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What is the best way to understand Physics?

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    $\begingroup$ This is not a question which can be given a well defined answer. As such it is off-topic for this site and will probably be closed. I strongly recommend you read the site tour. $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Oct 10, 2014 at 16:57
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    $\begingroup$ Here's a well defined answer: Start taking math and science classes when you're seven years old. Keep doing this at a child-like pace for the next ten years. Ramp things up considerably when you enter college. Ramp things up once again when you enter graduate school. After three years of graduate school at ten hours per day, six days a week you'll have started to finally understand physics. Now ramp things up again to eighty hours per week so you can finish the job. By the time you hit your late twenties you can finally claim to understand physics. $\endgroup$ Oct 10, 2014 at 17:08
  • $\begingroup$ @DavidHammen: You are giving me the creeps, man! I did all of that and I still can't claim to really understand physics! What's wrong with me? :-) $\endgroup$
    – CuriousOne
    Oct 10, 2014 at 21:36
  • $\begingroup$ @CuriousOne - Yeah, what I wrote was a bit strong. That last sentence would perhaps be better as "By the time you hit your late twenties you can finally claim to understand a small part of physics." $\endgroup$ Oct 10, 2014 at 22:22
  • $\begingroup$ @DavidHammen: I don't know how you feel about it, but even though I did all of that work to gain a tiny little bit of understanding, it never felt tedious. If it does to a student, we should probably advise them to walk away and find a field that gives them the feeling of being just at the right place for all the right reasons the way physics gave to us. What do you think? $\endgroup$
    – CuriousOne
    Oct 11, 2014 at 0:45

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Attempt to answer questions posted here on the Physics SE.

Start by choosing a simple question that looks interesting, and if you can't answer it then start Googling for articles and books on the subject and try reading those. If you still can't answer it then wait for someone else to answer then attempt to understand that answer. If you can almost understand an answer but there's some bit of it that you don't get you can always ask your own question to see if someone will explain it to you.

If you stick at it you'll find you can understand and answer the simple questions. If it's been fun so far then move on the slightly harder questions. Keep at it as long as it's fun. Stop if you get bored.

This is exactly what I did. When I joined the Physics SE I was fascinated by General Relativity, but what I knew about it would fit in the navel of a flea (and still leave room for my brain :-). Now I can answer questions on GR and occasionally get them right.

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