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+# Feynman's 12 Favorite Problems
+
+> A capture filter technique adapted by Tiago Forte for Building a Second Brain
+
+## Table of Contents
+- [The Origin](#the-origin)
+- [The Concept](#the-concept)
+- [How to Use Them](#how-to-use-them)
+- [Crafting Good Problems](#crafting-good-problems)
+- [Maintaining Your List](#maintaining-your-list)
+- [Common Mistakes](#common-mistakes)
+- [Integration with Capture](#integration-with-capture)
+- [Sample Problem Sets](#sample-problem-sets)
+- [Getting Started](#getting-started)
+
+---
+
+## The Origin
+
+Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, described his approach:
+
+> "You have to keep a dozen of your favorite problems constantly present in your mind, although by and large they will lay in a dormant state. Every time you hear or read a new trick or a new result, test it against each of your twelve problems to see whether it helps. Every once in a while there will be a hit, and people will say, 'How did he do it? He must be a genius!'"
+
+---
+
+## The Concept
+
+### What Are Favorite Problems?
+
+Open-ended questions that:
+- You're deeply curious about
+- Don't have easy answers
+- Connect to your goals and values
+- Span years or decades
+- Guide your learning and capture
+
+### Why 12?
+
+- Enough to cover major life areas
+- Few enough to remember
+- Forces prioritization
+- Creates a filter for information overload
+
+---
+
+## How to Use Them
+
+### As a Capture Filter
+
+When you encounter new information, ask:
+
+> "Does this relate to one of my 12 problems?"
+
+If yes → Worth capturing
+If no → Probably skip it
+
+### As a Learning Guide
+
+- Direct your reading toward your problems
+- Choose courses that address them
+- Seek conversations about them
+
+### As a Creation Prompt
+
+- Write about your problems
+- Share your findings
+- Build projects that explore them
+
+---
+
+## Crafting Good Problems
+
+### Format
+
+Frame as questions starting with:
+- "How can I...?"
+- "What would it take to...?"
+- "Why does...?"
+- "What is the relationship between...?"
+
+### Characteristics of Good Problems
+
+1. **Open-ended**: No single correct answer
+2. **Personal**: Genuinely matters to you
+3. **Evolving**: Deepens over time
+4. **Cross-domain**: Connects multiple interests
+5. **Long-term**: Not solved in a week
+
+### Examples by Category
+
+**Career & Work**
+- How can I do meaningful work while maintaining financial stability?
+- What would it take to become an expert in my field?
+- How do I balance depth and breadth in my skills?
+
+**Learning & Growth**
+- How can I learn faster and retain more?
+- What makes some explanations clearer than others?
+- How do I develop better judgment?
+
+**Relationships**
+- How can I be a better partner/parent/friend?
+- What creates lasting, meaningful connections?
+- How do I communicate more effectively?
+
+**Health & Wellbeing**
+- How can I maintain energy throughout life?
+- What habits have the highest ROI for health?
+- How do I balance ambition with contentment?
+
+**Creativity & Expression**
+- What is my unique creative voice?
+- How do I overcome creative blocks?
+- What would I create if I weren't afraid?
+
+**Systems & Productivity**
+- How can I do more of what matters and less of what doesn't?
+- What's the minimum viable system for staying organized?
+- How do I make better decisions faster?
+
+**Philosophy & Meaning**
+- What makes a good life?
+- How do I reconcile competing values?
+- What do I want my legacy to be?
+
+---
+
+## Maintaining Your List
+
+### Regular Review
+
+- Review quarterly
+- Problems should evolve
+- It's okay to retire problems
+- Add new ones as interests change
+
+### Integration with PARA
+
+| Problem Type | PARA Location |
+|--------------|---------------|
+| Active exploration | Projects |
+| Ongoing inquiry | Areas |
+| Collected insights | Resources |
+| Resolved questions | Archive |
+
+### In Your Second Brain
+
+Create a note: `My 12 Favorite Problems`
+
+```markdown
+# My 12 Favorite Problems
+
+Last updated: 2025-01-15
+
+## Currently Active
+
+1. **How can I...?**
+   - Recent insights: [[note1]], [[note2]]
+   - Active project: [[Project Name]]
+
+2. **What would it take to...?**
+   - Recent insights: [[note3]]
+
+[...continue for all 12...]
+
+## Retired Problems
+
+- Former problem (retired 2024-06)
+  - Why retired: Found satisfactory answer
+  - Key notes: [[summary]]
+```
+
+---
+
+## Common Mistakes
+
+### 1. Too Specific
+- Bad: "How do I fix my sleep schedule?"
+- Good: "How can I optimize my energy and recovery?"
+
+### 2. Too Vague
+- Bad: "How do I be better?"
+- Good: "How can I develop expertise while maintaining curiosity?"
+
+### 3. Not Personal
+Don't copy someone else's problems. These must genuinely matter to you.
+
+### 4. Too Many
+Stick to ~12. If you have 50 "favorite" problems, you have no filter.
+
+### 5. Never Revisiting
+Review and update regularly. Problems should evolve.
+
+---
+
+## Integration with Capture
+
+### Quick Test
+
+New information arrives. Ask:
+
+1. Does this relate to a favorite problem? (Yes/No)
+2. If yes, which one(s)?
+3. How does it add to my understanding?
+
+### Tagging Convention
+
+```yaml
+tags:
+  - problem/productivity
+  - problem/learning
+```
+
+Or link directly:
+
+```markdown
+This relates to [[My 12 Favorite Problems#Problem 3]]
+```
+
+---
+
+## Sample Problem Sets
+
+### The Knowledge Worker
+1. How can I produce high-quality work consistently?
+2. What makes communication truly effective?
+3. How do I build genuine expertise?
+4. What's the relationship between focus and creativity?
+...
+
+### The Creator
+1. How do I find my authentic voice?
+2. What makes ideas spread?
+3. How do I balance creation with consumption?
+4. What role does constraint play in creativity?
+...
+
+### The Leader
+1. How do I bring out the best in others?
+2. What makes teams high-performing?
+3. How do I make good decisions under uncertainty?
+4. What's the relationship between culture and results?
+...
+
+---
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### Exercise: Draft Your 12
+
+1. Set 30 minutes
+2. Brain dump all questions you're curious about
+3. Group similar questions
+4. Select the 12 most compelling
+5. Refine the wording
+6. Create a note in your vault
+
+### First Week Practice
+
+Each day, when you capture something:
+- Pause and consider your 12 problems
+- Note which problem it relates to
+- Add the connection in your capture
+
+---
+
+*Technique adapted from Richard Feynman, popularized by Tiago Forte in Building a Second Brain.*