How to learn and master a new skill

A couple questions & answers on how I approach the process of learning. I'll try to do more of these if it's of value to anyone. These two questions today comes from Patreon: / lexfridman

[@lexfridman]

A couple questions & answers on how I approach the process of learning. I'll try to do more of these if it's of value to anyone.

[@nencobar]

Very valuable. Gonna commit to learn meditation 💪🏿

[@sockpiano]

It's valuable. I'm awakening after a long (10-year) dormancy, and I need the motivation to keep going. Thanks for sharing yourself and your obstinate hope.

[@sarahbowman7566]

Always interesting and my level of intrigue for what pearls of wisdom will follow next is through the roof

[@rifleman42051]

Discipline + Consistency + Passion + Good Habits = Mastering Subjects and Life!!! Winners never quit and losers always quit!!!!

[@FatalFriction]

The timing of this video is great for me. Thanks! On this subject, do you have any previous videos on what is a good learning path for me to learn machine learning? I'm currently taking online courses and my interests are in visual GANs and I'd eventually like to be making AI that makes music.

[@vedantraghuwanshi555]

"The way to remove motivation out of the picture is to build a habit" - Lex Fridman

[@NoMoreFunland]

Great quote!

[@neelpatel122]

Nice

[@shaycarter2602]

Yes.

[@gmont5082]

I didnt realize all the people in the comments were such masters of life! I apologize for those of us that didnt know motivation was like soo stupid and annoying and that we should just build habits... Duhh.

[@gmont5082]

@Masster Gunnz im calm.. Ur trying to win to feel good about urself and u dont get to win. I win cause im white and better...

[@patrikkarlsson9523]

The pursuit of habitness

[@aaronschulze1250]

Lol

[@chriskarapatakis6780]

Hahaha

[@Cottagebythesea]

There's a bumper sticker

[@dexikid]

Lol is this in response to the comment above? Lol perfect

[@griotolu7040]

Lol. That's the path to excellence though

[@jacky7878]

Make it a habit - set a minimum amount each day - schedule it every day (minimum) 2hrs for a year or even less like 10minutes - discipline - grind it out even though you don't want to - struggle is a sign you're on the right path - see it as competition other people will give up

[@paddymuppy]

I've done this with alcohol 🍸

[@hungrygamer7717]

@@paddymuppy Nice

[@opaapa4180]

Holy shit that last part 😳

[@broski2702]

@@paddymuppy good ..

[@maggyfrog]

aren't we lucky that people like lex share their thoughts and passion online? this channel is very inspiring and goal-affirming.

[@synewparadigm]

Thank you. It's a very good observation.

[@maggyfrog]

"mastery is impossible" is an excellent reminder to just keep going and going and never ever stop. gotta remind myself this every single day.

[@noobiewatcherz9938]

i don't like "mastery is impossible" , i prefer "halfass the whole damn thing".

[@gustavobarboza2865]

Be one of a kind with your own set of skills 🤝

[@codinginflow]

He forgot to mention deliberate practice. You can spend hours practicing everyday and get nowhere if the difficulty is too easy

[@Joseph-C]

Good point, I actually fell into this problem with guitar without realizing. Make sure to set difficult and achievable goals and deliberately move towards them

[@pontusmeier8585]

Very true, focus on doing the right things. The 10% that produce 90% of the result

[@nonka9198]

@@pontusmeier8585 aw😝😩😴😴😴😴😊😴😴

[@trst361]

What if you actually spend 1-2 hours a day with no goal, yet honestly show up. Then eventually you start on an outward spiral of curiosity/boredom that covers all bases that one could call mastery.

[@indoor_gangster]

@@pontusmeier8585 I would love to see you handle that one reversed 95% - 5% for an extended period, mr positive slogan you! ✌

[@krishnachavan1332]

"Struggle is a sign that you are on the right path"-Lex(I straight away write it down and put on my study table thanks 🙏)

[@rohithdsouza8]

Some key notes: To Master something, Build a habit around that activity and make sure you do it everyday. At the initial stage, 2h/day for an year and after that ~20m/day for 5 years to get exceptionally good at it. But the key point is to do it everyday despite the fact that you might not feel like doing it and just grind through these days. Passion is volatile and it'll come in again and carry you through.

[@TheWilliamHoganExperience]

Spot on Lex, Spot on. I've become proficient in many different domains in my life. These include becoming a licensed architect, college professor, armature racer, surfer, golfer, solo sailor, long distance cyclist, mixed martial artist, fine art photographer and musician. All of these began with passion and obsessional interest, followed by years of daily hard work and dedication to building the skills required for each. If you love something, learning about it and mastering the skills needed to do it is an absolute joy - so do what you LOVE. The rest will follow.

[@robertsmithington8892]

Keep in mind, when your career/jobs revolve around learning, that becomes your life naturally. Lex is a great example of this. His learning of these different fields benefit his business/jobs. That can create a lot of motivation, realizing that both of these things benefit each other. Lex is part of the intelligentsia, (it’s not inherently good or bad), which means he gets paid to learn and teach. It’s kind of like an HVAC tech learning more about electricity, energy consumption, and business, then applying it. Knowledge and education is best when it benefits you just as much as others.

[@bradhernandez8841]

You're a great role model Lex. Keep up the great work my man

[@bobdinero1426]

Rolex.

[@furkanedizkan7202]

Thank you for the inspiration, that really means a lot. I have been struggling in my classes until I saw your videos and how you and other very skilled people see the world, what they think about the future and now. That really inspired me to be better of myself, thank you.

[@ayem6948]

Thank you for this video. I found that one of the greatest obstacles of learning is the feeling that you’re no progressing fast enough. Listening to you explaining how long it takes to really learn something was refreshing and inspiring

[@KPheeze]

Such a well spoken and humble guy. If only the world could be like this..

[@k0oLwHiP]

Whats great about this Lex, is that people like me can discover this at any point from the moment you uploaded this, and onward. I have lost that thing called passion with my guitar, and with me falling in love with working in the trade business. Thank you for the gentle reminder on how it can be done.

[@binary-me]

Love your channel, Lex. I was amazed to see all these amazing people you talk to. Very soon after listening I can see why they would love your company. Legend mate!

[@CandyMoney1000]

Keep doing what you are doing Lex. It's awesome to see a channel like yours grow!

[@amandaromero433]

I needed this today Lex, you're an inspiration to us all. I deeply appreciate everything you bring us. Hope your day is a good one.

[@meriembenkhalifa4949]

Yes , looking forward to hearing the full answer. Genuine and thoughtful as always

[@jillybean4899]

Thank you for another piece of great advice. I started playing bass at 50 years old and following something along these lines is right on.

[@blokechain]

Lex just served us Atomic habits in less than 10 minutes.

[@stopPlannedObsolescence]

Is a nice book btw

[@googleuser471]

@@stopPlannedObsolescence yup

[@arttorres439]

Thanks Lex! I appreciate you and your podcast so much. You and your podcast guests are always insightful and open doors to things I never could’ve imagined. As an engineering student it is sometimes difficult to navigate through college especially as a first generation student. Your podcast keeps me motivated and reminds me how the pursuit of knowledge is one worth while. Thanks again Lex, I wish you continued success!

[@anshuljain7464]

This is the first video I've watched from your channel... And I feel like I've learnt something very fundamental about living life... Thank you...🙏

[@pablocarmona7998]

Just to confirm Lex point, I'm an English learner, I'd been in an English academy for 1.5 years and I got my B2 level some months ago, I knew that I had to improve my listening skill because I wasn't good at it, so I started spending around 4h per day, pushing myself even if I wanted to just mess around. It took me up around 7 months to understand a native English speaker well, however, right now I know that I have to get better in my writing and speaking skill, but I know that day by day, step by step even If it is a small step, with discipline and passion I can achieve it, so guys keep in mind that hard work always pays off! Don't step back!

[@marcuse9011]

I am on the same path but different langauge :) C1 is all about understanding subtle differences. I am also amazed you understand everything here.

[@pablocarmona7998]

@@oscarinacan Thanks :)

[@jordanl6620]

Hugely helpful video Lex. Discipline is the first word that comes to mind when I see you in a suit! Would love to see more of these short videos thanks!

[@mrsyed3432]

You're absolutely right. If we really stick with something for a long we'll get all the things from it sooner or later

[@RichardClementAugustus]

Beautiful! Thank you. I completely agree with this credo. I've been following my passion (juggling diabolo) for the last 21 years and I do 1 hour of practice every day. Although I'm not naturally gifted at it and I started practicing pretty late in life, the rewards that I get from the discipline of it are amazing over the long run. Sometimes it's tough to keep doing the practice, when you're not motivated, but it's now a strong habit. I've been coaching students for the last 20 years and keep talking about how important discipline and habit are. It's so great to hear someone else talking about this overlooked aspect of achieving long-lasting joy and happiness in life :) Thanks Lex!!

[@aidanrupert404]

The forming of habits around a skill is one of the best things we can do to get better at something. Just 10 minutes a day on something everyday can be huge in improvement its great to hear someone as skillful as Lex put things into the context of forming habits.

[@Hyper484]

Passion will go up and down, that's when discipline comes into play. Bravo!!

[@yourbestfreind777]

Lex you are truly a gift to humanity. Thank you for everything you do. Keep up the great work

[@TrossDolfei]

From my own experience of being self-taught in a lot of things like programming (which is now my job), french, guitar, singing etc: i think the most important part of "learning how to learn" is to find your own way of learning - and that only comes from experience. I know that's kind of a "duuh", but it's true.. But i'll give you what helps me: If i'm learning to code for example: instead of focusing on the details of the skill (like a certain language), I try to put myself in the shoes of a skilled programmer and I think to myself: why does this person love to code? What is it about writing gibberish computer talk that gives this person so much pleasure/feeling of accomplishment? (insert own answer here) My own answer: because it enables them to make/do cool things! Like back in the day before I knew how to code I used to think Facebook was the coolest thing (it's not anymore lol), so my first project was to create a very stripped-down version of facebook where you can upload pictures and you can write posts.. and voila I was on my way! And the cool thing about doing it this way is that it won't feel like learning if you're only trying to accomplish a specific goal, because then that function that uploads the pictures is only a stepping stone to reach the greater goal. So in the end I was left with a broken, shitty version of facebook that took 12s to load each refresh and it was terrible - but I had somehow learned the basics of programming while not really thinking about it (because spoiler alert: code is just a tool to reach your goal, your way of thinking/problem solving is your skill) And when i learned french, everyone in every course tells you to learn grammar first, which is of course the most logical way and will help you later... But nah that shit is too boring for me! So i just found a KZbinr that i like (i recommend Norman Fait des Videos), put on subtitles and i just sat for hours on end pausing the video for every sentence and translating the words over and over again until I remembered them and got a feel for the language! Very inefficient, but I enjoyed doing it this way and got to watch cool videos at the same time: I'm a very brute-force kind of learner haha. So yeah that was my two cents on learning! Good luck to you guys out there.

[@macholuke8118]

Those four skills are all habits I’m trying to build into my life but have struggled. I’ll do really good for a week or two then fizzle out in motivation. Thanks for getting me to push myself a little harder!

[@kombaimusiclab3699]

Alors qu'est ce que tu deviens ? Ton travail te plaît ? Moi aussi je fais de la programmation et de la musique, et j'adore les podcast de Lex !

[@mckayhba360]

Woah. Thanks for that !!

[@im2524]

thanks for this

[@TrossDolfei]

​@@kombaimusiclab3699 Ah c'est cool! Es-que tu faire musique dans la ordinateur ou tu joué un instrument? Oui mon travail me plait beaucoup! Merci pour ton commentaire et je te souhaite bonne chance!

[@meccis2]

I love this guy! Thanks for doing what you do for others! 👍💪

[@dianasima8968]

Watching this was very important for me at this moment in my life :) Thank you, Lex!

[@enzolopez4453]

I love this! I actually needed to watch this because of the skills I've been imagining to acquire.

[@TheSSB007]

So eloquently explained! Listening to your podcasts motivates me everyday

[@Sam-md2cd]

The idea of grinding it out even when you don't want to do it resounds strongly with me!!! Thanks for the video.

[@honeylove5842]

This is so motivating as I’m following my passion as a painter . I’ve cried and felt like giving up and when I decide to push through it , magic happens and I’ve realized I did it . My painting doesn’t t look like shit .

[@simiangripcollective]

Great mind hack, Lex! Having retired recently, and looking for something to do to keep me from total boredom, I dusted off my old guitar and started playing again with the idea of maybe visiting skilled care facilities and playing for the elderly in a post covid world. One trick? I implemented to fuel my interest and dedication is that I purchased a three string cigar box guitar (a super nice one, solidly built electric). I play mostly in an open G turning (GDg), occasionally using a slide. I've found that the cigar box guitar tends to lead me back to my six string acoustic, learning the same songs on both instruments, cross training--if you will. There is a huge community of dedicated CBG enthusiast which has also helped fuel my interest in learning. I'm certainly not a master of either instrument, but I'm enjoying the journey, the learning experience. And, so far, I haven't been bored since I retired. Be safe. Be well. And thank you.

[@aldrigvila]

Dude Ive slept on you for way too long. Thank you so much for all that you do. You truly are a rolemodel and someone who continues to inspire me daily. Thank you.

[@ryanmillichap8327]

A lot of love for you and your podcast Lex, truly a diamond in the rough as far as humans go :D

[@doktordaxter]

"It gets easier. But you have to do it everyday, thats the hard part. But it does get easier."

[@abhijeetsharma5715]

BoJack

[@TechMind33]

That look when you gave while saying "Not singing" is very powerful. Hey Lex I enjoy your podcast and your other works. Keep it going.

[@VileHint]

Hey Lex, thanks for sharing. For a lot of people following you you are an example and an outstanding person who achieved a lot. So your life example is important

[@vasiligoyal7956]

Thank you Lex , your podcasts are very insightful and inspirational.

[@RockerChair99]

I love watching your podcast and watching you speak so intelligently on various subjects and fields. The passion I see when you’re talking about programming and AI has inspired me to learn to code. I’m starting with python as many experts suggest. It’s actually waaay easier than I thought. I mean I’ve only just started so I know it should get more difficult, but I’m loving it so far. What stopped me from learning before was the bullshit outdated notion that you have to be mathematically / analytically inclined to succeed in such fields. I know better now. Thanks for inspiring me Lex.

[@strahinjajelic869]

Thank You sir, You quickly became one of favorite people that I listen to! You always know what to say and how to say!

[@Beesmakelifegoo]

Thank you. You are showing us how to overcome inertness! I love your compassion and I am very fortunate to have encountered you when I watched a Joe Rohan. To undo a habit and create a new one, Is the key to developing discipline. As Peterson also teaches. You are changing our society. Happy holidays. Margo

[@musefirefox2420]

Definitely of value. Thanks Lex, your fans really appreciate these videos

[@DiabeticDawg]

I appreciate that Lex continues to ask and attempt to answer questions that are seemingly answerless. The questions that we may all sheepishly be curious about.

[@Optiks1987]

Keep being you lex. I've heard you broach the subject of maintaining/building an audience and im sure you were just being humble but you already know the answer because you've done just that thus far. You are the perfect balance of wise and knowledgeable yet curious and open minded. Something I strive to be as well. Thank you for your content and I look forward to seeing how you progress!

[@thelittleworldtraveller]

Thank you Lex! This is a wonderful video for us to learn about you and you are definitely are an inspiration! Your podcasts made a difference in my life and I’m sure for others well - so thank you!

[@shoaibmahmud5471]

Sir you are one of the most down to earth and hardworking person i have ever seen, your approch to life has chnaged my prepective . Thanks for all of the contribution to the earth.

[@stevo-dx5rr]

"Strumming in a way that allows me to sing" - So relatable. After my son was born, and after 15 years of playing guitar and never really learning to sing while playing, I finally started trying in earnest. I've always had what I'd call a "focused" mindset, one in which I pay attention, more or less, to one thing at a time. As such, I've found singing while playing to be very challenging; it feels like some sort of mental gymnastics. The best advice I have is to learn the guitar part so well that you could play it in your sleep, and then add the lyrics. I've also found that practicing guitar on my acoustic while wandering around the house, trying to have conversations while playing, etc, also helps. After some months of practicing this every day, slowly improving, it's beginning to feel like I'm finally making some progress. At times, it almost feels as though I've unlocked another CPU core.

[@DefrostedNeanderthal]

You're an inspiration Lex, thank you.

[@ohlssonster]

Would love more on this topic- Incredibly inspiring. Keep rocking Lex

[@exokristian]

What a great base of knowledge you build and share! Thank you.

[@jasonberezny9705]

Thanks Lex! Very useful advice. I appreciate your connection to music. Music and art has been a catalyst and anchor of positivity in my life for 47 years. I just turned 49. 🤘🖖👽🇨🇦

[@erfan9166]

You just solve my biggest problem nowadays in the first 3 minutes of your video. Thank you

[@brucemcgoveran8154]

You are wise beyond your years. Thank you for these insights.

[@hopetolight]

Thank you for sharing your views and methods to making your vision a reality!

[@EdwardScape]

Lex, thank you. This is great, I have been on and off picking up Python and trying to learn it, maybe this time I’ll manage to stick to it.

[@chriskarapatakis8210]

Lex thank you for all your content. Your points of view, your path and the pick of guests gave me a lot of answers to break obstacles. Can you please make a video on how would you start over if u would start again a youtube channel or podcast? Lots of respect ! stay hard!

[@SevenDeMagnus]

Thanks Prof. Lex. God bless you.

[@bhoondiwilliams9955]

thanks Lex, you resonate with me on so many levels ... thanks for being you young man

[@corykeane]

Thanks for sharing, Lex! You da GOAT

[@krzemian]

7:20 "I enjoy the pursuit of mastery of the art itself, not necessarily in comparison to others" (paraphrased). I can relate. Great vid, Lex, thank you!

[@luisf7105]

Thank you, Lex! I needed to hear this today, as I'm trying to learn to code at 52, to make a career change due to a recent disability.👊🏽🙏🏽

[@mohitnagarkoti4086]

Thankyou lex for making a positive difference in my life.

[@nickerokhin4288]

This will help a lot of people. Thank you Lex

[@drstoneftw6084]

I get happy whenever I see lex fridman video . Period

[@dianedevery3711]

So humble, Lex. You are one out of the box 🌈❤️

[@jane1891]

Inspiration! Thanks Lex! Since I’m all locked down anyway and my son lent me his fiddle to use, I think it’s time to throw myself back into music, again! Haven’t played since I was a kid but I’ve screwed around a bit and I still remember a lot. I just play by ear so that helps with remembering it, I think.

[@VR_JPN]

I think the everyday thing works simply because your brain realizes, "Oh, I need this everyday" and registers that neurons should be allocated to the activity, making it actually easier as time goes along to improve. I live in Japan, and struggled for years to improve in the language, but I started a habit of listening to Japanese news/talk shows on the way to work (non-passively) and after a while, I was able to say things that I hadn't sat down to study... as though my mind had decided to learn it for me to help me out. Fascinating stuff!

[@wuschelbeutel]

Excellent lessons, Lex. I especially liked the point about embracing difficulties

[@mikoajkacki9443]

you are a role model Lex, thank you for inspiration! + I like this self-development kind of videos

[@he_is_a_GOOBER_dont_disrespect]

Clearly humility is very important. You are a great thinker and so should we all strive to be

[@potheadpilot]

You've fixed me, Lex. Thank you. Now I can move forward again 🙌

[@Bluesky-xo1vu]

You are a fascinating human being Lex. I admire you. You are wise beyond your years.

[@JasonWrightArt]

I got an iOS app called Productive and one of the habits I put in there is practice guitar every day. At least half an hour. Seeing visually how many times I’ve done it helps a lot. I got the app trial then ended the subscription before trial and they offered it for 10 a year instead of 30. That guitar rust is falling off me, plus I’m back at the gym and recording more music. Good luck out there!

[@kumanish75]

i love this guy's clarity

[@Levi-ji2vn]

I find so often that lex and his guests speak about their thoughts on life or habits they have formed and find that I too feel this way or do this thing without even realizing it. I've been trying to learn how to draw and I've set up a very strict regimen to follow simply because I had quit in the past simply because I let myself lapse.

[@jeremysnowdenz]

“I personally think that struggle is a sign that you're on the right path.” 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@nurgazyseidaliev6129]

Lex is a gem among all other youtubers and I am happy to have discovered him. He is actually a role model for me since we have so much in common)

[@user20517]

discipline and building a habit are essentials for success. i got this advice earlier, but I am going to stick to it this time. Thanks Lex!

[@ancientkid1635]

THANKS FOR THIS IM HAVING A VERY TUFF TIME IN THE STOCKMARKET BUT IM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND THIS HELPS ME ALOT . KEEP GRINDING !! STRUGGLE MEANS IM ON THE RIGHT PATH .

[@jyotib47]

Thanks Lex. Every time I start to feel lazy, you appear like Yoda and straighten things out. This thanksgiving , thankful to have found you in black hole of you tube ❤️🙌🏼

[@Lili-fs6sq]

Lex, thank you for sharing with us kindly and candidly what you know, what you love and what you need to work on! I really enjoyed listening to you as a guest on many JRE podcasts. As someone who imigrated from Romania 16 years ago, I liked hearing that you are still connected to the place where you were born, still speak the language fluently and consciously step out of your comfort zone to think deeply about many issues that humans face / have faced and will face throughout our evolutionary history. I enjoyed listening to your podcast with Dan Carlin and all the really deep questions you were asking him! I didn't know Putin was very admired and respected when he first became president and that B Yeltsin chose him as his next successor, which was the first time in Russian history that has ever happened. I don't know much about Russian history, but I do know, from growing up in a deep communist country, that no matter how bad things get, idealistic young people ( true, brave-heart, bleeding-heart, woke people) are and will always be the ones to raise the alarm whenever there's injustice in the world! I'm greatful for and to them! I think there will always be wars to be fought because of the duality of human spirit. Even if, in the far away future, AI will be trained to recognize instigators, the beginning of chaos and quench those fires by removing the threat, disconnecting it from everyone and everything else, the seed of our human nature was implanted in us at the very beginning - we're made from chaos ( big bang? the stars, DNA mutations..etc) and nothing about human nature is calm and serene. Everything that brings us joy ( healthy bodies, sharp minds, giving and receiving love, helping someone/ something selflessly, listening to music made by human gods like Estas Tonne - The Song of the Golden Dragon, or Omar Bashir/ To my mother or by nature gods - like a breezy symphony in a meadow on a summer afternoon in Ouray, Colorado right after a thunderstorm) - is very valuable to us. We will always fight to protect these sources of joy....but i wouldn't want it any other way. La joie de vivre! I love this beautiful life! 🌺🕊️👣🌾🌼

[@AS-fu1kd]

Perfect video, I've been spending the last few weeks learning how to draw and I've been trying to do it for at least a bit everyday. Awesome video

[@Xanoxis]

I started the same in January. It works, even if I did it only for couple minutes on bad day. It's worth it!

[@andressuarez1]

Thanks Lex, video for the rest of the 2021... DO THE THING does not matter how hard it get, one must keep rolling.

[@mattyartsy]

Thanks for inspiring me to get back on my disciplined path. Much love Lex.

[@jimfarey]

I love the 2 hours a day for a year to start something. Great way to start with music :)

[@prakash_77]

Super useful and insightful! Thanks Lex for the wisdom.

[@ccsconnor7705]

Lex, I saw this video this morning and it motivated me to pick up my tele and practice, finished learning Time and Us vs Them. Just 1 track left for dsotm thanks Lex

[@rstallings69]

Thank you for these words of wisdom- new habits come hard to me ( low conscientiousness on the Big five) but you have given me the reason to try harder! ( and maybe keep to a schedule)🤪

[@rikeshsilwal9125]

Loved your idea about habit. It's been a couple of months I have started learning Machine learning at least an hour a day. Hoping for the better results in the future.

[@missyounorm33]

Every teenager who struggles with the challenge and quits needs to hear this.

[@TAZS]

Thank you Lex for the reminder, I'm going to try this next week!

[@amac333]

one way I think about the passion / diligence relationship is that those moments of passion seem to ignite on the forefront of my experience learning and finding new things. So without that diligence, I can't keep my skills sharp enough move forward and I keep repeating previously covered ground. Something like this. Thanks for answering this question Lex.

[@RestingRelaxation]

Amazing video. I learned a bit about myself through you. Thanks Lex, have a good day.