Work to understand the core principles of a field
Summary
- Work to understand the core principles of any field that you undertake to learn
Details
- These are usually just few, less than 10.
- e.g. finance: spend less than you earn, save the difference, be patient
- health: sleep, eat veggies, not top miuch, exercise
References
Quotes
John Reed wrote in his book Succeeding:
When you first start to study a field, it seems like you have to memorize a zillion things. You don’t. What you need is to identify the core principles—generally three to twelve of them—that govern the field. The million things you thought you had to memorize are simply various combinations of the core principles.
In finance, spending less than you make, saving the difference, and being patient is perhaps 90 percent of what you need to know to do well. But what’s taught in college? How to price derivatives and calculate net present value. In health it’s sleep eight hours, move a lot, eat real food, but not too much. But what’s popular? Supplements, hacks, and pills.
Mark Twain said kids provide the most interesting information, “for they tell all they know and then they stop.” Adults tend to lose this skill. Or they learn a new skill: how to dazzle with nonsense.