Experimental Verification
Never accept a theory until you have tested it with your own hands. Newton built his own prisms and conducted his own optics experiments rather than relying on inherited assumptions about the nature of light.
Steps
Identify one assumption in your work that you have accepted without personally verifying
Design a simple experiment or test that could confirm or disprove it
Execute the test carefully, controlling variables and recording exact results
Compare your findings against the original claim — note any discrepancies, however small
Update your understanding based on evidence, not authority, and document the result
Practitioners
Related Systemsin Focus & Productivity
5-Minute Time Blocking
Break your entire day into 5-minute increments on a paper schedule. Elon Musk's extreme time management approach that squeezes maximum productivity from every hour.
Flow State Training
Train your ability to enter a state of complete absorption and peak performance. Bruce Lee's approach to achieving effortless mastery through focused practice.
First-Principles Thinking
Strip a problem down to its fundamental truths and reason up from there. Used by Elon Musk to challenge industry assumptions and build revolutionary companies.
Deep Work Blocks
Schedule uninterrupted blocks of cognitively demanding work. Eliminate shallow tasks during these periods to produce your highest-quality output.