Using “First Principles” is the key to success

First principle understanding is reducing the problem to its most basic and fundamental facts. Then, rebuild the outcome from scratch with logic and facts, without assumptions.

Sounds simple, but it was something which I lacked for a long time. I took the world for granted; things worked because it was supposed to be like that. The world is full of fantastic phenomena, and we just accept the world for what it is and never ask “what” or “why”. Whereas my 2-year-old’s favourite word is “Why?”, “What happened?”.

We can say there are 3 ways to think of something.

1. Memorization - Rote memorisation. Read it again and again. Write it again and again till it comes by heart from memory. Most of my education was this.

2. Conceptual understanding - I have a rough idea of how this works. Haemoglobin is the substance that gives red colour and carries oxygen. Most of my medical education was at this level. I understood the concepts, which got me by.

3. First principle learning - I can derive what happens or a result from the basic facts of the matters involved. This is the way I wish to learn now. What makes haemoglobin? Where does heme come from? What are the factors affecting heme? How does it affect tissue oxygenation? What are the other factors? It keeps on going back to the basic block.

   
   

Why first principles when conceptual understanding works?

Conceptual understanding can be used effectively to solve problems and apply knowledge. But first principles let you understand and know what happens when variations occur. How does cardiac output vary with low Hb or anemia?

Not only can you predict variations, but you can alter the basic mechanisms to get better results or even outcomes never achieved before.

Elon Musk - He is a first-principles thinker. With first principles, he built a payment gateway (PayPal), an electric car company (Tesla), a rocket company (SpaceX) and many more. None of these companies shares the same idea, but what works is that if you can understand something from first principles, you can build a car and a rocket in a lifetime.

This is not limited to just one field.

Elon - Technology

Jeff Bezos - Amazon

Charlie Munger - Investing

Peter Thiel - Entrepreneurship

Socrates & Aristotle - Philosophy

First principles let us strip down complex machanisms into its basic components and follow the logical sequence to understand how the machanism works. Understanding it helps you apply the same principles to another domain and each new principles amplifies the next step in your life.

Sure, you can use tricks like Deep Work, Pomodoro, Anki Cards, spaced repetition, and it will yield results. But imagine using first principles and enjoying learning, and not to mention each principle makes it easy for you to learn the next one, even if it’s not in your domain.

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Example:

ICE floats on water.

Why does ice float?

Conceptual learning:

“Ice floats because ice is less dense than water.”

First-principles learning:

Ask: Why is ice less dense?

Water molecules form a relatively open crystal structure when they freeze → the molecules occupy more space → the same mass occupies a larger volume → density decreases.

Therefore:

Freezing → molecular arrangement changes → volume increases → density decreases → ice floats.

The key is that you don’t stop at “ice is less dense.” You ask “why?” and keep going until you reach the underlying mechanism.

It will help you question the laws of stagnation.

You can view different learning techniques at ThirdThinker post.

Elon asked why rockets are so expensive. Then broke down everything into its simpler units. One fun thing he mentioned in an interview is refusing to use a “standard” costly aerospace valve ($250,000 and switching to a standard car wash valve, which was only $ 200, and it worked perfectly. Accepting the standard because it was custom, or because it is a rocket and needs costly parts, or because it must be costly because it is premium is unacceptable when you use first principles. Do you think is more qualified than an aerospace engineer working under him?

That is what we mean by asking better questions.

I was told at a young age not to question seniors or to ask too many doubts. Doctors or consultants have shouted or scolded me not once for raising stupid questions or formulating my own assumptions.

I got good at Transfusion Medicine because I was allowed to make mistakes during my training at Jubilee Mission Medical College Hospital & Research Centre. Technicians at the blood bank joked that I could find ways to screw up or mess up tests that they had never seen in their career. But that led me to understand first principles with my colleague, Dr Sree Raj, who was always focused on first principles.

With the help of first principles, I can recreate basic tests with the resources available at my centre and support diagnosis without costly company products. I can understand which parameters affect the test results, which affect the diagnosis.

Have you ever wondered how a car engine works?

Have you ever wondered why some protocols are followed in your centre?

Why do we follow a specific pattern of hand washing?

Why are we keeping a register?

You may be following first principles even without naming it. Let me know why knowing the first principle has been useful to you.