1. how to balance sell and deliver 2. [[when visual (color coding, graphic) helps or harms]]? 3. how to push without pricking? 4. how to live an ergodic life? 1. articulate and concise inputs (experience) and outputs (choices) 2. predictably unique 3. consistent revealed preference and stated preference 4. algorithm: define diagnostics sharpen my life's value around unified uniqueness that earns consensus so that values in my obituary are equivalent with that of my diary?, theory, model, use of my life converge? 5. what are relationship and or tradeoff between three metrics: effectiveness, efficiency, satisfiability? 6. mindset for social participation? weight in objective function as weighted average of myself and the others - **Feynman's Original Method for Genius**: Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman made it a practice to keep about a dozen "favorite problems" constantly in his mind. [[1]](https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/think-like-feynman-why-you-should-have-12-favorite-problems/) These were not necessarily urgent tasks, but big, open-ended questions he was deeply curious about, such as "How can I accurately keep track of time in my head?" or "What is the unifying principle underlying light, radio, magnetism, and electricity?". [[2]](https://fortelabs.com/blog/12-favorite-problems-how-to-spark-genius-with-the-power-of-open-questions/)[[3]](https://favoriteproblems.com/) The idea, as described by his contemporary Gian-Carlo Rota, was that every time Feynman encountered a new piece of information or "trick," he would test it against his twelve problems to see if it offered a new angle or a potential solution. [[2]](https://fortelabs.com/blog/12-favorite-problems-how-to-spark-genius-with-the-power-of-open-questions/)[[4]](https://www.developgoodhabits.com/12-favorite-problems/) This created a fertile ground for making unexpected connections and led to breakthroughs that others often attributed to sheer genius. [[5]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhC1Exo50U) - **Adoption in "Building a Second Brain"**: Productivity author Tiago Forte incorporated this concept as a foundational exercise in his popular personal knowledge management (PKM) methodology, "Building a Second Brain". [[6]](https://parentotheca.com/2024/02/18/building-a-second-brain-tiago-forte-summary/)[[7]](https://little.zachphillips.blog/2021/04/09/my-favorite-problems.html) Forte encourages people to define their own twelve favorite problems to act as a guiding filter for the massive amount of information they encounter daily. [[8]](https://medium.com/@RationalBadger/my-7-takeaways-from-building-your-second-brain-by-tiago-forte-44ff6ed93ff1)[[9]](https://juliasaxena.com/12-favorite-problems-pop-writing-how-to-ask-better-questions/) In the context of building a digital "second brain," these questions help you decide what content is meaningful enough to capture and how it might connect to your long-term personal and professional goals. [[6]](https://parentotheca.com/2024/02/18/building-a-second-brain-tiago-forte-summary/)[[10]](https://www.nathancashion.com/blog/2022/9/12-favorite-problems) - **The Purpose and Benefit**: The ultimate goal of this practice is to transform you from a passive consumer of information into an active creator of knowledge and solutions. [[11]](https://bernardzitzer.com/12-favorite-problems/) By keeping these personally meaningful questions at the forefront, you prime your brain to recognize relevant information, incubate ideas over time, and spot serendipitous connections between seemingly unrelated topics. [[2]](https://fortelabs.com/blog/12-favorite-problems-how-to-spark-genius-with-the-power-of-open-questions/)[[6]](https://parentotheca.com/2024/02/18/building-a-second-brain-tiago-forte-summary/) This method provides a practical framework for focusing your attention, nurturing curiosity, and making consistent progress on the challenges and interests that matter most to you. [[9]](https://juliasaxena.com/12-favorite-problems-pop-writing-how-to-ask-better-questions/)[[12]](https://nesslabs.com/favorite-problems) --- <br> ### Footnotes [[13]](https://umbrex.com/resources/tools-for-thinking/what-is-twelve-favorite-problems/) Umbrex. "What is Twelve Favorite Problems? Tools for Thinking." _umbrex.com_. [https://umbrex.com/resources/tools-for-thinking/what-is-twelve-favorite-problems/](https://umbrex.com/resources/tools-for-thinking/what-is-twelve-favorite-problems/) [[2]](https://fortelabs.com/blog/12-favorite-problems-how-to-spark-genius-with-the-power-of-open-questions/) Forte Labs. (2022, September 26). "12 Favorite Problems: How to Spark Genius With the Power of Open Questions." _fortelabs.com_. [https://fortelabs.com/blog/12-favorite-problems-how-to-spark-genius-with-the-power-of-open-questions/](https://fortelabs.com/blog/12-favorite-problems-how-to-spark-genius-with-the-power-of-open-questions/) [[1]](https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/think-like-feynman-why-you-should-have-12-favorite-problems/) The Art of Manliness. (2023, May 2). "Think Like Feynman: Why You Should Have 12 Favorite Problems." _artofmanliness.com_. [https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/think-like-feynman-why-you-should-have-12-favorite-problems/](https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/think-like-feynman-why-you-should-have-12-favorite-problems/) [[6]](https://parentotheca.com/2024/02/18/building-a-second-brain-tiago-forte-summary/) Parentotheca. (2024, February 18). "Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte - Book Summary, Notes and Quotes." _parentotheca.com_. [https://parentotheca.com/2024/02/18/building-a-second-brain-tiago-forte-summary/](https://parentotheca.com/2024/02/18/building-a-second-brain-tiago-forte-summary/) [[5]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhC1Exo50U) VickyBeeamp. (2022, November 16). "Feynman's Method | 12 questions that will change your life." _YouTube_. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhC1Exo50U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhC1Exo50U) [[7]](https://little.zachphillips.blog/2021/04/09/my-favorite-problems.html) Phillips, Z. (2021, April 9). "My '12 Favorite Problems' (One Year Ago)." _zachphillips.blog_. [https://little.zachphillips.blog/2021/04/09/my-favorite-problems.html](https://little.zachphillips.blog/2021/04/09/my-favorite-problems.html) [[4]](https://www.developgoodhabits.com/12-favorite-problems/) Develop Good Habits. (2025, February 27). "12 Favorite Problems: Questions for Understanding Concepts and Increasing Productivity." _developgoodhabits.com_. [https://www.developgoodhabits.com/12-favorite-problems/](https://www.developgoodhabits.com/12-favorite-problems/) [[3]](https://favoriteproblems.com/) FavoriteProblems.com. "12 Favorite Problems - The biggest List Online." _favoriteproblems.com_. [https://favoriteproblems.com/](https://favoriteproblems.com/) [[8]](https://medium.com/@RationalBadger/my-7-takeaways-from-building-your-second-brain-by-tiago-forte-44ff6ed93ff1) Rational Badger. (2023, April 28). "My 7 Takeaways from Building Your Second Brain by Tiago Forte." _Medium_. [https://medium.com/@RationalBadger/my-7-takeaways-from-building-your-second-brain-by-tiago-forte-44ff6ed93ff1](https://medium.com/@RationalBadger/my-7-takeaways-from-building-your-second-brain-by-tiago-forte-44ff6ed93ff1) [[14]](https://www.neurohackingly.com/12favouriteproblems/) neurohackingly. "12 Favourite Problems: Richard Feynman's Framework For Discovering A Purpose In Life." _neurohackingly.com_. [https://www.neurohackingly.com/12favouriteproblems/](https://www.neurohackingly.com/12favouriteproblems/) [[9]](https://juliasaxena.com/12-favorite-problems-pop-writing-how-to-ask-better-questions/) Saxena, J. (2021, September 17). "Newsletter: 12 favorite problems, POP writing & how to ask better questions." _juliasaxena.com_. [https://juliasaxena.com/12-favorite-problems-pop-writing-how-to-ask-better-questions/](https://juliasaxena.com/12-favorite-problems-pop-writing-how-to-ask-better-questions/) [[10]](https://www.nathancashion.com/blog/2022/9/12-favorite-problems) Cashion, N. (2022, September 20). "Richard Feynman's 12 Favorite Problem's from Building a Second Brain." _nathancashion.com_. [https://www.nathancashion.com/blog/2022/9/12-favorite-problems](https://www.nathancashion.com/blog/2022/9/12-favorite-problems) [[11]](https://bernardzitzer.com/12-favorite-problems/) Zitzer, B. "My 12 Favorite Problems - Changing my Life through Curiosity." _bernardzitzer.com_. [https://bernardzitzer.com/12-favorite-problems/](https://bernardzitzer.com/12-favorite-problems/) [[12]](https://nesslabs.com/favorite-problems) Ness Labs. "From problems to curiosity engine (Feynman's favorite problems)." _nesslabs.com_. [https://nesslabs.com/favorite-problems](https://nesslabs.com/favorite-problems)