Ranking of Fundamentals

What?

Let X represent anything that can be learned.

The fundamentals of X can often be ranked by the amount of value they provide to learners.

Higher-value fundamentals are those that:

In golf, being able to swing the club skillfully provides more value than knowing all the rules.
In guitar, mastering common chords gives more value than learning rare or esoteric ones—especially early on.
In website design, understanding layout, typography, and usability provides more value than memorizing obscure HTML tags or edge-case CSS tricks.
In active listening, giving full attention and restating what the speaker said is more valuable than remembering every detail or offering advice too quickly.
In chemistry, understanding atomic structure, bonding, and periodic trends gives more value than memorizing reactions without context.
In optics, mastering ray diagrams, reflection, and refraction provides more value than diving into wave interference before grasping the basics.

In golf, being able to swing the club skillfully provides more value than knowing obscure rules.
In guitar, mastering common chords gives more value than learning rare or esoteric ones—especially early on.
In website design, …
In active listening, …
In chemistry, …
In optics, …

Ranking fundamentals helps you focus on the most valuable aspects of learning and teaching.
- Learners can spend time on the essentials that provide the greatest results.
- Teachers can emphasize content that delivers the highest payoff for most students.

Subjectivity: Rankings are influenced by context and goals. However, subjective rankings still offer value—just like customer reviews on Amazon.
Lack of Available Ratings: Unlike consumer products, fundamental rankings are rarely published. Still, they can be estimated based on experience and outcomes.
Difficulty in Establishing Rankings: Some argue it’s hard to rank fundamentals. But once you’ve gained experience in a subject, creating a useful ranking is straightforward.
Interpretation: While a lower ranking fundamental is of lesser value, it still needs to be learned for competence. That is, one cannot ignore the lower ranking fundamentals.

Let X be something you’re trying to learn.
Assume you don’t yet know which fundamentals are most valuable.

Here are three ways to discover their ranking:

Learn by doing real-world tasks related to X.
This reveals which fundamentals you use most often and which provide the most value.
Pay attention to what teachers and resources emphasize.
Topics that receive repeated or emotional emphasis are often high-ranking fundamentals.
Ask skilled or expert practitioners of X.
Their responses—especially when aggregated—can help identify which fundamentals are most essential.