Richard Feynman was a brilliant professor and physicist, best known for his work in quantum mechanics and in particle physics. His book “Surely, You’re Joking, Mr Feynman” is well worth your time and doesn’t require knowledge of physics or math. He was quite proud of his “active social irresponsibility” – much of which is covered in his book.

His general outlook on life was one we could all learn from:

  • Avoid being overly analytical, seek to understand: “There is a difference between knowing the name of something, and knowing something.”
  • Always be open to new ideas: “It doesn’t matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn’t matter how smart you are. If it doesn’t agree with experiment, it’s wrong.”
  • His approach for learning new things may seem overly simple but it works:
    • Choose a Topic: An area of study or complex concept.
    • Explore: Research, think about and learn about the topic.
    • Explain it simply: Assume you must teach your topic to an intelligent child.
    • Keep digging: Continue to explore the topic, targeting areas you struggled to explain or simplify.

His overall philosophy was a key to his happiness:

  • There is little we can do to change other people and the circumstances, but there is a lot we can do to change ourselves and to better our understanding of the world.
  • Focus on changing yourself and to make the future better
  • Don’t feel responsible for the world or company you are currently in.