SPOS #948 – Scott Young On How To Get Better At Anything

Welcome to episode #948 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast - Episode #948. Scott Young is the kind of person who doesn’t just ask, “How do I get better at this?” He asks, “How do we really learn anything?” That question led him on some fascinating paths - like the time he decided to tackle MIT’s computer science curriculum without ever setting foot in a classroom. No big deal, right? It’s this relentless curiosity that drives Scott’s work, and he’s made it his mission to break down the mystery behind learning and mastery. In this conversation, Scott digs into his latest book, Get Better at Anything - 12 Maxims for Mastery. This isn’t your standard “how-to” guide. Scott’s approach is both simple and profound: learning doesn’t have to feel like you’re banging your head against a wall. He argues that three things really matter when it comes to leveling up - seeing how others do it, putting in the right kind of practice, and getting feedback that’s actually useful. If you nail these three, progress follows. It’s that simple… but, of course, the devil is in the details. Scott’s no stranger to experimentation. From his MIT Challenge to learning four languages in a year during his Year Without English project, he’s someone who lives what he preaches. He’s constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible with learning, and his insights into how we can accelerate our progress - whether at work, in our personal lives, or even in the smallest tasks—are both practical and inspiring. We also touch on some big questions, like how AI might change the way we learn and work. Is AI the future of education? Scott’s got a way of making the complex simple, and our chat is packed with insights that make you rethink how you approach learning. If you’ve ever struggled to get better at something or wondered if there’s a more effective way to improve, Scott’s ideas are definitely worth hearing. Scott was on the show a few years back to dicuss his first book (which is another “must-read” titled, Ultralearning). Scott also has an amazing program with another one of my favorite thinkers, Cal Newport, titled Life Of Focus for you to check out. Enjoy the conversation...

• Running time: 1:08:40.
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• Here is my conversation with Scott Young.
• Get Better at Anything - 12 Maxims for Mastery.
• Ultralearning.
• Life Of Focus.
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• This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Introduction.
• 00:24 - The Mystery of Learning.
• 08:31 - The System and Agency.
• 23:16 - The Tension Between Competence and Learning.
• 27:14 - The Future of Learning: Human-AI Collaboration.
• 33:00 - The Unpredictable Future of AI and Work.
• 34:41 - Challenging Beliefs and Embracing Growth.
• 44:32 - The Power of Practice, Feedback, and Observation.
• 55:04 - Books: Concentrated Intellectual Force.
• 01:06:45 - Creating a Learning Culture in Organizations.