The Best Learning Method in History: 2,400 Years Ahead of Its Time

Buy The Socratic Method book

In this video, we dive deep into the Socratic Method, an ancient yet powerful technique for learning that promotes critical thinking and intellectual exploration. Discover how you can apply Socratic questioning to enhance your study sessions, understand complex concepts, and foster a deeper, more meaningful understanding of any subject.

What You’ll Learn:

What is the Socratic Method?
How to use Socratic questioning in your studies
Practical examples of applying the Socratic Method in real-life learning scenarios
Tips and strategies for maximizing your learning potential
Whether you're a student, educator, or lifelong learner, this video will equip you with the tools you need to think critically and engage with content in a more profound way. Get ready to transform your approach to learning!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Brief History of Socrates
01:26 Socratic Method Lives On
01:43 How to Apply it to Your Learning
03:23 Learning Is not Passive!
05:11 Part 2 I'm infuriated!
06:00 Longer Example of Applying Socratic Method
07:39 How you should do it
09:00 My favourite book on Socratic Method

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[robertogerardi]

If you want to go straight to the Socratic's method: 6:25

You are welcome.

[lukemacmullan]

1. Before you open your book, reflect on what you already know. Write it down, this helps you analyse your personal biases
2. Identify points that challenge or confirm your initial assumptions. Consider why and how they do this. This clarifies understanding and indentified blind spots.
3. Ask probing questions. Look for underlying assumptions, create potential counter arguments.
4. Test hypothesis. Develop hypothesis based on your reading. How do they hold up against evidence form multiple sources.
5. Engage in dialogue. Test ideas of find new perspectives.
6. Reflect (after reading and writing)
* This can help to inform your further learning, areas of weakness, areas where you believe you are right but others may be wrong.

[dorianphilotheates]

I’ve got an uncle named Sokrates ( he’s my dad’s first cousin, and runs a souvlaki joint in Astoria N.Y. together with his brother Aristotle — no foolin’!). Like his ancient namesake, Uncle Sokrates likes to bug and “confuse people”, but they keep coming back for more (mainly because he makes a mean gyros 🌯).

[kagepoker]

The key word is EXAMINATION. In other words, we must scrutinize, analyze and critically evaluate everything. Such is the stance of a lover of wisdom--a philosopher. As Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living.

[TheDavidlloydjones]

An oddity: Socrates was a war hero -- for his behaviour in defeat. A sergeant in the Athenian Army, he held his men together when his battalion was falling apart and getting slaughtered around them by the Persians, and was remembered by dozens of his men as their immediate and genine saviour.

[douglasstrother]

When I was in Physics, I would organize "Problem Set Parties" with some classmates. We always had good discussions about homework & lecture notes, and they were a fun & productive way to socialize.

Attending office hours (both the Professor's & TA's) with some good (or stupid) questions was a big help.

[mintuchakraborty]

Good job, carry on your work to future 🎉🎉

[EmmaMoshood-qbtt]

Thanks bro, I always learn new things from you .Mostly about personal development 😊

[YO-BIZZY]

Basically keep questioning scenarios based off of the content you are learning

[youtoo]

Hi Giles. Thank you for a very informative video. Can you please make a video on the first principles thinking method too?

[lucasferrer]

I love this channel so much.. started following around late 2016 and over the years just have gotten better and better

[ConAnEdujawa]

I hope you make a video about reading and showing us your approach 😊

[JakeRichardsong]

The used car scenario is a useful analogy.

[VaibhavShewale]

well the main thing i grasp is that we should always have three things when approaching or learning new things is the WWH approach and this is What, Why and How

[Hofer]

As a programmer you also want to learn what do your clients actually want?
How do you learn the most from a tutorial?
How can other developers learn what your code does?

[Tintak_hatpin]

This method is good, but when I was a student, problem for me was there were too many topics to cover under each chapter of each subject within a very limited time, especially after high school. For example during my Engineering, we typically had around 4 months from the start of the semester to the exams. In that 4 months we had 6 subjects + 4 or 5 labs. Now each of these subjects and multiple chapters and each chapters had multiple sections or topics to cover, & then problems associated with those topics to solve. So you dont really have the luxury of time with you to deepdive in each topic like that.

[SimGunther]

The most powerful one-word question of all: Why?

You can get to the root of things in 5 whys and receive a better education than most classrooms will give you in a whole semester.

[TheGoldenWildcat]

I am angry that no one ever thought of teach kids to how to use this best learning method in schools.

[knw-seeker]

School system wasn’t made to teach people how to learn but behave like robots for the future job

And it’s still based mostly on the same principles

[---Oracle---]

Tip: You can always engage in discussion about it with an llm you don't need someone else