--- description: "Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can" title: Elon Musk on How To Build Knowledge image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6415a8d7249ce28/6987eaa9428a9eda49ccadbc/elon-musk.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Elon Musk on How to Build Knowledge by [Shane Parrish](/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 25, 2015 11:00 AM CUT  Elon Musk at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California on March 17, 2015. Elon Musk at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California on March 17, 2015.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Shane Parrish](/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 25, 2015 11:00 AM CUT Elon Musk recently did an [AMA on reddit](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2rgsan/i%5Fam%5Felon%5Fmusk%5Fceocto%5Fof%5Fa%5Frocket%5Fcompany%5Fama/ "undefined"). Here are three question-and-response pairs that I enjoyed, including how to build knowledge. He knows how to say [I don’t know](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/05/the-power-of-i-dont-know/ "undefined"). --- > “” --- Everyone has that one teacher… --- > “” --- Finally, his answer on building knowledge reminds me of [The Five Elements of Effective Thinking](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/07/five-elements-of-effective-thinking/ "undefined") and the [latticework of mental models](https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/ "undefined"). --- > “” --- **_Follow your curiosity_** _to_ [_Elon Musk Recommends 12 Books_](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2014/11/elon-musk-book-recommendations/ "undefined")_._ **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Farnam Street_**](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/ "undefined")**_._** **Join over 50,000 readers and get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/newsletter/ "undefined")**.** ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3818261/elon-musk-knowledge/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3818261/elon-musk-knowledge/"},"headline":"Elon Musk on How to Build Knowledge","datePublished":"2015-05-25T11:00:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:21:28.812Z","description":"\"Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can\"","url":"https://time.com/3818261/elon-musk-knowledge/","keywords":["Psychology","Elon Musk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6415a8d7249ce28/6987eaa9428a9eda49ccadbc/elon-musk.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Shane Parrish","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6415a8d7249ce28/6987eaa9428a9eda49ccadbc/elon-musk.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Elon Musk at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California on March 17, 2015.","caption":"Elon Musk at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California on March 17, 2015.","creditText":"David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3818261/elon-musk-knowledge/","name":"Elon Musk on How to Build Knowledge"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"10 Questions for Elon Musk","description":"The engineer-magnate is a co-founder of electric-car maker Tesla Motors. 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