Strip the topic to first principles. Rebuild.

You half-understand something because you learned the standard story without questioning it. This strips the topic to its irreducible facts, rebuilds the conventional view step by step, and flags every point where the usual account quietly smuggles in an assumption. For when you want to actually understand a thing, not just recite it.

Break [topic] down to first principles. List the irreducible facts, rebuild the standard view from them step by step, and flag any leap where the conventional account smuggles in an assumption.