Unlocking Your Intuition: How to Solve Hard Problems Easily

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  • Опубліковано 2 тра 2024
  • Intuition. It's one of your brain's most powerful processes, and yet, so few people know how to really make use of it. So here's a bit of information in every sense - what it is, why it's so great, and how you can make yours even better.
    This is all in the context of problem solving - programming, math, chess, life, etc. Any sort of "mind sport" or problem solving process.
    Sources (probably not exhaustive):
    www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
    lithub.com/gut-feelings-how-d...
    www.frontiersin.org/articles/...
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insight
    eocinstitute.org/meditation/d... (if you want a reading on meditation)
    Music (not in order, I'm lazy)
    Local Forecast - Slower by Kevin MacLeod
    Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song...
    License: [yt dislikes this link, removed]
    Dreams by Bensound
    www.bensound.com
    Support by RFM - NCM: bit.ly/2xGHypM
    Sthlm Sunset by Ehrling
    • Ehrling - Sthlm Sunset
    (not exactly sure how to credit, the link is dead)
    Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V (Creative Commons License)
    creativecommons.org/licenses/...
    Support by RFM - NCM: bit.ly/2xGHypM
    Paradise by Ikson ( / ikson )
    Link: • Ikson - Paradise
    This Is For You (Prod. by Lukrembo)
    Link : • lukrembo - this is for...
    Timestamps
    00:00 Intro
    01:02 About me (my qualifications)
    01:59 What is intuition?
    04:07 Intuition or insight?
    04:46 Why is intuition important?
    05:39 How can you use intuition?
    07:55 How can you improve intuition?
    12:38 Do smarter people naturally have stronger intuition?
    16:00 Conclusion
  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,7 тис.

  • @mrmidas1398
    @mrmidas1398 Рік тому +4675

    The subconscious is the ultimate computer. Cognition is the keyboard. Every point this man made is perfect.

    • @ray_x6959
      @ray_x6959 Рік тому +43

      the subconscious is the creator of your own reality👍

    • @somewhatunbiasedtalks
      @somewhatunbiasedtalks Рік тому +17

      Meat riding here is crazy

    • @dharnaprasad161
      @dharnaprasad161 Рік тому +3

      Cognition would better be CPU, and sight and movement can be keyboard haha

    • @greatcesari
      @greatcesari Рік тому +4

      What does that even mean?

    • @ils4844
      @ils4844 Рік тому +20

      @@greatcesari It's just wordvomit as usual.

  • @mohakus4
    @mohakus4 Рік тому +2181

    I always called that instinct, that feeling that clicks when I get to face a problem, it tells me that everything is kind of connected and that there are patterns everywhere. I really love that feeling of smoothness and fluidity that you get when you see a problem and already know how to solve it.

    • @electricimpulsetoprogramming
      @electricimpulsetoprogramming Рік тому +52

      You described exactly what I feel when I'm programming some backend services

    • @leafyclass
      @leafyclass Рік тому

      @@electricimpulsetoprogramming YES

    • @astronemir
      @astronemir Рік тому +22

      For me instinct is more primal and usually comes from another category. Like my brain gets intuition into things it’s done before but instinct is much more nebulous, (where the F did the brain came up with the instant thought even though I’ve never done or experienced this thing).

    • @Yuki-qs5mt
      @Yuki-qs5mt Рік тому +6

      Jesus loves you guys! He died on the cross for our sins! Repent and live for God before it's too late 🙏

    • @ceeeceee8753
      @ceeeceee8753 Рік тому

      @@electricimpulsetoprogramming Do you enjoy backend? Thinking about learning programming for a new career.

  • @OneNamelessHero
    @OneNamelessHero Рік тому +1742

    Personal summary:
    1. Use intuition as an additional resource - don't fully rely on it
    2. Be more mindful - meditation can also help with bettering your intuition
    3. Be passionate - a motivated brain is a much more effective one

    • @MysticLGD
      @MysticLGD Рік тому +7

      thx

    • @thegodofthenewworld4142
      @thegodofthenewworld4142 Рік тому +9

      How do I be passionate??

    • @OneNamelessHero
      @OneNamelessHero Рік тому +24

      @@thegodofthenewworld4142 In the video, when speaking about passion, Colin meant that you should be passionate in whatever you want to better your intuition. He was giving an example of him using intuition in his personal vocation - competitive programming. So it's better for you to have a genuine desire to do that in which you want to excel intuitively.

    • @tuningsnow
      @tuningsnow Рік тому +8

      I think you forgot the big one: memory.
      He basically did so many problems that they are now ingravated in his memory.

    • @CamelliaFlingert
      @CamelliaFlingert Рік тому +7

      @@OneNamelessHero but what if i don't have a passion for anything at all? i'm just existing as some vegetable and don't understand what is wrong with me my whole life, i don't even have a motivation to go eat something and always forgetting about it or just doesn't do anything

  • @tferguson222
    @tferguson222 Рік тому +313

    I’m an attorney and basically used your system of training my intuition to prepare for two bar exams. I only studied for ten days (for each exam) and passed both tests easily. Thank you for the great video.

    • @ritiorlandosaremybae3164
      @ritiorlandosaremybae3164 Рік тому +3

      proud of you!!

    • @golfinonotturno9697
      @golfinonotturno9697 11 місяців тому +2

      Well done, Turd.

    • @deuteriumtritium9700
      @deuteriumtritium9700 9 місяців тому +10

      ​@@golfinonotturno9697😮

    • @chaudiep8274
      @chaudiep8274 8 місяців тому +9

      Can you share how you train your intuition to pass both tests with just 10 days preparation??

    • @tferguson222
      @tferguson222 8 місяців тому

      @@chaudiep8274 Absolutely. The multistate bar exam is a multiple choice exam. There were several companies that offered large books of sample questions with an answer key that explained why each choice was either correct or incorrect. I just woke up each morning and did sample questions for 15 to 18 hours a days. By day four or five, patterns started to emerge and by day ten, I was performing significantly better compared to when I started.

  • @ahaadhussein3490
    @ahaadhussein3490 Рік тому +1667

    "been trapped in this basement for five years" killed me lmfao

  • @BDyoungster1997
    @BDyoungster1997 Рік тому +1335

    I feel like extra-curriculars while growing up is so important.
    Because at my age (26 or so), I was able to transfer the intuition I learned from sports and music into my now, programming career.
    I am grateful for the introspection and patience pursuing sports and arts gave me.
    Because it gives nont-academic people like me a roadmap and still viable approach to technical problems like in software.

    • @TheBruceKeller
      @TheBruceKeller Рік тому +71

      Also, just the more well rounded your experience is while you are near maximum neuroplasticity, the better apparently.

    • @BDyoungster1997
      @BDyoungster1997 Рік тому +4

      @@TheBruceKeller awesome point 😃

    • @mistadude
      @mistadude Рік тому +12

      @@TheBruceKeller i've heard the term neuroplasticity before, but I never learned what it meant. can you explain it to me or direct me to a video that has valid information about it

    • @TheBruceKeller
      @TheBruceKeller Рік тому +24

      @@mistadude It's your brain's ability to change, neuro = brain, plasticity = easily shaped. Huberman's Lab talks about it pretty much every podcast.

    • @matiasmaldonado2558
      @matiasmaldonado2558 Рік тому +1

      I agree a lot with you

  • @Dragoonking17
    @Dragoonking17 10 місяців тому +22

    I think the most important thing about problem solving is to not get trapped in your way of thinking. Most solutions can be found by just taking one or two mental steps. Going in a random direction at first (like the one your intuition is telling you) is totally fine even though it might be the wrong direction. But most people trust their intuition too much and try to go forward looking for the solution in that direction instead of going back to the start and take a completely different approach.
    I can't say if this also applies for programming but for real life problems, this is one of the most important things I've learned. If the solution doesn't come to you after going two steps in one mental direction, then it's most likely the wrong direction no matter what your intuition is telling you.
    That's also how you come up with ideas people call "creative". Because creative ideas are usually the ones that are far away from the direction your intuition wants you to go. Afterall they wouldn't be creative if every person thinks of them immediately, would they?

  • @MegaNatebreezy
    @MegaNatebreezy Рік тому +6

    Thank you for this! I just started a new role that requires me to think more and solve problems on a daily basis. I was struggling at first since I didn’t really have that at my previous jobs, but I’m motivated to make those mental connections. Thanks again 🙏

  • @preacherofblood8892
    @preacherofblood8892 Рік тому +364

    This video sums up much of what I learnt from programming since I was 13, german university math and professional chess. At first you kind of feel stupid because you lack any kind of intuition, and you won’t develop it properly if you don’t constantly do problems at the edge of solvability and sometimes just check if your intuition was right for maximum efficiency.

    • @hector9586
      @hector9586 Рік тому +11

      There is a reason Kramnik always recommended slow chess because it helps your understanding.

    • @o_sch
      @o_sch Рік тому +5

      I think I got good at programming when i would write stuff on my TI-84 calculator. I tried so many things on the edge of solvability like you say, driven by pure middle school desire to make my own games. I looked back at some of the TI-BASIC code now and have no idea what any of it is doing. I even learned ASM back then using a chart with all of the different operations and their hex codes.

  • @whythosenames
    @whythosenames Рік тому +678

    You literally speak from my soul. I think intuition plays a central role in studying math and programming (that's what I do), if you train your intuition you will be very surprised what it is able to do. Solutions just flow as you see the problem. I would love to see studies on what the nature/nurture ratio is, I am sure it is not just nature as I for example did a lot of math in my early days. It might be just interest in problem solving which would again be a bit of nurture since you just reflect what your parents do. But yeah anyway great video, you got +1 sub

    • @spaghettiking653
      @spaghettiking653 Рік тому +23

      This is why I hate it when school always forces us to grind through boring masses of complicated problems we have only the faintest inkling of how to solve. I'd much rather just see a bunch of answers first, that way I can intuitively grasp what is needed to reason with the real problems.

    • @imacg5658
      @imacg5658 Рік тому +1

      When learning a programming language, I like to solve them first using an external resource. Then I read the code and why it makes sense, and then I do a similar problem. It helps so much, and saves a bunch of data into memory.

    • @yadullahkurt2189
      @yadullahkurt2189 Рік тому +6

      still i don't get it. how we train our intuition? it's like touching the clouds? metaphysics?

    • @descai10
      @descai10 Рік тому +9

      @@yadullahkurt2189 you train your intuition through gathering of knowledge. more specifically, understanding. shallow knowledge where you know the equation but not how it works does not help your intuition.

    • @yadullahkurt2189
      @yadullahkurt2189 Рік тому +2

      @@descai10 thanks for reply. Then please tell me what is the difference between the two terms "intuition" and "experience"

  • @philvarela323
    @philvarela323 Рік тому +4

    Favorite video I've watched in a while. Ended so strong, you're so right about passion and feeling like you're in control, that's where the real fuel is.

  • @canonicall
    @canonicall Рік тому +11

    The analogy that comes to my mind is connecting the dots. Not only are you recognizing patterns from past experiences, but instinctively knowing that the quickest route from one point to another is a straight line, the mind already suggests the quickest route to solving problems. Kind of like if you're running late to work and you had to figure out the fastest way there.. The trick is being mindful of patterns in every area of life, or in other words, being in listening mode instead of talking mode, or auto pilot...

  • @laeioun
    @laeioun Рік тому +146

    This video has made me realise that I do this exact process all the time without consciously thinking about it. It has also made me realise that I am really lazy with it and haven't achieved much. I have always been frustrated by the way teachers teach. They almost always use the slow method, it's never fast mapping. I have always found it more natural to start with a high-level concept that I do not understand as an entryway into the basic details, rather than to start with the details not knowing what they're all going to be used for. I believe the mind makes better use of information that it can assign an intended purpose to. I have always complained to my parents and told my mentors that they could just describe the whole thing to start and I would learn the details later, but they consistently told me that I was putting the cart before the horse. I heard many times that you must start with the foundation to build a house and that trying to skip important lessons could only be a detriment. Except I knew I wasn't trying to skip them, only perhaps have them presented to me rearranged. They wanted to teach their syllabus bottom-up, but I saw it upside-down.

    • @lxdixd
      @lxdixd Рік тому +15

      that last line is hard asl

    • @azhagurajaallinall126
      @azhagurajaallinall126 Рік тому +8

      Same here mate,same here..
      Watched the video until 01:50,but yours is the same scenario as mine,except i don't got much people to hear me out &
      I gotta search things on my own..
      Its hard cause it hasn't yield/paved a way yet -Disciple & regular habitual training/practice- is a must to learn & grow every particular skills (with enough sleep & nourishment)
      See ya there 😃🌟✨🙌
      23.11.2022 04:00 pm ist

    • @salmantorik6091
      @salmantorik6091 Рік тому +1

      so bso what you meant is to see the bigger picture of what you want to learn?

    • @laeioun
      @laeioun Рік тому

      @@salmantorik6091 Yeah.

    • @abrilthom895
      @abrilthom895 Рік тому

      how do you see the general overview and then you fill with the details?

  • @smokingiscool599
    @smokingiscool599 Рік тому +411

    12:38 Genetics matter more for peoples speed and confidence when learning something new. I would highly recommend "A Mind For Numbers" It's written by an engineering professor named Barbara Oakley and it goes into a lot of detail on the science around getting good at math/science. The intuition parts of this video sound very similar to the science the author presents on mathematical intuition.
    As far as the book says IQ is concerned, IQ lets you progress faster in STEM thanks to an improved ability to pick up and understand new information. People who aren't as gifted in their IQ can still get to be extremely good at STEM subjects, they just have to be prepared to spend more time and effort getting good in the first place, and it's going to be more difficult to keep up with the bleeding edge of their subjects in the long run. It's also important for slower learners to not compare themselves to really quick learners, a lot of people get discouraged and quit when they can't keep up with their peers as effortlessly as the smartest person in the room, but it's not really that big of a deal that it takes some extra effort to keep up at the end of the day.

    • @igrit2659
      @igrit2659 Рік тому +4

      😮👌

    • @aakarshan4644
      @aakarshan4644 Рік тому +21

      agree with the genetics on speed and confidence part (though it can be independent on genetics aswell) highly doubt the IQ bit though... you can never measure general intelligence.

    • @MrRand0mGamer
      @MrRand0mGamer Рік тому +8

      @@aakarshan4644 you can measure IQ with reaction times alone

    • @aakarshan4644
      @aakarshan4644 Рік тому +44

      @@MrRand0mGamer you've no idea what you're talking about... reaction time and iq are nowhere correlated... spatial verbal and non verbal can be learnt..it all has a lot more to do with childhood upbringing rather than genetics..

    • @MrRand0mGamer
      @MrRand0mGamer Рік тому

      @@aakarshan4644 You have no idea what you are talking about. I am not just making things up like you are. Reaction times have been studied along with IQ since Francis Galton in 1899 and many researchers since. Look at the work of Arthur Jensen who has done extensive research on it or look at the early work of Galton and G.M Whipple or most recently Ian Deary. You can't recruit people in the US military with an IQ of 83 and below for good reason. They tried that in the unpopular Vietnam War. Look up MacNamara's morons. These soldiers no matter how many tries lacked the reaction time to hit the targets in the time required in training. Many could not even understand the concept of throwing a grenade at an arc so as to hit a target on the ground. No matter how many times they tried to explain the trajectory of an arc with trying to get them to think of birds flying over head or whatever, could not prevent them from just throwing like a pitcher every time and missing the target. Actually bother to look into it before just saying I am wrong. Stop pretending to be an expert about something you never read any books on.

  • @achyutkayastha4248
    @achyutkayastha4248 Рік тому +3

    This video contains most of the things my intuition already has a grasp of. Also a gentle reminder that intuition is strengthened with life experiences and problem solving.

  • @omaurotorres
    @omaurotorres Рік тому +1

    Your conception about intelligence is absolutely correct. Geniuses are people who started super young to practice. They didnt know everything, but started the search young and made this problem-solution association early.

  • @firecatflameking
    @firecatflameking Рік тому +38

    I call this top-down learning, opposite of bottom-up learning (which is what's usually done in school etc. Top-down learning is good once basic concepts have been understood. For example a great way of learning how to build and app is to start with a simple app that someone else has made, then start poking around and explore how it works.
    Doing it this way i learn a lot faster than if i were to go with the bottom-up approach.

    • @nathansmith8883
      @nathansmith8883 Рік тому +10

      So true. A lot of people I know thinks I am crazy for writing code my self instead of copy and paste or using library's. When I don't understand how someones code works I will create my own version then compare it to there code. This method works great because it either helps me understand there code or I will find a better method.

    • @spbspb2413
      @spbspb2413 Рік тому

      Kinda true, it doesn't matter what the topic is, jumping into the deep water will pretty much always be the better option

  • @misaelv7286
    @misaelv7286 Рік тому +11

    Thank you, this is what an improvement mindset looks like. I had a feeling about this as well and it applies to Information Technology as well in terms of problem solving. There is an IT intuition that I use for sure

  • @obnah
    @obnah 2 місяці тому +1

    thank you for making this video man. for years, in my academic career i noticed that even though i practice A LOT before any crucial exams (i'm a slow learner lol), i usually didn't get my desired results. i didn't know where i was missing and questioned a lot about my studying technique, however i think i might've found the missing piece to the puzzle: developing "intuition". it all makes sense now.

  • @user-lr4oc8px1y
    @user-lr4oc8px1y 7 місяців тому

    ive had issues with solving problems and arguing with myself. then you come onto my screen and explain the entire problem to me and how to fix it. you're one smart dude, dude

  • @learning7517
    @learning7517 Рік тому +8

    this video made me realize how underrated just reading the editorial is, i used to see it as a "i give up" button, but seeing as a way to improve the intuition faster is WAY more helpful.

  • @TamimEhsan
    @TamimEhsan Рік тому +30

    4:40 7th line (6th by 0-indexing) "I have been trapped in this basement for five years". Somebody save him!

  • @Sehemo108
    @Sehemo108 10 місяців тому

    I appreciate you making these videos.The concepts are familiar to me from before. But they way you put it together makes it easy for a lot of people to take it in.

  • @user-iv8bn8zi8c
    @user-iv8bn8zi8c Місяць тому +2

    My key Takeaways :
    1. Map between Problem Components and solution ideas(Mental Mapping Strategy)
    2. Believe in what you are doing (Never compare yourself with others=> Everyone is Unique and have their own learning abilities and capabilities).
    3. Practice Practice Practice and add mental mapping while you practice
    4. Everything looks impossible until you try it

  • @diego1552
    @diego1552 Рік тому +64

    This is the first video (and definitely not the last) that I've seen from you and I cannot agree with you more about being passionate about learning. This is something many people lack and it truly is so powerful. An inspired and passionate brain can truly achieve wonders.

  • @Kayotesden
    @Kayotesden Рік тому +53

    This is such an empathetic video.
    Loved it and going to be playing it on repeat for the next couple of hours.
    Keep at this please, more insights!

  • @pieregproject
    @pieregproject 7 місяців тому +1

    This video is AMAZING. Best explanation I've ever gotten on practical intuition (i.e. pattern recognition). Never thought about there being a difference between Insight (slow brain reflection) and Intuiting (fast brain brain recognition).

  • @cows1990
    @cows1990 Місяць тому

    Thank you, Colin, for making this video. For two years, I've been a psychology major in college and am working on a paper about problem-solving. This video helped me a lot to understand how we apply our problem-solving skills in a new situation.

  • @peamutbubber
    @peamutbubber Рік тому +11

    This is why people benefit from re learning basics, you learn different ways of thinking about or applying things u 'know'. Especially useful in maths, learning Chinese, British, American and Indian approaches to teaching the same thing can be very useful

  • @kellybmackenzie
    @kellybmackenzie Рік тому +4

    The Discord pings were such a great example. I literally paused the video to check Discord instantly.
    This video is great, I really appreciate it!! I'm in my first year of Computer Science and I'm gonna do my best to put all of what I learned here into practice!

  • @sexiestargirl
    @sexiestargirl 5 місяців тому

    I’m so happy I discovered you. I was literally going to go over my Java class this weekend on all the material I learned so far. What perfect timing to come across you. Black box brought me here!

  • @_evillevi
    @_evillevi Рік тому

    This was actually great advice. Most of mental training YT is something along the lines of "wanna read faster? just read faster". This had actual proof and practical advice, thanks!

  • @dachikurcxalia7201
    @dachikurcxalia7201 Рік тому +3

    Even though everything that you said in the video feels like common sense it still feels so good to hear from a bright kid like you! Good job!

  • @zerooreos8798
    @zerooreos8798 Рік тому +18

    Interestingly you put a lot into perspective for me. At school I wouldn't study a whole lot, but I'd cover the content within a few days before the tests / exams and look at the answers to questions rather than actually do the question. Might be why I still got very good grades with little effort

  • @imgamedeveloper8708
    @imgamedeveloper8708 Рік тому

    I liked, commented and subscribed to boost the algorithm to your page. Its pure gold. Keep up the good work!

  • @vesdhiteas5378
    @vesdhiteas5378 Рік тому +3

    That's a very cool technique, you inspired me a lot.
    Reasoning is like creating a new novel from 0 to 1000000000000 words, tedious but original.
    Intuition is like borrowing 10 novels you have read, taking relevant plots out from these 10 novels, then re-mixing them into your own novel.

  • @walkastray007
    @walkastray007 Рік тому +308

    This is one of the best videos I have seen in a long time. No over the top intro. Straight to the point. Video is as long as it NEEDS to be. Covered all your points wonderfully AND you actually gave reasoning behind your points. So much more but god damn!
    For a while now I have been thinking about similar things discussed in the video. Related to talent and skill. People can have a natural level of talent. But practice (nurture) can bring someone else to the same level or even higher. You want to put all the good habits/fundamental principles into your subconscious (intuition) so that you can focus more of your attention to higher level things.

    • @gaitanakithebest
      @gaitanakithebest Рік тому +1

      Thats so true

    • @geoattoronto
      @geoattoronto 9 місяців тому

      Did I point out that intuition is a third processor resident in your spirit - outside of the physical- and accessing knowledge from the spheres outside the physical alongside data in your unconscious and Left brain. Triple processing. Intuition creates instant knowledge in , for me, an almost nonverbal state. One ‘feels it’ and then, if confident enough, can express it.

    • @geoattoronto
      @geoattoronto 9 місяців тому

      It helps if your practice is primarily nonverbal so cognition does not block intuition.

  • @williamseipp9691
    @williamseipp9691 Рік тому +4

    I did a little bit of this doing help desk work. At first you have no clue as to why something breaks but with enough exposure not only do you a) become familiar with the systems/context surrounding a problem and b) you create your own rules / patterns to look out for.
    Novel problems will require you to break new ground, but solving that old problem becomes an asset that you rely on for diagnosing future problems and creating solutions.
    As a plus, even if your intuition / hunch is wrong, you've become so efficient and prepared at analyzing it that it becomes trivial to keep going. In other words, you learn to "fail fast" versus going down a rabbit hole and getting stuck.

  • @justo9564
    @justo9564 6 місяців тому

    Your way of approaching passion, or general emotions related to the logic process, corelates so much with the Viktor Frankl theory. That theory, written on man search's of meaning, consist basically on finding a meaning in life in general, but mainly in many different tiny (or seemingly not relevant) situations. Like you said, passion is a huge factor tp activate your mind. That sense of accessible challenge is possible both through passion and/or belief, which in this case can be brought by meaning.
    So yes, you also got it right, logically, about the Viktor Frankl's theory. Prompts for the way you approach things!

  • @arultherule
    @arultherule 5 місяців тому

    This is the most profound, sophisticated and beautifully simplified explanation of problem-solving.
    Thank you very much bro! 🥳☺

  • @Anas0473
    @Anas0473 Рік тому +15

    I don't comment very often, but i feel like i had to on this one. I just wanted to say that your video has given me a lot of new perspective and i really enjoyed every second of it. You my dear fellow have earned a new subscriber :D

  • @jeremyvonhatten5811
    @jeremyvonhatten5811 Рік тому +6

    I agree about improving your intuition by reading lots of problems and solutions. That helped me gain a general solution overview so much quicker. It is easy to get stuck deep diving on one topic and that learning strategy helps you avoid that pitfall. Thanks for the great video.

    • @chaudiep8274
      @chaudiep8274 Рік тому

      I felt a bit confused and struggled to understand this video(bsc of My english comprehension) but my intuition tells me it has a lot to learn and apply for my situation. Your comment helps me a lot to get an idea about this video. I'm learning how to analyse data to generate insights for storytelling reports. I read and researched on other's projects and analysis and just knew how to create mine. I guess it's called intuition too, like figure out patterns from examples

  • @minimushrooom
    @minimushrooom 5 місяців тому +4

    8:40 is how I revised for a lot of my exams through school without having to put in much effort so I could focus on stuff I was interested in lol, thanks for making it sound like a legit way of problem solving and not just laziness 😅

  • @otakuelement3306
    @otakuelement3306 Рік тому +3

    Thank for taking from your time and effort to make those great videos! i love your content ❤

  • @chiefaaron1421
    @chiefaaron1421 Рік тому +38

    Thank you for spreading good information with both clear articulation, and explanation. I paused the video several times to introspect, and build connection with everything you were saying. As I was absorbing your anecdotes and theories, I kept reflecting, along with reading the comment section. There's a lot I can comment about, (whether it's humour, motivation, editing, insight, & etc.), but once again, thank you sir. I look forward to making great use of what I learned today for the benefits of the future. I'll definitely save this video, and send it to some friends as well.

  • @dy8576
    @dy8576 Рік тому +3

    Incredible content, very well structured, fun to understand and concise

  • @Haburg
    @Haburg Рік тому

    I always found this thing effective but yet I couldn't explain it, it just works.
    Ur vid explains it beautifully, thank you

  • @danielshin2047
    @danielshin2047 Рік тому +1

    This is the best video I’ve ever watched on UA-cam. I love you

  • @abrarmasumabir3809
    @abrarmasumabir3809 Рік тому +7

    Thanks man! Keep up the good work!

  • @wesleyso0
    @wesleyso0 Рік тому +28

    Yes! Thank you for this insightful video. I found it very useful and informative! :D

  • @isaaaac1223
    @isaaaac1223 Рік тому

    I’ve seen your video recommendation for a month now but never watched it. Funny enough last night I was studying coding interview questions and for some reason my brain wanted to work on the harder problems even though I had no idea how to solve them. I immediately wanted to see the solution to understand how it was solved. I watched your video and I guess my intuition was trying to do it’s things haha the one thing I’ve been missing is mapping! Now I’m going to look at learning in a different way. Great video man

  • @andynarvaez1927
    @andynarvaez1927 11 місяців тому

    thanks man im an architecture student and this video was really helpful to be a fast thinker, intuitive designer.

  • @peter8261
    @peter8261 Рік тому +4

    Colin, ty for posting this video. I'm teaching my self front end development and I remember I had a weird "in the zone" moment where I needed to position a few things for a website layout. I kind of instinctively knew to create CSS classes for the things I needed to position, gave each class a rule, and threw the classes onto their respective html elements and had a layout accomplished within a few minutes.

  • @rosyidharyadi7871
    @rosyidharyadi7871 Рік тому

    Thank you. I need this. I suck at solving 'simple' problems. My workmates often say 'oh this is easy', and they come up with fully working codes in like minutes. While I'm struggling on how I can even approach and break it down.

  • @philippkistler1430
    @philippkistler1430 Рік тому

    Thanks for the video and the strategies.
    I would add a mentor and a peer group for good measure. They locate your blind spots and wrong conclusions easily. Standing corrected teaches you humility.

  • @j.r.765
    @j.r.765 Рік тому +19

    It's like the system 1 and system 2 thing that Core-A-Gaming discusses in his videos about fighting games. You can apply this to a lot of skills that need to be learned. Plus learning to manage your mental stack, having the fundamentals you learn run intuitively under the hood so that you can focus on the more mentally demanding game of reading your opponents move. It's all about practice and recognizing situations and how to deal with them.

  • @Nohjoxu
    @Nohjoxu Рік тому +35

    I paused right after 11:58 to mention this; It's like you've spoken to my soul and explained so much to me, things I already knew deep inside but couldn't explain, and connections I haven't seen. Thank you sir. In the spirit of the words of Richard Hamming, you have proven and shown me how to be great. Now I have no excuse in not doing so.
    Edit: I should have finished first because it got even better.

  • @MakeGoodChoicesLove
    @MakeGoodChoicesLove 11 місяців тому

    Omgoodness! and you're are so young to be such an expert 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Bravo! Thank you for providing guidance ❤

  • @abhavgoel9390
    @abhavgoel9390 7 місяців тому +2

    i remember a time when i was practicing dp and gave a leetcode contest that week, scrolled through the questions and saw question 3 and it instantly clicked. Wrote its solution and submitted it in one go. That was the peak of me

  • @beangong
    @beangong Рік тому +171

    12:30 Yes, mindfulness practices can improve your ability to think as you are training your mind to be less distracted and more focused. Personally, not having my thoughts wonder as much as they used to really helps me during study and note taking. Nice video💯

    • @-SimonRiley
      @-SimonRiley 10 місяців тому +1

      Agreed. As someone with ADHD, breathing exercises or just being more in the present helps me to atleast be able to read a full paragraph without zoning out. Isn't as helpful in hour-long study sessions tho
      Only medications like Adderall help, but they have their own side effects :(

  • @leonardproductions418
    @leonardproductions418 Рік тому +11

    Well this just helped me understand my problem solving skills. In college, there was always that pressure of passing my class for my parents and scholarship reasons. Through that stress, I ultimately created a bad habit of only mapping. Sometimes I'd reason through a couple problem, but not nearly enough. Now having passed these high level math courses. I find myself wanting to go back and relearn and try to really understand these problems. This explains why I wasn't feeling smart for these classes even though I really enjoy learning math/coding. Removing myself from the school setting was all I needed. Just wish I could have known that before each class. Great video :)

  • @rickychow4940
    @rickychow4940 5 місяців тому

    Thank you so much Colin! That is super helpful to me!

  • @qidex
    @qidex Рік тому +1

    I really appreciate your uplifting approach. You acknowledge different things, but focus on the things that favor the capability that everyone has, that we all can become what we strive to become.
    Not very common in this area of videos.

  • @Fitzavig
    @Fitzavig Рік тому +8

    I've thought this on my own for years. Seeing someone like you explain it in depth is extremely validating and comforting to know I'm not alone.
    Thank you.

  • @dq9405
    @dq9405 Рік тому +3

    Charlie Munger talks about the importance of integrating different mental models (math, science, algebra, sports, finance, music, etc) to solve solutions and gain an understanding of approaching something. Different experiences could often relate to things that you're trying to solve and I think he is trying to improve our way of thinking in that way.

  • @HenryDo.
    @HenryDo. Рік тому

    honestly to say, im in grade 12 right now, i used to blame myself for being so stupid. This video help me a lot especially when i have university entrance exam in next 4 months. this video light my life up again. i hope u will make more helpful video in the future.Thanks

  • @pomegranate3601
    @pomegranate3601 8 місяців тому

    I really can confirm that. I recently had to learn programming with c++ for university and i struggled soo much at first. But i really studied and practiced very hard. I was so surprised by my brain! At the exam i always instantly had an idea for how solving the program and even if it wasn`t 100% correct it mostly was the start in the right direction for the solution.
    So even tho i'm no expert, i really have developed some kind of intuition through much practice.
    really cool video!

  • @user-ci3dw4gc5q
    @user-ci3dw4gc5q Рік тому +7

    please do more informative videos like this that can be applied to more fields other than specific programming🙏

  • @henaadlakha
    @henaadlakha Рік тому +6

    Hey I do the same! It is so damn amazing and fascinating to hear someone use the same 'technique' as you. Honestly, you put it very eloquently and now I will send this video to anyone who asks me "How did you do it so fast" the next time haha. Great job. Also it makes me relieved that if I practice enough I can actually use it for my career like you and it is not some delusion I was having. 😂 Really, thank you!
    Intuition is such a beautiful gift of evolution and building it is like putting pieces in a puzzle (that one can call their 'mind map') after careful examination of those precious pieces. My favourite part is linking pieces from different subjects and disciplines. Like building bridges over rivers that seem uncrossable!

    • @logic7124
      @logic7124 Рік тому

      Can you explain it with an example, i didn't get it

    • @lamppuu1
      @lamppuu1 4 місяці тому

      Very good analogy, the bridge one! I will be thinking about that in the future 🎉

  • @kevinmithnick9993
    @kevinmithnick9993 Рік тому

    Ohhh man, thank you for sharing. It's like a manual on how to succeed in whatever you want to succeed in life

  • @IOwnKazakhstan
    @IOwnKazakhstan 7 місяців тому +2

    I used a good practice method to get good at maths which was basically taking the topic we were learning, spending about an hour learning the topics we actually needed to know, doing some revision for the basics, and then I immediately moved on to much much harder questions. By making the stuff you want to memorise really well only a smaller part of the big picture, your brain remembers it much easier because it recognises it not as a challenge but a step to completing the challenge. I can usually spend about half the time doing this than I would doing studying with the regular revision and learn it to an equal or even better extent.
    Eg I'm doing trig in school at the moment and the vast majority of questions I'm asked are 2d, but I have been creating complex 3d diagrams and have been using intuition to try to solve a lot of it, I once even drew a 3d diagram in 2d and still solved the problem correctly even if it took way more steps. It's like weights, you could easily do a ton of reps of a low weight but if you're not pushing yourself you don't really get stronger, and your limits extend further if you do heavier weights, and you can now do that old weight way way easier and faster.

  • @skytea2
    @skytea2 Рік тому +5

    good stuff bro appreciate it

  • @BornAgainstAll
    @BornAgainstAll Рік тому +16

    This pretty much sums up what I was missing in my education and why I flunked high school. Despite that, if I wasn't talking with friends, my head would be in the clouds trying to imagine what 3-D cross sections of 4-D shapes would look like, or taking an imaginary trip around the solar system at relativistic speeds to understand speed and and it's relationship with time. I've always preferred training my intuition over memorizing names, dates, and formulas because it actually feels like I learned something.

    • @ryley8141
      @ryley8141 Рік тому +10

      The concepts in high school are very basic.

  • @rupalkumar4464
    @rupalkumar4464 10 місяців тому

    Thank you Colin!

  • @intheshell35ify
    @intheshell35ify Рік тому

    Such a fresh young face with such fresh young insights into intuition. What you're describing is closer to raw IQ than intuition. Those answers you believe have been intuited have actually been calculated by the infinite instantaneous "yous" but at such a fast rate your 8 bit reality buss has to append useless information like the memory of having thought the think.

  • @josiahb5229
    @josiahb5229 Рік тому +2

    This explains why I am the way I am - I'm heavy insight and light on intuition naturally. Hence why I sucked at timed tests as a kid and this lead everybody to think I was stupid, but then conversely during this same time people were impressed with how deep and thorough my thinking went. I sit, contemplate, mull, chew on things for a long time before accepting conclusions, and it takes a long time for something to settle into my intuition.

  • @jkid1134
    @jkid1134 Рік тому +9

    Sometimes I find better success with some task (say, gaming) when distracted by some other task (a video, music), and I attribute it to isolating these fast and slow processes by putting them on separate tasks, and then there being contexts where my slow or fast process is just sooooo well attuned that it's better than using both.
    You mentioned IQ, and also kind of lightly touched on focus/clarity/flow without those words, but also something you can chew on is the connection between intuition training and language learning. Certainly also at minimum it is also a subconscious pattern detection instinct.

    • @retrogamer4058
      @retrogamer4058 Рік тому

      This might be reason why old people find it difficult to use smartphones as efficiently as younger generation. There is a conflict between the fast and slow processes making it difficult for one process to function optimally

  • @rcluo546
    @rcluo546 Рік тому

    Thanks for sharing your experience and opinion, it inspired me a lot😊

  • @Revampgaming
    @Revampgaming Рік тому

    the strat you use is exactly why i usually never do a math problem on paper twice instead just read the solution multiple times, only try the ones that are pretty much completely new and difficult . most people around me are like why do you read math, solve it.

  • @yuri-nt3np
    @yuri-nt3np Рік тому +3

    Intuition is the voice that comes from your whole body, not just a thought at the back of your brain. This is how you "simply" do something, because your whole body will resonate towards an idea or suggestion

  • @Optimus6128
    @Optimus6128 Рік тому +31

    Well put, most have acquired their intuition by practice. They are at a point where things come naturally, you throw a random problem and they almost instantly can sense the steps to take to slove it. People outside of this looked puzzled like "I can never be able to do that!". But the thing is, the whole motivation/passion is interesting to me, I don't know how it can be instilled in others that lack of it. It's good so far, yet people will be asking "Yeah, but how can I motivate myself?". Answer: by start practicing. "Yeah, but how can I motivate myself to start?", etc..
    Maybe one answer is what you say, if passion/motivation is not there for a subject, maybe you need to look at another subject that attracts you more. Else, the "fake it till you make it" approach. But I am thinking, most of us got their initial start up from their childhood. I can't explain to someone who dreams of learning programming how I did it. If I also was to start into a new skill that is out of my league right now, it's hard to find the motivation at a later age. I might be thinking a bit in contrary to your nature-nurture model. I am glad to have certain skills but I know I haven't evolved others at a young age. But I never have chosen what to develop. It wasn't even family/education, because you might have cases of several brothers/sisters, some of them develop certain skills and others not. But they were in a similar environment. I mean,. I am not sure how much free will or lack of it plays a role at the younger age where you develop the inclinations for certain skills while being delayed/avoid others.
    I have some times people who ask me "Please teach me how to program, I would love to do what you can do. How is it even possible?" and I've tried but the majority if not developed at early age fail. They try to grasp some things sometimes but they don't focus their time enough to break the ice (as it's dedicated to other things in their life, possibly other skills they developed, even social activities). It's fascinating to thing about motivation/passion to get started, but it's a chicken/egg problem.

    • @mastertrey4683
      @mastertrey4683 Рік тому +3

      Interesting take, I believe with nurture it's especially important to be properly nurtured at an early age. Psychologicaly speaking there are critical periods of development and these parts of your life really do spell how the rest of your life will go. The word is "influence." They heavily influence how the rest of your life goes but they do not DEFINE it. In other words, it's all still in your control. It's just you have much less of a foothold and like somebody who picks up a hobby at 20, vs somebody who picks it up at 10, the person who picked it up earlier has INHERENT advantages, no matter how you cut it. Even if it weren't much harder to pick the hobby up at 20, the person who picked it up earlier will still have 10 years of experience on you, forever.
      Life is long though. More often than not, we can learn to do a lot more than we think we can. And if you can't, that doesn't matter, as long as you realize that what truly mattered was that you spent your life learning, and growing. It isnt always about being the smartest sometimes its just about being smarter. About the process, not the end result. There is no point in worrying about what could have been, nothing you can do about that. Just move in one direction your whole life, forward. Or trend forward because progress isn't linear and consists of both growth and setbacks.
      It's like choosing not to workout as a grown adult because you've been fat ever since you've been a child, and don't have the inherent advantages that someone who was fit and athletic their whole life has had. Theres many reasons I can think of that it would be harder to lose weight at the age of 30 having been fat your whole life. You have more total fat cells and fat cells can only shrink. Meaning you essentially have to shrink each fat cell even further. On top of that fat cells influence hormones in a bad way. That is a big reason fat is so stubborn, it "wants" to stay on your body. You'll have insulin resistance if not diabetes, etc. Have spent your whole life with suppressed hormones, probably have stunted development from it. You'll never be as athletic as the person who grew up an athlete unless you put in thrice the effort. But sometimes, that's just what you have to do. And if not, is that no reason to not become healthier, just because it's harder, and that your total potential is lower because of your past? You truly have everything to gain and nothing to lose

    • @yadullahkurt2189
      @yadullahkurt2189 Рік тому

      hi, how we practice our intuition? can you give me summary?

    • @Optimus6128
      @Optimus6128 Рік тому +3

      @@yadullahkurt2189 practice

    • @Optimus6128
      @Optimus6128 Рік тому +3

      @@yadullahkurt2189 Also, besides my previous answer being ironically "practice" (the chicken and egg dilemma), one thing on the video that sounded interesting is sometimes you have to read the solution if you can't put yourself into finding the solution yourself. By reading several solutions you might get more ideas on how things work, so some intuition training might come from there, although it's good to train it by solving problems yourself too. But if you are not motivated with the later, maybe the first one of reading other people's work might help a bit.

    • @per_scep_tivegamer879
      @per_scep_tivegamer879 Рік тому +6

      > I don't know how it can be instilled in others that lack of it. It's good so far, yet people will be asking "Yeah, but how can I motivate myself?". Answer: by start practicing. "Yeah, but how can I motivate myself to start?", etc..
      Here's what people don't realize. Motivation is not an absolute requirement to get things started. Its great to have but even those that have passion for things don't always have it.
      Once you get started & start to see some results, the motivation comes naturally. There is a lot of truth to 'the first step is always the hardest'.

  • @killser13
    @killser13 Рік тому

    This explains a lot of how things clicks for me. I am indeed enlightened.

  • @baleygrsteysionfayf9818
    @baleygrsteysionfayf9818 24 дні тому

    This just like... changed me completely I always doubt and question myself like I overthink too much but like I ever need to do is just follow my intuition follow my hunch and I just clutched my exam barely studying at all i just skim and "get it" and Im leet coding faster than ever

  • @AryaStark47
    @AryaStark47 Рік тому +8

    I use this method every week for tests. It works wonders. Last year there was a really hard question in my math test and I couldnt solve it. I said to my subconcious "AYY bro solve this one for me, Imma solve the other ones." Then I came back to it. I was the only one who solved it.

  • @markpelayo
    @markpelayo Рік тому +3

    Bruh! Thank you for this video. This is hard core advice not just for programming but in general in life. Actually I have super low steem because of my past mistakes in life, loss of opportunity and loss of money. and spiral down since then my confidence got to the rock bottom. I want to learn new things but because of fear I am not good enough I was not able to finish it.
    Thank you this video, I think I need to reflect and change my belief system first.
    Hi Colin, do you have any video on how to study well and efficiently? Like how do you take notes? Did techniques you used? like mind mapping?

  • @michaelhernandez5478
    @michaelhernandez5478 3 місяці тому

    This is the part of "grinding leetcode" prospective engineers don't talk about. Some people who reached their goals would claim, "I just memorized the most recent problems". But there has to be some element of pattern matching taking place after the problem-solution mapping you're bringing up. Reading or hearing words, "find the shortest path" or "find the overlapping" immediately trigger a narrowed space of potential patterns to try out. Then when it comes to the nuance of a generally similar problem, the problem-solving part comes from trying out customizations to the model you "intuited" generally so they fit and prove your intuition. I think that's why general rules like, "start with an extremely large or extremely tiny example" are a go to technique, because they're quick to prove or disprove the first model you came up with. Glad to hear chunking and recall described, too. It's exactly how some musicians can replay an entire song by hearing it just a few times and taking a few notes. Or how quarterbacks memorize hundreds of plays. Thanks for articulating your thought process, definitely inspiring.

  • @MEvansMusic
    @MEvansMusic Рік тому

    “change your future’s past” is a cool phrase i haven’t heard before. gonna start using that

  • @myrtila
    @myrtila Рік тому +4

    Okay so now I realise that intuition is what got me through my math exams in school! I was a super lazy kid, I almost never did homework but I always got good grades. I would study a bunch of math problems the day prior to the exam, all with their solutions (I never solved any myself) and then went to the exam and I INTUITIVELY knew how to solve it. It worked wonders for me at that time. But I never considered myself good at math and I never put the work to understand the reasoning behind all those problems and solutions. I just skimmed through these exams with my intuition

    • @ABC-jq7ve
      @ABC-jq7ve Рік тому

      May I ask what you do now? I know someone who did that in undergrad math but had to drop out of their masters because it stopped working.

    • @myrtila
      @myrtila Рік тому +1

      @@ABC-jq7ve I'm not an undergrad in math, I study law. But I don't follow this technique anymore in any area. I try to understand fully what I'm studying.

  • @ricusduplooy968
    @ricusduplooy968 Рік тому +7

    Great video, thanks Colin. My intuitioin is telling me that you either learned/confirmed allot of this info from the book Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman OR that you will REALLY like this book. If so, can you recommend any other books related to intuition/the fast brain? Are you a fan of MBTI?

  • @jelenaradojcin1374
    @jelenaradojcin1374 Рік тому

    Man, you gained a new sub! You deserve more, tbh!

  • @joshuakhan3409
    @joshuakhan3409 Рік тому

    Reminds me of the book thinking fast and slow. Good video to supplement the book. Thanks for the info!

  • @musaratjahan7954
    @musaratjahan7954 Рік тому +21

    I found that a good way to "unlock" intuition is to solve geometry problems, specifically euclidean geometry. Not only do they help you with visualization, but those problems require a good deal of intuition to solve efficiently so you are left with no other option but to develop your intuition

    • @o_sch
      @o_sch Рік тому +2

      I agree, this or calculus integration problems. The latter takes a ton of intuition at least at the start.

  • @JonahDeleseleuc
    @JonahDeleseleuc Рік тому +8

    While I was learning to program, I started a job fixing electronics. The intuition I learned from solving problems really helped me learn programming. Now I’m university (in biology, totally unrelated) I find studying so much easier than when I was younger. I think doing those two things taught me discipline and intuition and that has been great for me!

  • @aligohar1708
    @aligohar1708 Рік тому

    Damn this video just levelled up your youtube channel as it was also related to curiosity of average person.... This is a clue in UA-cam algo

  • @smokingiscool599
    @smokingiscool599 Рік тому +13

    4:35 Help is on the way basement guy!

  • @rayrwyr
    @rayrwyr Рік тому +5

    Thanks for the video on the role of intuition and how to hone intuition. It is s powerful idea and it matches with my experience. However the innate (natural-born) intelligence varies a lot from person to person and it conrols the ability to solve hard problems. In my experience, the hardest problems are where the natural intelligence matters a lot. Two persons A and B with same background (in education/training and level of work ethic in terms of diligence) can drastically vary in terms of their ability to solve the hardest problems. That's why a regular Joe cannot become an Einstein level genius in solving physics problems no matter how long and how hard he tries. I found repeatedly that extremely diligent persons with average intelligence simply fail to solve the hardest programming problems or a challenging CS theory problem no matter how long/hard they tried.

  • @steampunkhulk5559
    @steampunkhulk5559 Рік тому +2

    I have been recommended this video 12 times.... god wants me to unlock this ability

  • @supernovic99
    @supernovic99 Місяць тому

    This is true. What i learnt with programming is once i saw the solution for a problem, i never forgot it. Not forget it but basically i remembered it like an additional method or a way to solve a particular problem. When i saw a question which used this, i can use it intuitively without too much thinking. I think practice is the key here

  • @jayocaine2946
    @jayocaine2946 Рік тому +5

    Competitive coding feels more like pattern recognition and repetition than intuition and problem solving. Like being able to recognize patterns, and identifying which flavor of problem hints at the uses of which data structures etc.
    I mean Feynman even said this in his book for puzzles in general. The hardest part is figuring out a puzzle for the first time, the rest seems like just recognizing combinations and variations of the same puzzles youve already solved/now memorized

  • @kaitlinsaide6897
    @kaitlinsaide6897 Рік тому +4

    i think this video just changed my life. this is exactly how my brain used to just naturally function with math, but after dropping out my senior year from a bad depressive episode in the middle of covid and taking a gap year, im now in my second semester of college and ive been feeling so stupid since my natural learning ability in my youth was the center of my confidence in my intelligence(grades were awful because of undiagnosed adhd combined with dysfunctional home life, test scores great since i learned fast). as ive been watching this it resonated so deeply and it immediately clicked that all i have to do is re-train my brain how to do this as i fill in the gaps i forgot in math. thank you so much for this.