to the ability of the learner

to approach the most crucial aspects of the skill head-on.

Usually, instead of immersing ourselves in the skill itself,

we try to find shortcuts or hacks that can make the skill easier to acquire.

Scott explains that beautifully in the book:

We want to speak a language

but try to learn mostly by playing on fun apps,

rather than conversing with actual people.

We want to work on collaborative, professional programs

but mostly code scripts in isolation.

We want to become great speakers, so we buy a book on communication,

rather than practice presenting.

In all these cases the problem is the same:

directly learning the thing we want feels

too uncomfortable, boring, or frustrating,

so we settle for some book, lecture, or app,

hoping it will eventually make us better at the real thing.

The best way to learn directly is to immerse in projects

relevant to the field from the beginning.

Despite the innate challenging nature of such an endeavor,

the benefits are immense.

Benjamin Franklin was considered by many

the greatest polymath of all time.

He was a politician, an entrepreneur, an inventor, and a great writer.

Especially when it came to writing,

Franklin would constantly try to come up with methods

that would allow him to improve this extremely important skill.

For instance, he would read “The Spectator”

and he would take notes on articles that appeared there.

He would then leave the notes for a few days and come back to them,

trying to reconstruct the original article from memory.

By doing this many times,

he would familiarize himself with the concepts

and eventually automate the ways he would internalize them.

Such a method is considered a drill

and drills allow you, through repetition,

to improve on weaknesses in your learning process.

“So drilling is really I think a lot of us have a bad feeling about drills.

We remember you know doing our times tables when we were kids

or memorizing something and it feels like drudgery

it doesn't feel as fun

and often it feels like it's tedious or unnecessary.

And I think the problem is that

if you just give someone a drill

and say OK you're going to do this 100 times

then they often don't know why they're learning it.

And it's often not driven by any kind of need.

It's just that's what's next on the list to learn

is do this drill a hundred times

and the way I like to think of drills is that

if you do drills properly in an ultralearning project

then they actually feel super useful

because what you're doing is that

you're encountering some real learning challenge.

It's too difficult.

And so you're breaking it apart or breaking it down so that

you're working on a simpler aspect

and then going back and trying to reintegrate it

to work back into the original problem.”

Let’s say you are a student and you have to prepare for an exam.

You have three different options apropos how to allocate your time:

Passive review – Go over your notes and the book.

Create a concept map –

Write down the main concepts in a diagram

and see how they are related to each other.

Free recall –

Retrieve the knowledge from the book and remember what was in it.

Passive review and concept mapping are inefficient.

Free recall is the best way to go.

Humans beings can’t know with confidence how well they’ve learned something.

Instead we need to constantly test our knowledge

by evaluating how easy it is to remember it.

“The thing is that free recall is actually a lot more similar

to what you actually have to do on tests

and it's a lot more similar to what you have to do in real life.

Very often is that it's not just merely

“Oh I'm looking at this information, have I seen this before,”

which is what this sort of self-check is when you're reviewing.

But, here's a question, what's the answer?

Or can you activate this knowledge without having it in front of you,

and it’s a much more difficult task,

and it's something that you actually have to actively practice.”

“I told Chris Rock I was going to the Comedy Cellar here in New York.

He said, I'm gonna come down.

I said, Chris yo I'm working on some stuff come down

I wanna know what you think.

We're close and we always give each other opinions on what we're doing

and where we feel this can go or that can go just punch up.

So he comes down.

He's like, oh my God Kev funny. I say, you going up?

He said, yeah I'm gonna try some stuff too. Chris goes up.

Dave pops in later that night. Me and Chris we're talking Chappelle comes in.

We say, you going up? He said yeah.

Me and Chris go downstairs so we can watch Dave.

Keep in mind me and Chris are excited.

We just worked on new material. Chris gave me some good bits.

He went on, I gave him some good bits. Dave went on stage.

It was so good.

I mean Chris just took what we had.We balled it up.

We threw it away.

We threw it in the trash. We threw it.

I said I, I'm so disgusted with where my level of thinking was at the scene

where Dave was I got to go back in the gym. ”

Comedy cellar is a comedy club in New York.

It is designed for a small crowd

and famous comedians go there to test new material.

It is the best way for them to gather feedback

and evaluate whether or not the new material is worth using in bigger shows.

Feedback constitutes a great way

to assess one’s level of competence in any a field.

But feedback can be tricky.

What is good feedback and what isn’t?

Scott has done extensive research on the topic

and his analysis can be very enlightening.

“A lot of feedback isn't actually very helpful.

And if the feedback distracts from your ability to do the task

or, worse, it has a demotivating influence on your performance,

then it can actually be bad.

And so if I tell you for instance:

“Oh you're so great at this, you're so smart”

when you're learning, as a teacher, that actually has a negative effect.

One of the things that they found is praise is not useful for students

because praise, if it doesn't have any information the student can use to improve,

has a demotivating effect.

“Oh I'm doing this really well, OK I'm not going to work so hard now”

and so I thought that was really interesting

because we often know that really harsh and critical feedback,

“You're such an idiot,” you know, no one wants to hear that,

but also the opposite is also not great for feedback either.”

Feedback can oftentimes make us feel harsh and uncomfortable.

Ego usually gets in the way,

as well as the intentions and experience of the person offering feedback.

Extracting the signal from the noise can be challenging,

but it is a challenge we ought to embrace.

“Nigel Richards is a Scrabble legend.

They call him the Tiger Woods of Scrabble.

But clearly only referencing Tiger's abilities on the green.

Because, listen to these numbers.

Richards has won the Thailand Kings Cup eleven times,

the UK open six times, the US National Championship five times,

the English world championship three times,

and his most recent victory was the French World Championship

against an actual French speaking player.

A friend of his told the New Zealand Herald

that Richards studied the French Scrabble dictionary for eight weeks

specifically to learn the words and not the language.

I guess some of the language rubbed off on him

because Richards actually won a challenge against his opponent

who, just a reminder, could speak French.”

Nigel Richards obviously possesses a great memory,

but that’s not what made him a scrabble champion.

In one of his interviews, Richards said the following:

“It’s hard work, you have to have dedication to learn,”

elsewhere adding

“I’m not sure there is a secret, it’s just a matter of learning the words.”

It is self-evident that a learning ethos,

combined with a good memory can help you go a long way.

You forget for different reasons, like time,

overwriting old memories with new ones,

or inability to access specific parts of your memory.

However, memory, despite its obscure nature,

can be “maniputlated” through different mechanisms.

Mechanisms like spacing,

proceduralization, overlearning, and mnemonics.

These are all great techniques used by ultralearners.

They can effectively counteract your short- and long-term rates of forgetting

and end up making a huge difference in your memorization.

Richard Feyman was one of the most beautiful minds of the previous century.

What made him such a prolific figure amongst scientists

wasn’t just his intelligence

but also his unparalleled ability to continuously seek knowledge.

“But, if you realize, all the time, what’s kind of wonderful,

is as we expand our experience in the wilder and wilder regions of experience,

every once in a while we have these integrations

in which everything is pulled together in a unification

which turns out to be simpler than it looked before.”

The surface wasn’t of interest to him.

What mattered the most, was how deep he could delve into a problem.

Because if you go deep enough, anything can become interesting.

And through depth you develop intuition.

Intuition occurs when we do things naturally –

when there is no struggle entailed in our thinking process.

When you do and feel things intuitively

you operate on a level beyond comprehension.

It is the level where you know

the outcome of something before you even deal with it.

This is the secret behind most geniuses

and this is probably the first step to any form of mastery.

This is the starry night.

One of my favorite paintings and a piece of art

that, along with others, made Vincent van Gogh

one of the most influential painters across space and time.

Van Gogh was a prodigy of his time.

He started painting at the age of 26,

with no previous experience in any form of art,

and within ten years he managed to ascend to the upper echelons

of the art scene of his era.

The sad thing, however, is that, like many great artists,

Van Gogh was celebrated the most posthumously.

During his life, he was considered weird and crazy by some.

He was extremely introverted and shy and, more often than not,

he would be isolated by his peers.

What kept him going was his unfaltering obsession with drawing.

He would draw for days straight,

changing sceneries and persistently trying to improve his style.

Scott in his book raises a great point with regards to Van Gogh’s evolution:

“How can we explain these discrepancies?

How does someone who starts late,

with no obvious talent and many handicaps,

nonetheless become one of the world’s greatest artists,

with one of the most recognizable and distinctive styles?”

Of course tenacity played a significant role in his development,

but most importantly it was his willingness to constantly experiment

that made him stand out so fast.

“To really master something,

to really reach the levels of creativity and genius

that we associate with the kind of end products of a learning goal,

you really need to experiment

because, eventually, you get onto a path

that no one's been here before. Right?

When you are mastering a skill at that high level,

you are doing something that no one's done before.

So, learning in that sense is not something

you can just ask some expert what's the right way to learn this,

because you are often approaching limits of things

that you know no one has done it exactly that way before

and so you have to sort of develop that approach yourself.”

All of these principles are only starting points.

The art of learning will always be projecting new challenges to one’s life,

but, when you get the fundamentals right,

the substrate becomes more solid

and you become more ready to engross yourself into new ideas and skills.

And as Scott eloquently suggests towards the end of the book:

True mastery comes not just from following the path trodden by others

but also from exploring possibilities they haven’t yet imagined.