People can fool themselves into believing they understand something more deeply than they really do. It often comes from being focused on learning the wrong thing, such as the name of something instead of what it really is.
We have to learn when we know, when we don&#39;t know, what it is we know, and what it is we don&#39;t know.

What to focus on when learning something

Problem Solving

<ul>
<li>Step 1: Pick something you want to learn. Spend time with the idea until you have internalized it as best you can.</li>
<li>Step 2: From memory, write everything down that you know about the subject in a way that a child can understand. Write the items down that you don&#39;t remember and find answers for those items.</li>
<li>Step 3: Question every line you have written down. Some things you will understand, but at some point, you will write things down that you don&#39;t know. Then find the answers to these new topics.</li>
<li>Step 4: Repeat step 3 until the questioning adds no incremental value. Reorganize the various information you found interesting. Then question your own information to see if there are more gaps in your understanding.</li>
</ul>

Learning with the Feynman technique

It is 1941 and you have a problem. While you haven’t yet gotten around to defining quantum electrodynamics, or even started your work helping design the atomic bomb, you are nearing the end of your second year of graduate school. This means you have an exam soon.

Learning From the Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique: How to Learn Anything Faster and More Efficiently

The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything