Learn to solve problems the way a great thinker did
Breaks down how a historical figure approached problems, separates documented habits from legend, and turns them into exercises.
The prompt
Teach me how [PERSON - e.g. "Marie Curie", "Leonardo da Vinci", "Richard Feynman"] approached problems, so I can practice the same habits.
Why this person: [what I admire - e.g. "how they broke hard problems down"]
Where I want to apply it: [my work or field and a real problem I'm facing]
Time I can spend practicing: [e.g. "15 minutes a day for 3 weeks"]
Steps:
1. Summarize their known thinking methods and working habits, citing the kind of source each comes from (their notebooks, letters, biographies). Separate well-documented habits from popular legends or misattributed quotes, and say when you're unsure.
2. Turn each method into a plain principle I can use (e.g. "explain it simply to find gaps", "keep a question notebook").
3. Apply 2-3 of these principles to my real problem, step by step, so I can see them work.
4. Note what doesn't transfer - context, resources, or traits that made their approach work for them but may not for me.
Return:
- A short profile of their thinking style.
- A table: Method | Evidence it was theirs | Principle | How to practice it.
- A practice plan that fits the practice time I gave, with daily exercises that build from simple to hard.
- A one-page checklist I can use the next time I'm stuck.
Don't invent quotes. If you paraphrase, say so.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Thinking & Decisions prompts
What to fill in
- what I admire - e.g. "how they broke hard problems down"
- my work or field and a real problem I'm facing
- e.g. "15 minutes a day for 3 weeks"
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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