I homeschooled, graduated at 16 and got my bachelor's at 18. Now writing about big idea in education, learning science, and sociology. Founder @GeniusGTX.
- Tweets 8,880
- Following 860
- Followers 40,019
- Likes 41,188
Pavel Durov says one school subject rewires your brain more than any other
"I still think math is essential."
"It's something that shapes your brain."
"It teaches you to rely on your logical thinking to split big problems into smaller parts, put them in the right sequence, solve them patiently, trying again if it doesn't work."
"This is exactly the same skill you need in programming, in project management, in starting when you start your own company."
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, on Lex Fridman's Lex Fridman Podcast
3
13
128
8,572
Jordan Peterson says intelligence and being a good person have zero correlation
"there's no correlation between morality and intelligence. Like literally none"
"conscientious people can keep long-term contracts. They tend to abide by their word. The correlation between conscientiousness and IQ is zero. Zero, right? Which is quite remarkable"
"there's also no correlation between agreeableness and intelligence. So character and intelligence are not the same thing"
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— Jordan Peterson ( @jordanbpeterson ), clinical psychologist, on Answer the Call
14
59
498
45,660
Education researcher Rebecca Winthrop says two-thirds of kids are in "Passenger Mode" in school...
"passenger mode is difficult to spot often for parents and sometimes teachers because many kids in passenger mode get really good grades but are just bored to tears"
"They show up to school, they do the homework, they have dropped out of learning"
"I'm in class and the teacher is going going over the math homework from yesterday and I got everyone right and I know the answers and it's 45 minutes of that... I'm going to shop online"
"I got the homework home and I know all I know how to do this stuff so I just put in chat GPT and it did my problem set for me and then I turn it in"
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institute, on Ezra Klein's ( @ezraklein ) The Ezra Klein Show
14
19
86
38,680
MacKenzie Price says a high school senior graduating at the 50th percentile knows the same math as a third grader in the 99th percentile
"a third of students can do math or reading at grade level, right? So it's an incredibly low amount"
"a high school senior who graduates in the 50th percentile, you know, your average high school senior, they know the same amount of math as a third grader who's in the 99th percentile"
"half of our students in in you know the country that we graduate don't know as much math as a 99th percentile third grader. It's absolutely crazy"
"for kids that are just average kids, you could really look at four years of high school as basically a waste of time for them. They barely improve at all"
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— MacKenzie Price, founder of Alpha School, on Chris Williamson's ( @ChrisWillx ) Modern Wisdom.
6
4
62
14,212
Pavel Durov says he was put in an experimental Soviet school that tried to overwhelm a teenage brain on purpose, and the results was mind boggling...
"At the age of 11, I got the opportunity to enter an experimental school in St. Petersburg"
"You would have four foreign languages at least including Latin, English, French, German. In addition, you can get ancient Greek. You would have classes like biochemistry or psychoanalysis or evolutionary psychology."
"Since it was an experimental class, it wasn't possible to become a straight A student to be excellent in all the subject. It was like considered crazy to even try."
"You're just pushing the limits of the human mind, four languages in parallel, math, evolutionary psychology, just overwhelming the mind and see what happens."
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, on Lex Fridman's ( @lexfridman ) Lex Fridman Podcast
14
39
521
80,144
Pavel Durov says removing competition from schools to protect kids is quietly wrecking generations
"Competition is really important. Competition is key. This is what motivates a lot of teenagers when they're at school."
"If you remove competition out of the education system, you end up forcing kids to start competing elsewhere. For example, in video games."
"Yes, you eliminate the losers, but you end up eliminating the winners as well."
"What you have as a result is high suicide rates, high unemployment, all the things and negative trends you see now in many countries which thought eliminating competition from their education system was a good idea."
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, on Lex Fridman's ( @lexfridman ) Lex Fridman Podcast
6
5
25
2,948
Jordan Peterson says a famous US program proved you cannot give kids a lasting IQ boost, even with early enrichment
"there was a huge program in the United States started in the 1960s which was supported by conservatives and liberals alike called Head Start"
"the kids who went to Head Start did do better than their age matched and socioeconomic matched peers who didn't go to Head Start, but the differences disappeared by grade five or grade six"
"so there was no improvement in cognitive function"
"that was really saddening... because it was a good hypothesis. Like the idea that you could get a leap ahead early seems so obvious that you'd think it was incontrovertible. It just happens not to be true"
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— Jordan B Peterson ( @jordanbpeterson ), clinical psychologist, on Jordan B Peterson's ( @jordanbpeterson ) Answer the Call
59
102
1,095
181,853
Jordan Peterson says most teachers can't explain why the subject they teach even matters...
"My experience in school was and this included university was that it was often the case that the teachers who were attempting to impart information actually had no idea whatsoever why what they were teaching was good for anything"
"I especially remember that in mathematics because I would ask the educator why I needed to know this and they didn't know"
"Well, if you don't know what it's good for, why should I be interested in it?"
If you're new here, follow @LearningToan for the sharpest lessons from the world's best minds.
— Jordan B Peterson ( @jordanbpeterson ), clinical psychologist, on Jordan B Peterson's ( @jordanbpeterson ) Answer the Call
8
2
29
24,780
Step 4: Reinforce Every Win—Marginal Gains
Log small wins daily—finished tasks, skill gains, milestones hit.
Celebrate them immediately.
Each confirmation locks in a new self-image and fuels the next leap forward.
1
12
746
Step 3: Set Stretch Challenges
Pick a goal ~25% beyond your current level.
Lead 3 people? seek 5.
If you run 5k, aim for 10k.
Close $5k deals? Try $7k.
Stretch enough to grow—without snapping under the weight.
1
11
563
Step 2: Borrow Belief Until It’s Yours
Low self-belief? Find people who see more in you than you see in yourself.
• Join a group operating at your next level.
• Work with a coach who won’t let you shrink.
Use their belief as a temporary power source.
1
14
642
Step 1: Audit the Belief Field Around You
Write down the 5 people you talk to most each week.
Next to each, note the last time they challenged you, celebrated you, or pushed you forward.
If most slots are blank—you’re in the wrong field.
1
14
743
The dark side?
When expectations are low, the loop still works—just in reverse.
It’s called the Golem Effect.
Low belief → Less support → Lower self-belief → Poorer performance.
1
13
898
Rosenthal had uncovered a loop:
1/ Others believe in you.
2/ They treat you like you’re capable.
3/ You start believing it.
4/ You act accordingly.
5/ Their belief is confirmed.
This became the foundation of the Pygmalion Effect.
1
2
28
992
• Raising their hands more.
• Tackling harder problems.
• Acting like people who belonged at the top.
The students didn’t just look more confident—tests showed they were smarter.
Psychologist Robert Rosenthal found there're 4 factors that explained this:
1
15
975
By the end of the year, the “bloomers” showed IQ gains far above the rest of the class.
• Same school.
• Same teachers.
• Same curriculum.
Only one thing had changed: how others saw them.
1
12
1,051
* Bloomers got warmer smiles
* More detailed feedback on mistakes
* Subtle cues of “I know you can do this”
* Harder assignments that stretched them
The kids felt it.
1
12
1,144
1964. A small elementary school in California.
Psychologist Robert Rosenthal walks in with a dangerous question:
"What if intelligence isn’t fixed?"
What if it’s malleable—and can be changed by nothing more than belief?
1
15
1,511
This is the most powerful experiment on human potential:
The Pygmalion Effect.
It’s the true root cause why most people stay stuck, depressed, and never reach their true potential…
Here's a 4-step protocol to break the cycle today: 🧵
3
43
184
38,402
So what's the truth about the "20-year delay"?
• Not fear, but scientific thoroughness
• Not hiding, but careful evidence-building
• Not procrastination, but strategic patience
Darwin was building an iron-clad argument. Against the criticism he knew would come.
2
1
7
1,104
This pushed Darwin to finally publish.
In just 13 months, he wrote "Origin of Species."
It appeared in November 1859.
First printing: 1,250 copies.
Sold out in one day.
Science would never be the same.
1
1
3
489
Then came the moment that changed everything.
June 1858:
A letter arrived from Indonesia.
From naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace.
Inside: an essay describing natural selection.
Wallace had independently reached the same conclusion.
Darwin was stunned.
1
1
4
591
Many believe Darwin delayed publication from fear. Of religious backlash and social rejection.
While he did worry about controversy...
His letters show a different concern:
Getting the science exactly right.
1
1
3
567
Darwin spent these "missing" years working intensely:
• Wrote 8 papers on geology
• Spent 8 years studying barnacles
• Published 4 books on his Beagle voyage
• Conducted countless breeding experiments
He was gathering more evidence.
Building an airtight scientific case.
1
1
2
678
Darwin's journey began on the HMS Beagle.
A five-year voyage around the world.
From 1831 to 1836.
- He collected thousands of specimens.
- Observed countless species in their habitats.
The seeds of his theory were planted.
1
1
5
795
Charles Darwin completed his theory of evolution in 1839.
The greatest biologist in history hid the manuscript in a drawer for 20 years.
He asked his wife to publish it only if he died suddenly.
It would have been buried for decades, if not for one man... 🧵
13
27
85
32,461
12. Occam's Razor:
• Simple assumptions are often right.
• Don't overcomplicate things with too many assumptions.
3
13
135
8,216
11. Loss Aversion
Discovered by scientists Tversky and Kahneman, it reveals that the pain of losing is stronger than the pleasure of winning.
As a result, humans will go to greater lengths to avoid losses than to pursue gains.
2
19
178
9,704
10. Elon's Law:
Beat Hofstadter's Law with an insanely ambitious deadline. Even if it takes 3x longer, you're still ahead of the game.
Elon Musk missing his super deadlines is a feature, not a bug.
1
14
147
11,028
9. Hofstadter's Law:
Projects always take longer and cost more than you expect, even when you consider Hofstadter's Law.
Double the time, triple the cost—despite your best calculations.
3
20
181
10,973
8. Skinner's Law:
• When procrastinating, you have 2 choices:
1. Make not doing it more painful than doing it.
2. Make doing it more enjoyable than not doing it.
5
17
155
11,157
7. Cynicism
"Cynical people may seem smarter, but research suggests they're actually less intelligent.
Deep cynicism is a defense mechanism (may results in neuroticism), not a sign of true intelligent.
Moderate dose advised.
3
15
138
12,266
6. Egocentric Bias:
We tend to think more highly of ourselves than we should.
In group activities, we overestimate our contributions compared to others.
3
12
143
12,580
5. The Bandwagon Effect:
We humans are social creatures, which has its benefits.
But there's a downside too...
We often follow the crowd without thinking, just because everyone else is doing it.
Beware of the Bandwagon Effect, it's like "groupthink" and can be risky.
4
26
194
14,505
4. The Curse of Knowledge:
Experts assume everyone knows what they know.
But they struggle to teach or lead effectively for those still learning.
Simplicity is an art.
4
27
265
15,818
2. Goodhart's Law:
When a measure becomes a goal, it stops being a good measure.
I.g: Exams and standard admission shifted the focus of education.
It's no longer about the students, but about grades and pay.
3
25
219
18,099
1. Parkinson's Law:
Work expands to fill the time given.
When we have more time, we tend to procrastinate and become inefficient.
A good reminder to track your tasks duration and energy level.
4
15
244
20,130
A "cognitive bias" is a systematic error in thinking that ruins decision-making.
The 12 most powerful cognitive biases I've found:
24
282
1,705
401,675
50 years later, we've forgotten something crucial:
• 450,000 people worked on Apollo.
• $25 billion spent.
• 6 successful moon landings.
• 12 men walked there.
The real conspiracy? Convincing people that human achievement is impossible.
That's the story worth telling.
3
10
42
2,304
Kubrick's genius filmmaking didn't fake the moon landing.
It proved it was real.
Because even the greatest filmmaker couldn't replicate the messy, imperfect, absolutely authentic footage from Apollo 11.
Reality is stranger than fiction.
1
7
35
2,317
In 2003, Kubrick's widow Christiane finally addressed the conspiracy:
"Stanley was incapable of lying.
He'd spend months perfecting a single scene.
You think he could keep a secret that big?"
She laughed. "He couldn't even keep our dinner plans secret."
1
6
35
1,849
When conspiracy theorists analyze the moon footage frame by frame, they find "mistakes."
• Shadows pointing different ways.
• No stars visible.
• The flag "waving."
All explained by physics – which Kubrick's fictional moon ignored.
1
5
25
2,085
Peter Hyams, who directed 'Capricorn One' (about a faked Mars landing), put it best:
"The only verification was television footage."
That's exactly why the conspiracy thrived.
We'd entered an age where seeing was no longer believing.
1
7
28
2,474
The Apollo 11 sweater in 'The Shining'?
Costume designer Milena Canonero brought it because it "looked handmade."
The hexagonal carpet?
Creates dramatic one-point perspective – a Kubrick trademark.
Sometimes a sweater is just a sweater.
1
5
31
2,780
If Kubrick had faked the moon landing, it would have looked NOTHING like the actual footage.
His obsessive attention to detail would have created a "perfect" moon.
Instead, NASA's footage shows messy, chaotic reality.
First image is from the movie... second is the "real" one
2
5
36
3,254
Kubrick's moon scenes were SO realistic, they became evidence AGAINST the conspiracy.
Why?
Because he got the physics completely wrong.
• No low-gravity bouncing.
• Dust billowing impossibly.
• Shadows at wrong angles.
His perfectionism revealed the truth...
1
6
36
3,231
Yes, Kubrick worked with NASA.
But not to fake the landing – to predict it.
While making '2001' in 1968, he consulted NASA scientists obsessively.
His goal? Create the most scientifically accurate space film ever.
He succeeded... too well.
1
8
40
3,358
Jack Nicholson's character screams about "responsibilities" and "contracts."
Secrets trap him he must keep.
Conspiracy theorists claimed this was Kubrick's cry for help.
His confession hidden in plain sight.
But here's what really happened...
1
6
31
3,567
11 years later, Kubrick released 'The Shining.'
Eagle-eyed viewers noticed something unsettling:
• Danny wears an Apollo 11 sweater.
• The infamous Room 237.
• The hexagonal carpet pattern.
Was this Kubrick confessing? ↓
2
5
37
3,947
Kubrick's '2001' featured the most realistic space scenes ever filmed.
He pioneered front-projection techniques that could fake massive landscapes.
NASA even loaned him actual lunar modules during production.
Then things got weird...
1
6
34
3,990
The theory goes like this:
NASA needed the world's greatest filmmaker to stage humanity's greatest achievement.
Who better than the man who'd just created '2001: A Space Odyssey'?
The "evidence" seemed compelling...
1
6
37
4,100
In 1969, as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon...
Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was from the media.
For over 50 years, conspiracy theorists said NASA hired him to fake the moon landing.
Kubrick was indeed working with NASA, but it's not what you think... 🧵
17
76
407
117,014
Step 4: Reinforce Every Win—Marginal Gains
Log small wins daily—finished tasks, skill gains, milestones hit.
Celebrate them immediately.
Each confirmation locks in a new self-image and fuels the next leap forward.
1
3
55
3,336
Step 3: Set Stretch Challenges
Pick a goal ~25% beyond your current level.
Lead 3 people? seek 5.
If you run 5k, aim for 10k.
Close $5k deals? Try $7k.
Stretch enough to grow—without snapping under the weight.
1
4
43
3,227
Step 2: Borrow Belief Until It’s Yours
Low self-belief? Find people who see more in you than you see in yourself.
• Join a group operating at your next level.
• Work with a coach who won’t let you shrink.
Use their belief as a temporary power source.
1
4
46
3,790
Step 1: Audit the Belief Field Around You
Write down the 5 people you talk to most each week.
Next to each, note the last time they challenged you, celebrated you, or pushed you forward.
If most slots are blank—you’re in the wrong field.
1
6
56
4,474
The dark side?
When expectations are low, the loop still works—just in reverse.
It’s called the Golem Effect.
Low belief → Less support → Lower self-belief → Poorer performance.
1
5
84
5,578
Rosenthal had uncovered a loop:
1/ Others believe in you.
2/ They treat you like you’re capable.
3/ You start believing it.
4/ You act accordingly.
5/ Their belief is confirmed.
This became the foundation of the Pygmalion Effect.
1
20
152
6,473
• Raising their hands more.
• Tackling harder problems.
• Acting like people who belonged at the top.
The students didn’t just look more confident—tests showed they were smarter.
Psychologist Robert Rosenthal found there're 4 factors that explained this:
1
5
52
6,565
By the end of the year, the “bloomers” showed IQ gains far above the rest of the class.
• Same school.
• Same teachers.
• Same curriculum.
Only one thing had changed: how others saw them.
1
5
63
6,985
* Bloomers got warmer smiles
* More detailed feedback on mistakes
* Subtle cues of “I know you can do this”
* Harder assignments that stretched them
The kids felt it.
1
5
62
7,557
1964. A small elementary school in California.
Psychologist Robert Rosenthal walks in with a dangerous question:
"What if intelligence isn’t fixed?"
What if it’s malleable—and can be changed by nothing more than belief?
2
4
55
9,369
This is the most powerful experiment on human potential:
The Pygmalion Effect.
It’s the true root cause why most people stay stuck, depressed, and never reach their true potential…
Here's a 4-step protocol to break the cycle today: 🧵
35
257
1,310
8,123,258
3/ Discharge - Let Your Body Shake
Lie down somewhere safe and private.
Let your body tremble, shake, or vibrate naturally.
Don't control it.
Don't stop it.
This is your nervous system releasing trapped energy.
Animals do this instinctively. So can you...
2
312
2/ Titration - Small Doses of Healing
Don't dive into your deepest trauma.
Work with "just a little bit" of activation.
Feel the edge of discomfort, then back away.
Like dipping your toe in water before swimming.
Your nervous system learns: "I can handle this."
1
1
402
1/ Pendulation - The Natural Swing
Notice where you feel tension in your body.
Focus on that sensation for 10-15 seconds.
Then shift attention to a neutral or pleasant area.
Let your nervous system naturally swing between states.
1
1
123
When we block our body's natural responses:
• Survival energy gets trapped
• Brain keeps scanning for danger
• Body remains braced for impact
• Nervous system stays in emergency mode
We become that zebra who never stopped running from the lion.
1
1
104
This changes EVERYTHING about trauma:
Traditional therapy: "Let's talk about your feelings"
Your nervous system: "I'M STILL RUNNING FROM A TIGER"
You can't think your way out of a survival response.
You have to MOVE through it.
Just like animals do instinctively...
1
1
106
Nancy's childhood trauma?
Age 4.
Tonsil surgery.
Held down by nurses while terrified.
Anesthesia mask forced on her face.
Her body wanted to fight, to flee.
But she couldn't.
That terror got frozen in her nervous system for 30 YEARS.
Until Levine helped her escape.
1
1
189
But here's where humans screwed up:
We've been programmed to suppress these responses.
"Just calm down"
"Big boys don't cry"
"Pull yourself together"
"Stop shaking, you're fine"
We literally TRAP trauma in our bodies by blocking nature's release valve.
1
1
119
Animals have a secret superpower:
They discharge trauma IMMEDIATELY through their bodies.
• Gazelles literally shake off near-death
• Birds flutter wildly after hawk attacks
• Dogs tremble after fights
Every shake releases trapped survival energy.
Watch this deer:
1
3
903
He spent years studying wildlife footage.
The pattern was always the same:
1. Predator attacks
2. Animal escapes (or plays dead)
3. Finds safety
4. Body VIOLENTLY shakes for 30-60 seconds
5. Returns to normal like nothing happened
That shaking? It's not fear.
It's medicine.
1
2
254
Levine became obsessed with one question:
Why don't zebras get PTSD?
• Zebras face lions daily
• Barely escape with their lives
• Watch their herd members get killed
Yet 5 minutes later, they're peacefully grazing.
Zero trauma. Zero anxiety.
HOW?
1
1
100
Then suddenly, it stopped.
Nancy collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Not from sadness, but pure relief.
"It's over," she whispered. "It's finally over."
The panic attacks that had imprisoned her for years?
Gone. Completely.
But WHY did this work?
1
1
93
"Nancy, there's a tiger chasing you. RUN!"
• Arms flailing as if escaping
• Heart racing, breath panting
• Her legs began pumping frantically
• Her entire body fleeing an invisible predator
For 40 minutes, she ran from death itself...
1
1
141
