Smart isn’t knowing everything. It’s being fast at finding out.

Storing facts mattered more when facts were harder to reach. What separates people now is the speed of the loop: noticing you do not know, admitting it fast, finding a source worth trusting, checking whether you actually understood. Almost none of that requires being clever, and every part of it can be practiced.

Time yourself on the next thing that confuses you. From not knowing to a working answer, how long does it take and where do you look first. Getting that loop down to twenty minutes is worth more than memorizing anything inside it.