How To Grow Better "Knowledge Trees"

Summary

This video script explores a systematic approach to self-improvement and learning, inspired by Elon Musk's advice to understand fundamental principles. It introduces a three-step strategy: using the 'why' ladder to break down complex issues, purposeful procrastination to gather information and identify consensus, and explaining concepts to a five-year-old to ensure a solid grasp of the fundamentals. The script uses physical fitness and evolution as examples to illustrate how understanding the basics can transform one's approach to learning and self-improvement.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The importance of understanding fundamental principles before delving into details, as suggested by Elon Musk, is emphasized.
• 🔍 A systematic approach to learning involves 'going down the Y ladder' to break down complex issues by asking 'why' until reaching a foundational understanding.
• 🌫 Tim Urban's method of 'finding the foggy spots' in understanding a topic is highlighted as a way to identify areas of confusion and work through them.
• 🏗️ The concept of 'purposeful procrastination' is introduced as a means to explore a topic broadly by skimming various sources to understand consensus and disagreement.
• 📚 The idea that the body adapts according to the demands placed upon it (SAID principle) is presented as a fundamental principle of physical fitness.
• 🧬 The significance of understanding evolution as a 'trunk' of knowledge for grasping human biology and fitness is underscored, with an example of how it relates to protein consumption.
• 🤔 The script challenges common fitness beliefs by encouraging critical thinking through the lens of evolutionary biology.
• 🌐 The process of learning is likened to building a semantic tree, where the trunk represents fundamental principles and the leaves are details or specifics.
• 📝 The three-point strategy for learning includes using the Y ladder, purposeful procrastination, and explaining concepts to someone else to ensure a deep understanding.
• 👶 The concept of explaining complex ideas as if to a five-year-old is used to illustrate the importance of simplifying knowledge to test one's own understanding.
• 📈 The video script advocates for a foundational knowledge in any field of interest, using the example of fitness to demonstrate how a lack of it can lead to misconceptions.

Q & A

What is the semantic tree concept mentioned in the script?

The semantic tree concept is a metaphor for organizing knowledge, where the trunk and big branches represent fundamental principles, and the leaves represent details or specifics. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the foundational concepts before delving into the finer details.

What is the 'Y ladder' and how is it used in the learning process?

The 'Y ladder' is a method of questioning where one asks 'why' repeatedly to understand the root cause or fundamental principle of a concept. It's used to break down complex issues and to identify the foundational knowledge needed to grasp a subject.

Why does the script mention Tim Urban and his approach to learning?

Tim Urban is mentioned as an example of someone who uses the 'Y ladder' method to find and clear the 'foggy spots' in his understanding of a topic. His approach is used to illustrate how one can systematically work through a subject to gain a deeper understanding.

What is 'purposeful procrastination' and how does it differ from regular procrastination?

Purposeful procrastination is a strategic form of delaying where one engages in broad, exploratory learning about a specific topic. Unlike regular procrastination, which is aimless, this method is directed towards understanding the general consensus and areas of disagreement within a subject.

How does the script suggest using the 'purposeful procrastination' method to understand a topic?

The script suggests starting with a basic foundation, such as a Wikipedia article, and then opening multiple tabs to skim read various articles to get an overall sense of the topic. This helps to identify areas of consensus and disagreement, which are key to understanding the fundamental principles.

What is the principle of 'Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand' and why is it important in fitness?

The principle of 'Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand' (SAID) states that the body adapts to the specific demands placed upon it. It's important in fitness because it suggests that the body will change in response to the type of exercise and training it is subjected to, whether it's lifting heavy weights or performing high repetitions.

Why does the script emphasize the importance of understanding evolution in the context of physical fitness?

The script emphasizes the importance of understanding evolution because it provides a fundamental framework for understanding how the human body responds to exercise and nutrition. It helps to evaluate various fitness practices and theories in light of how our bodies have adapted over time.

What is the script's stance on the common belief that the human body can only absorb a certain amount of protein at a time?

The script challenges this belief by suggesting that from an evolutionary perspective, it would make sense for humans to be able to absorb more protein at once, especially considering scenarios where food was scarce and protein intake needed to be maximized.

What is the final step in the script's three-point strategy for understanding a new topic?

The final step is to explain the topic as if to a five-year-old, which helps ensure a firm grasp of the fundamentals. This method forces one to simplify complex ideas and verify their own understanding.

How does the script relate the concept of evolution to the understanding of protein consumption in fitness?

The script uses evolution to argue that the ability to absorb a large amount of protein at once could have been an evolutionary advantage, especially in scenarios where protein-rich food was consumed in large quantities during a single meal.

What does the script suggest as a method to evaluate new knowledge in the field of fitness?

The script suggests using the foundational knowledge of evolution as a 'trunk' to evaluate new fitness knowledge, ensuring that any new information can be properly assessed and integrated into one's understanding.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 Building a Knowledge Tree: The Fundamentals

The video script starts by referencing Elon Musk's advice on viewing knowledge as a semantic tree, emphasizing the importance of understanding fundamental principles before delving into details. The speaker admits the lack of clarity on how to achieve this and introduces their three-point strategy for systematic learning. The first step involves using the 'Y Ladder', a method of questioning why repeatedly to uncover the basic understanding of a topic, as illustrated by Tim Urban's approach to understanding complex issues like AI and Fermi's Paradox.

05:01

🔍 Purposeful Procrastination: Finding the Consensus

The second step in the learning process is termed 'purposeful procrastination', which, unlike regular procrastination, has a clear purpose: understanding a specific topic. The speaker explains that this involves initial broad research, such as skimming multiple articles to grasp the general consensus and areas of disagreement within a subject. This step is crucial for identifying the 'walls' of understanding, or the agreed-upon facts, and the areas of uncertainty that require further exploration.

🦒 Evolution as the Root of Fitness Understanding

The final step is to explain concepts to someone else, ideally in a simple manner, as a test of one's own understanding. The speaker uses the example of evolution to illustrate this point, explaining that evolution is not just about survival but about successful replication of organisms. They discuss how understanding evolutionary principles can shed light on various fitness concepts, such as protein consumption, and dispel myths by providing a more fundamental understanding of the human body's response to exercise and nutrition. The video concludes by encouraging viewers to apply this method to other areas of interest and to share their insights.

Keywords

💡Semantic Tree

A semantic tree is a conceptual model used to represent the hierarchical structure of knowledge, where the trunk represents fundamental principles and the branches and leaves represent more detailed information. In the context of the video, it is used to emphasize the importance of understanding the foundational concepts before delving into specifics. Elon Musk's quote about knowledge as a semantic tree is referenced to highlight this point.

💡Fundamental Principles

Fundamental principles are the basic, underlying concepts or theories that form the basis of a subject or field. In the video, the script discusses the necessity of understanding these principles before exploring more detailed aspects, using the semantic tree analogy to illustrate the point that details are meaningless without a solid foundation.

💡Y Ladder

The Y Ladder is a metaphor for the process of asking 'why' repeatedly to understand the root cause or fundamental principles of a concept. It is named after the shape of the letter 'Y', which branches out as questions are asked. The video script uses the Y Ladder to describe a method of digging deeper into a subject until reaching a clear, foundational understanding.

💡Foggy Spots

Foggy spots refer to areas of confusion or lack of understanding within a topic. Tim Urban, mentioned in the script, uses this term to describe the unclear parts of a subject that need to be explored and understood. The concept is integral to the Y Ladder method, as identifying these spots is the first step in the process of gaining clarity.

💡Purposeful Procrastination

Purposeful Procrastination is a technique where one intentionally delays an activity with a specific, overarching goal in mind, rather than aimlessly wasting time. In the video, it is presented as a strategy for learning, where the individual skim-reads various sources to get a broad understanding of a topic, identifying areas of consensus and disagreement.

💡Consensus

Consensus refers to a general agreement or shared understanding among a group of people. In the script, the process of purposeful procrastination leads to the identification of consensus areas within a topic, which helps in establishing a foundational understanding before exploring more contentious or nuanced aspects.

💡Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand (SAID)

SAID is a principle in exercise science that suggests the body adapts to the specific demands placed upon it. The video uses this principle as an example of a fundamental concept in physical fitness, illustrating how understanding such principles can provide a 'trunk' of knowledge for more detailed information.

💡Evolution

Evolution is the process by which species change over time through genetic variation and natural selection. In the video, it is highlighted as a foundational concept for understanding the human body and physical fitness, with the script suggesting that a basic understanding of evolution can provide insights into various fitness practices and beliefs.

💡Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the fittest is a phrase often associated with evolution, suggesting that those best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. The video script uses this concept to explain how evolutionary principles can be applied to understand the human body's adaptations to different fitness practices.

💡Protein Absorption

Protein absorption refers to the process by which the body takes in and utilizes protein from food. The video script challenges a common belief about the limits of protein absorption, using evolutionary reasoning to suggest that the body's capacity for absorbing protein may be greater than previously thought.

💡Explain Like I'm Five

Explain Like I'm Five is a concept where complex ideas are simplified to be understood by someone with no prior knowledge of the subject, akin to explaining it to a five-year-old. The video emphasizes this method as a way to ensure a solid grasp of fundamental concepts, using it to illustrate the importance of being able to convey knowledge clearly.

Highlights

Elon Musk's quote emphasizes the importance of understanding fundamental principles before delving into details.

The speaker's personal quest to develop a systematic approach to learning new things.

Introduction of the three-point strategy for understanding fundamentals.

The 'Y Ladder' technique for breaking down complex issues by asking 'why' repeatedly.

Tim Urban's approach to identifying and clearing 'foggy spots' in understanding a topic.

The process of understanding electric cars by tracing back to the finite nature of fossil fuels.

Purposeful procrastination as a method for gaining a broad understanding of a topic.

Using Wikipedia and skimming articles to identify consensus and disagreement in a subject area.

The importance of identifying the 'trunk' of knowledge in a subject, exemplified by physical fitness.

The SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand) as a fundamental concept in fitness.

The role of evolution in understanding the human body and physical fitness.

The concept of explaining complex ideas in simple terms to ensure understanding.

The evolutionary perspective on protein consumption and its implications for fitness.

The evolutionary advantage of being able to absorb more protein in a single meal.

The necessity of a baseline knowledge of human body responses to exercise and nutrition.

The final recommendation to start with the fundamentals when learning any new skill or subject.

Invitation for viewers to share their thoughts on the foundational knowledge in various fields.

Transcripts

all right so if you've spent much time

thinking about self-improvement or the

process of learning you've probably

heard this quote before it's important

to view knowledge as a sort of semantic

tree make sure you understand the

fundamental principles i.e the trunk and

big branches before you get into the

leaves or details or there is nothing

for them to hang on to so that comes

from elon musk and it gets quoted

everywhere and what's always bothered me

about it is that nobody ever actually

explains how you're supposed to do that

like you're supposed to understand the

fundamentals of whatever it is that

you're interested in but how do you

actually start to understand what those

fundamentals are this is something

that's important to me because i love

learning new things and so a few months

ago i sat down to try and work out a

systematic way for doing this and my

three-point strategy for doing that is

what i'm gonna explain in this video

okay step one is going down the y ladder

okay so if you've spent much time around

small children you already know what the

y ladder is it's the thing where a child

asks why once and then every answer you

give leads to another why until you get

to something you can't explain and at

that point you either look up the answer

ask them why they think it happens or

you tell them because i said so

hopefully you don't do that last one too

often and so if you're a grown-up the y

ladder is often a good way to pull apart

something that you don't understand

about a complicated issue tim urban

who's put together some amazing book

length blog posts about topics like ai

fermi's paradox and tesla talks about

finding the foggy spots in the story

that make him kind of glaze over because

he doesn't fully understand them and as

tim says when you clear away the fog

from the surface you often find more fog

underneath so then you keep repeating

that process or going down the y ladder

until you clear away all the fog and you

hit what feels like the bottom in the

case of understanding why electric cars

are important that might be

understanding where fossil fuels come

from and why that makes them a finite

resource and then that leads you to an

understanding of the fact that we are

going to have to get ourselves away from

our reliance on them eventually and also

an understanding that it's better to

speed that process along for various

other reasons so start with a concept

you don't understand and keep asking why

until you haven't got a clear answer and

that's where you start with the next

stage okay step two is what i'm going to

call purposeful procrastination

and procrastination gets a bad rap

especially among like self-improvement

circles but what makes this different

from the regular kind is that there is

actually an overarching purpose to it

you're not just randomly clicking around

online or on social media you are trying

to understand one specific topic so

urban talks about how he always starts

by feeling like he's blindfolded in a

room and at the start of the process

he's just feeling his way around trying

to work out where the walls are so he'll

start a wikipedia for a basic foundation

and to kind of understand the topic in

general and then he also talks about

something that i do a lot which is just

opening tab after tab on his computer

and skim reading a whole bunch of

different articles to get an overall

sense of the topic and you might be

worried that you're going to end up

reading things that contradict or that

don't agree or that are inaccurate but

at this stage that doesn't really matter

because all you're doing is reading a

whole bunch of stuff to get an idea of

where there's disagreement and where

there's consensus on what we as like a

species broadly agree on about whatever

it is you're trying to learn so ask

yourself where do all these articles and

videos agree that's where the walls are

and that's where you've started to find

what the consensus on the topic is and

then you can start to map out the places

where there isn't so much consensus

which lets you understand the topic more

broadly so as an example of how this

might work let's talk about working out

for a second working out is something

that a lot of people have strong

opinions about even though almost nobody

has a strong trunk of knowledge backing

up the things they think they know so

over the course of their lives people

accumulate a lot of leaves or twigs kind

of disconnected facts about physical

fitness that they're based on something

they tried once or something a friend

once told them or something they think

they once read somewhere and this is why

most people can't agree should you train

to failure or not should you mostly run

fast or slow how much protein should you

eat these are things a lot of people

have an opinion about but that almost

nobody can back up with a solid trunk of

knowledge so what should be the trunk of

your knowledge about fitness i think one

good answer to this is the said

principle or specific adaptation to

impose demand so that basically means

that your body will adapt to whatever

you frequently ask it to do whether that

means lifting one heavy thing once or

lifting a light thing a whole bunch of

times but i actually think there's a

better place to start an understanding

of physical fitness and how the body

works and you can even call out the

roots of your tree if you like i think

that's best explained by this quote from

biologist theodosius dabzhansky nothing

in biology makes sense except in the

light of evolution but to get into that

it's probably time to move on to step

three of growing your knowledge tree and

step three is to explain it like someone

else's five okay so you're probably

already familiar with this concept

there's a quote that's often

misattributed to einstein that goes if

you can't explain something to a six

year old you really don't understand it

yourself and you might have also seen

the episode of the office where oscar

tries to explain office budgeting to

michael by talking about lemonade stands

and obviously you don't literally have

to do this but trying to make something

super understandable for somebody who's

unfamiliar with even the basics is a

great way to make sure you've got a

really firm grasp on the fundamentals of

it yourself and so bearing that in mind

here's my best attempt at explaining why

understanding evolution is absolutely

fundamental to an understanding of the

human body and how physical fitness

works if you want to you can just skip

this part and head to the conclusion

okay so you've probably heard evolution

described as survival of the fittest and

that's true but only kind of up to a

point what actually happens is when

organisms replicate themselves whether

they're plants or animals or whatever

their offspring aren't always exactly

the same sometimes mutations in their

dna result in those organisms changing

in ways that might be beneficial for

them or might not a common example is

that if you live somewhere where the

most nutritious food is up high having a

slightly longer neck and then everyone

else is really helpful and over

thousands and thousands of generations

that means you get some animals with

really long necks there's also a counter

example that not everybody mentions

which is that if there's plenty of food

on the ground then growing and

maintaining that enormous neck might be

a waste of resources and calories that

could come in more useful elsewhere so

in food on the ground land having a long

neck might actually be an evolutionary

disadvantage which is also important to

understand now the really important

thing to understand about evolution is

that it's not about helping the

organisms survive but helping them to

replicate if you have six children then

die as soon as they're capable of taking

care of themselves then you're still

incredibly evolutionarily successful

compared to someone who only has one

child but then lives into really old age

now obviously it's all a lot more

complicated than that but even a

baseline knowledge of evolution like

this can let us consider different ideas

about fitness in a whole bunch of

different ways so for instance look at

protein consumption for a long time the

common knowledge in fitness circles was

that you could only absorb about 20 or

30 grams of protein in one sitting and

that if you took in any more other than

that it would be either excreted or

exhaled or otherwise wasted in some way

that meant there wasn't any point in

taking it in the first place and

obviously this works out great for you

if you're a company that sells

convenient ways to get 30 gram hits of

protein every day um and it's not so

great if people start thinking well

maybe i could just eat a steak for

dinner and get 80 grams in one shot but

does that make sense in light of

evolution not really imagine you're part

of a caveman group that kills a mammoth

if you all eat a huge chunk of that

mammoth meat in one go the guys who

can't use most of the protein they've

just eaten are going to be an

evolutionary disadvantage over the guys

who can use it for growth and repair and

if that scenario happens often enough

over thousands of years then the cavemen

who evolve the ability to absorb lots of

protein in one go are going to be a huge

evolutionary advantage over those who

don't so in evolutionary terms it makes

sense that we would be able to absorb a

decent chunk more protein than like 30

grams at one setting and you would need

really solid reasons or evidence to

explain why the opposite is the case and

it's a lot more complicated than that

but the point is that evolution is a

great trunk of knowledge to start

considering other things you hear about

fitness whether they're about

intermittent fasting stress anything

like that and trying to understand

fitness without a baseline knowledge of

how the human body responds to exercise

and nutrition is like just scooping

leaves and twigs up off the ground

you've got no way to evaluate them and

nothing to hang your new knowledge off

so again the process for growing a

strong knowledge tree is to use the y

ladder procrastinate purposefully and

make sure you could explain it to

someone else i really can't recommend

this enough it's why you want to start

with music at the theory you want to

start with brazilian jiu-jitsu are the

fundamental principles of what you're

trying to do to the other person i'm

going to put a whole bunch of links in

the description that go into more detail

on some of these areas even if you're

not interested in these specific areas i

would love to hear what you think the

foundation of knowledge in other areas

that i don't know anything about i love

learning stuff i would love to hear from

you until the next time good learning

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