Trunk Based Knowledge

Let’s talk about the next pillar and that is trunk based knowledge trunk based knowledge is this idea

that in order for us to be efficient learners to be successful learners to have successful careers we

must first start from the roots from the trunk of the tree before we get to the Leafs.

What does that mean.

Well most of us think that to get really good at something is we learn one thing then we learn another

thing and then we learn another thing.

Let’s say for example you want to learn how to play the guitar and then you also want to learn how to

build a house and then you also want to learn how to program trunk based knowledge instead says that

instead of working from these Leafs we want to start at the roots at the trunk and form that trunk in

order to develop our knowledge of what what does that really mean.

Well the idea is that we need to first start with the fundamentals the principles when getting started

on a subject.

For example if you’re learning to program you might want to know how a computer works or why do we use

computers for certain tasks and humans for other tasks.

This idea of fundamentals of the why of something is really important because when we just start learning

let’s say playing the guitar and we don’t understand the fact that there’s different chords that we

can use that some chords can be repeated to create music or we don’t know anything about reading a music

sheet that’s actually going to make your learning a lot tougher long term instead with trunk based knowledge

we want to start from the principles be able to answer the question why the fundamentals of that topic

and as we move on through the course you’ll notice that we really focus on this trunk based knowledge

of understanding the principles and the why of things.

Before we dive deep into smaller little techniques we want to view knowledge as a form of tree making

sure that we understand these trunks these fundamental principles before we get into the lease or the

details because we live in a world that knowledge is constantly being updated and changed.

And when we start learning the principles the fundamentals those are the things that actually last a

long time over your career versus the leaves that constantly turn with each season new lease form.

So instead of learning quickly expiring knowledge that are the leaves we want to focus on knowledge

that lasts forever or as long as possible.

And when we start with that no matter how the trends change no matter how society changes we have that

trunk to develop skills as they change to adapt to the current society.