How I Discovered This Idea

I first encountered first principles thinking when reading about Elon Musk's approach to problem-solving. The concept seemed simple at first, but the more I thought about it, the more profound it became.

What It Means to Me

First principles thinking is about breaking down complex problems into their most basic, foundational truths and reasoning up from there. Instead of reasoning by analogy (doing things because that's how they've always been done), you start from scratch.

How I Apply It

In my engineering studies, I've started asking "Why?" more often. When I encounter a formula or a method, instead of just memorizing it, I try to understand:

• What are the fundamental assumptions?
• Why does this work?
• Could there be a better way?

The Transformation

This way of thinking has changed how I approach not just technical problems, but life decisions too. It's liberating to realize that many "rules" we follow are just conventions, not laws of nature.

Example

[Add a specific example of how you used first principles thinking to solve a problem]