How to become an expert in ANYTHING FAST (Ultralearning by Scott Young)

Summary

Scott Young shares his system for accelerated learning to master new skills quickly. It involves pre-learning to map out what to learn and how, focused and directed practice to transfer knowledge to real situations, and drilling weaknesses to avoid bottlenecks. This cycle ultimately leads to intuitive expertise where you can think effortlessly and originally about the subject, innovating and expanding boundaries. But reaching this next level requires diligent application of his rigorous methods.

Takeaways

• 😀 Scott Young's system for faster learning involves pre-learning (planning), focused learning, and drilling weaknesses.
• 🧭 Pre-learning involves researching what to learn and the best order and methods to learn it.
• ⏱️ Set a deadline for pre-learning to avoid procrastination.
• 🎯 Focused learning eliminates distractions and trains focus through meditation etc.
• 🎯🎯 Directedness tailors learning techniques to the context you need to use your new skills.
• 🔧 Drilling isolates and corrects weaknesses that are exposed during practice.
• 😎 True mastery leads to intuitive, effortless thinking and innovation.
• 📈 The combination of focus, directed work and drilling boosts expertise.
• 🥅 Reaching the next level requires hard work following Scott Young's system.
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Q & A

What is the first step in Scott Young's learning system?

The first step is pre-learning, which involves planning out what you are going to learn, the order you will learn it in, and how you will learn it.

What is the danger of spending too much time on pre-learning?

The danger is that pre-learning can lead to procrastination. Planning and fantasizing about learning is more enjoyable than actually sitting down to study, so it's important to set a deadline for finishing the pre-learning phase.

What are the three main principles of Young's learning approach?

The three main principles are: focus - eliminating distractions and training your focus, directedness - gearing practice towards the context you want to use your knowledge, and drilling - identifying and correcting weaknesses.

Why is transferring learning from one situation to another difficult?

Humans are not very good at transferring learning between different contexts. For example, statistics students may not have better intuitive probability estimations despite taking classes.

What does Young mean by drilling?

Drilling involves first identifying a weakness during practice, then spending targeted time correcting that weakness with specific practice before returning to direct practice.

What level of mastery does Young's system aim for?

The goal is to hone skills to an intuitive level where you can think effortlessly and originally about the subject, innovate, and potentially expand the boundaries of the field.

Why is focus important in learning?

Focus eliminates distractions, allowing you to fully utilize your limited study time. Focused learning is more effective, efficient, and enjoyable than unfocused learning.

What technique helps gear study towards a specific context?

Directed practice that approximates as closely as possible the actual situation you want to apply your knowledge to. For example, writing practice essays for a history exam.

How can intuition aid mastery?

Intuition is the sum of our distilled knowledge and observations. It allows us to cut through information overload and make strong, original claims about our field.

How can Young's system lead to innovation?

By honing abilities to an intuitive level, we can think effortlessly about our subject and have the expertise to expand the boundaries of the field through innovation.