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