Speaker 1: Elon Musk came out and explained what happened to him that changed his life. Although Elon Musk obtained not one but two degrees, he is not someone who credits his college education to his success. In fact, he feels just the opposite. Elon has his own way of learning anything he wants. And it is simply because he's honed certain techniques for learning. And if you acquire these techniques, you can become a much better version of yourself, that's for sure. And specifically, Musk explained how he easily understands anything he wants and never forgets anything he has ever read. So, Elon Musk finished his studies at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in economics and physics. He wanted to do a PhD at Stanford University in California, but soon left to start a web software company, Zip2, with his brother Kimball. Musk didn't go back to university and has been critical of the education system. He thinks it doesn't help with fast and deep learning or focus enough on critical thinking and solving problems. Musk chose to learn on his own, using textbooks and talking to experts in different areas. One of the first experts Musk contacted was Jim Cantrell, a specialist in satellite systems, according to his LinkedIn. Cantrell said he believed Musk almost memorized everything he read. This intense study helped Musk learn enough to have detailed talks about rocket science and related topics. After this self-taught phase, Musk planned the rocket that SpaceX would later use. Elon Musk often credits his skill in understanding tough topics to a learning strategy he calls the Semantic Tree. This method is about really getting the basic ideas or core truths of a topic first, like the main trunk and big branches of a tree, before getting into the smaller, detailed parts, which are like the leaves. Musk thinks it's crucial to know these basic concepts first, because they're the base for more complicated ideas. This way of learning is different from the usual way of memorizing facts, which often starts with small details, the leaves, without really understanding the main ideas, the trunk and branches. By focusing on the basic parts, Musk makes sure his understanding is strong, and that he can link complex ideas back to their simple principles, helping him understand new things better and more fully. When Musk wants to learn something new, he spends time figuring out the most basic parts of that topic. For instance, when he wanted to learn about rocket science for SpaceX, he began with the basic physics of how things move, how objects orbit in space, and the science of materials, instead of jumping straight into the complex details of rocket design or how to fly them. This way, he built a strong base of knowledge, which helped him learn and create new things more effectively. By always connecting new information to these basic ideas, Musk can take in and use new knowledge better. This learning method, like building a semantic tree, doesn't just help him understand complicated topics but also helps in coming up with creative solutions, as it lets him combine ideas from different areas, leading to innovative answers. For example, here are Musk's words that sum up perfectly his philosophy. Elon said, When you struggle with a problem, that's when you understand it. And so, if you've once, you've done that, then you have a pretty good grasp of it. In fact, that's one of the ways when I interview someone to work in the companies, would be to ask them to tell me about the problems that they worked on and how they solved them. And if someone was really the person that solved it, they'll be able to answer multiple levels. They'll be able to go down to the brass tacks. And if they weren't, they'll get stuck. And then you can say, oh, this person was not really the person who solved it. Because anyone who struggled hard with a problem never forgets it. Also, there's a saying that if you try to learn many things, you won't become an expert in any. But Elon Musk proves this wrong. He learns a lot about different topics and is very successful. History shows other smart people, like Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo, who were good at many things too. This isn't just because they were talented, but also because they used what they learned in one area to help them in others. This mixing of knowledge can change how you think and lead to new ideas. For example, someone who knows both physics and biology will see things differently and have unique ideas. Musk studied both economics and physics, which are very different. But knowing both helps him think of new business ideas. His brother, Kimbal Musk, says Elon used to read two books a day, which is a lot. He didn't just read about one topic. He read about many. This helped him learn how to use what he knows in one area to help in another. This is why he could combine his basic knowledge of artificial intelligence and engineering to create Tesla's technology. Musk is known for his multidisciplinary approach, drawing connections between different fields of knowledge. This synthesis enables him to innovate and apply concepts from one domain to another, a skill that is particularly evident in his ability to disrupt multiple industries simultaneously. And Musk famously said, I was always sort of really interested in reading when I was a kid, and I read everything that I could get my hands on. I read the encyclopedia probably around age 9 or 10. Well, not that I actually wanted to read the encyclopedia, but I ran out of things to read. So in desperation, I read the encyclopedia, just sort of. I got bored easily, and so unless I was doing something like reading or playing a video game or watching TV, and we had like terrible TV in South Africa, it was really bad TV. So boredom led to a lot of reading. I read thousands and thousands of books. So if you want to be better at learning, try reading about many different topics, just like Elon Musk. This can help you understand new things more easily and come up with unique ideas.