In partnership with

Hi, this is Ray.

I used to be terrified of looking dumb online.

Whenever I was learning something new, like coding, sword fighting, or trying to understand why my sourdough starter kept dying, I’d wait until I was “good enough” to share it. You know, after I’d achieved “mastery.”

Spoiler: mastery never came.

Then I stumbled onto the concept of learning in public, where you share what you’re learning as you go, mistakes, half-formed ideas, and all.

It sounded horrifying. Why would I want the internet to see me fail?

But I tried it. I started posting little updates, questions, and reflections as I learned. And something weird happened. I started learning faster. I remembered more. And the fear I felt turned into motivation.

As it turns out, sharing your learning journey doesn’t just help others, it rewires your own brain for deeper learning.

Why “Public” Makes Learning Stick

When you learn privately, you only have one teacher: your own brain. And your brain can be a pretty bad tutor. It’s biased, forgetful, and often overconfident.

But when you learn in public, through writing, posting, teaching, or even just sharing your progress with friends, you activate an entirely different set of cognitive processes.

According to a study from the University of Chicago, students who prepared to teach others remembered 30 percent more than those who studied for themselves.

Why? Because explaining something forces you to clarify your thoughts, spot weak points, and organize information into a logical flow. You don’t really know what you know until you try to explain it.

It’s the same principle behind the “Rubber Duck Effect.” When you explain something out loud, even to an imaginary audience, your brain works harder to connect ideas and fill in gaps.

From our Partners at Mindstream:

Turn AI Into Your Income Stream

The AI economy is booming, and smart entrepreneurs are already profiting. Subscribe to Mindstream and get instant access to 200+ proven strategies to monetize AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and more. From content creation to automation services, discover actionable ways to build your AI-powered income. No coding required, just practical strategies that work.

Subscribe to Get Your Free Guide

The Fear of Looking Dumb

Let’s address the giant dragon in the room: fear.

Nobody likes being wrong in public. It triggers the same threat responses as social rejection. In fact, a study from the National Institute of Mental Health found that public embarrassment activates brain regions associated with physical pain.

So yes, it literally hurts to look stupid.

But here’s the good news, that discomfort is also the key to deeper learning. Psychologists call it desirable difficulty, the idea that when learning feels a little uncomfortable, it sticks longer.

When you share publicly, you’re forced to push through that discomfort. You reflect, clarify, and self-correct in real time. The fear fades, and confidence grows.

Plus, here’s the secret nobody tells you: nobody’s judging you as much as you think. Most people are too busy being afraid of looking dumb themselves.

The Feedback Loop of Learning Out Loud

When you share your process, you don’t just get accountability, you get feedback.

Feedback is the oxygen of learning. Without it, you stagnate.

A 2019 study from Harvard Business Review found that people who received consistent feedback improved their skills almost twice as fast as those who didn’t. But here’s the twist, public feedback is even more powerful.

Why? Because it’s immediate, specific, and social. Someone points out a mistake, adds a resource, or challenges your thinking. Each correction reshapes your understanding.

The process turns learning into a conversation instead of a monologue.

And when your brain receives external input like that, it engages the social learning network, a set of regions linked to empathy, perspective-taking, and motivation.

You’re not just memorizing anymore. You’re co-creating knowledge.

The Accountability Effect

When you share your goals publicly, you create gentle pressure to follow through.

A study from the American Society of Training and Development found that people are 65 percent more likely to reach a goal after telling someone about it, and 95 percent more likely if they schedule follow-up check-ins.

Sharing your progress doesn’t just inspire others, it holds you accountable to yourself.

Even posting a weekly “what I learned” thread or journaling your takeaways online can transform learning from a private intention into a public commitment.

The “Second Brain” You Build by Sharing

When you write about what you’re learning, you externalize your thoughts. This creates a permanent, searchable record of your growth, what productivity nerds call a second brain.

Platforms like Readwise, Notion, or even a simple blog can turn scattered notes into an evolving knowledge base.

And here’s the bonus: writing things down in public increases retention. A University of Wisconsin study found that people who summarized new concepts in their own words remembered them better than those who copied notes verbatim.

When you publish your thoughts, you do the same thing, translate, condense, and refine.

Each post becomes a “memory anchor,” a reference point you can revisit and build upon.

The Social Multiplier Effect

Learning in public doesn’t just help you. It helps others, which in turn reinforces your own knowledge.

When someone thanks you for explaining something or asks a follow-up question, your brain gets a little dopamine boost. That reward strengthens your motivation to keep going.

Plus, teaching others is one of the most effective forms of learning there is. In a study from Washington University, participants who taught material to peers scored significantly higher on follow-up tests than those who only studied it.

It’s a virtuous cycle:

• You learn something new.

• You explain it publicly.

• Someone responds or challenges it.

• You refine your understanding.

• You share again, now wiser.

That’s not just learning, that’s evolution in real time.

How to Start Learning in Public (Without Panic)

You don’t need a huge audience or a fancy website. You just need to start sharing what you’re already doing.

Here’s how to make it practical and painless.

1. Start Small

Share one short insight, mistake, or “aha” moment each week. Keep it casual and honest. Perfection kills momentum.

2. Use Platforms That Fit You

If you like writing, post threads or blog updates.

If you like talking, record short videos or voice notes.

If you like drawing, make sketches or mind maps.

Whatever medium helps you think better is the right one.

3. Reflect Before You Post

Ask yourself three questions:

• What did I learn?

• Why does it matter?

• How can someone else use this?

That short reflection transforms raw notes into valuable insights.

4. Engage With Feedback

When someone comments, don’t get defensive. Ask questions, clarify, and thank them. The internet can be your study group if you treat it that way.

5. Keep a Record

Collect your posts in one place, a Notion board, blog, or shared doc. Over time, you’ll see your learning journey like a timeline of growth.

My Experiment: 30 Days of Public Learning

I once challenged myself to share one thing I learned every day for a month. Some posts were deep, others were me admitting I’d spent three hours misunderstanding a concept.

At first, it was awkward. But by week two, something shifted. I started anticipating what I would share each day, which made me pay closer attention to what I was learning.

By the end of the month, I’d not only learned more but also connected with others learning the same things. My mistakes became lessons for someone else, and their insights filled my gaps.

Learning stopped being lonely.

The Bigger Lesson: You Don’t Need to Be an Expert

You don’t learn in public because you already know things. You learn in public to know things better.

Every time you post a reflection, teach an idea, or share your confusion, you’re building understanding, not just for yourself, but for anyone following behind you.

The truth is, nobody remembers the expert who stayed silent until perfect. They remember the learner who showed up, shared the messy middle, and grew in public.

So don’t wait to get good. Start sharing now. The best teachers are just students who never stopped learning out loud.

Stay curious,

Ray